• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.501-512
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• 2015

A laboratory-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) was continuously operated for 100 d at an infinite sludge retention time (SRT) with the aim of identifying possible relation between the filterability of mixed liquor and sludge properties, such as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), soluble microbial products (SMP), viscosity of mixed liquor, zeta potential of flocs and particle size distributions (PSD). Research results confirmed that MBR can operate with a complete sludge retention ensuring good treatment performances for COD and $NH_3-N$. However, the long term operation (about 40 d) of MBR with no sludge discharge had a negative influence on sludge filterability, and an increase in membrane fouling rates with the time was observed. There as a strong correlation between the sludge filterability and the fouling rate. Among the different sludge properties parameters, the concentration SMP and EPS had a more closely correlation with the sludge filterability. The concentrations of SMP, especially SMP with MW above 10 kDa, had a strong direct correlation to the filterability of mixed sludge. The protein fractions in EPS were biodegradable and available for microorganism metabolism after about 60 days, and the carbohydrates in EPS had a significantly negative effect on sludge filterability in MBR at an infinite SRT.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2008

The objective of this study was to investigate biosorption of organic matter on EPS(Extracellular Polymeric Substances) at different SRT(Sludge Retention Time) in a SBR(Sequencing Batch Reactor) process, which was operated with the following operation steps : Fill-React-Settle-Decant-Idle. The hydraulic retention time was set to be 24 hours. The results obtained from this study showed that the organic removal efficiency per unit microbial biomass decreased with increasing SRT, and the corresponding EPS amount also did. The percent removal of organic by biosorption increased with SRT, and it reached to 53.2% at SRT of 30 days. However, the highest biosorption per microbial biomass(48.6 mgCOD/gVSS) was found at SRT of 2 days. The EPS analysis was performed by measuring TSS, TCOD$_{Cr}$, and TKN. The EPS production per unit microbial biomass was observed to be high at a low SRT. Due to the above result, the floc formation was hindered and therefore poor settlement of sludge resulted in decreasing the COD removal efficiency. It was therefore concluded that the consideration of the system design should include the characteristic of EPS as well as other factors such as SRT, MLSS, and organic loading.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.245-253
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• 2018

The aim of this study is to investigate the membrane fouling in a thermophilic membrane bioreactor (TMBR) operated different sludge retention times (SRTs). For this purpose, TMBR was operated at four different SRTs (10, 30, 60 and 100 days). Specific cake resistance (${\alpha}$), cake resistance, gel resistance, total resistance, MFI (modified fouling index) and FDR (flux decrease ratio) were calculated for all SRTs. It was observed that flux in the membrane increases with rising SRT although the sludge concentrations in the TMBR increased. The steady state flux was found to be 31.78; 34.70; 39.60 and 43.70 LMH ($Liter/m^2/h$) for the SRTs of 10, 30, 60 and 100 days respectively. The concentrations of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and soluble microbial product (SMP) decreased with increasing SRT. The membrane fouling rate was higher at shorter SRT and the highest fouling rate appeared at an SRT of 10 d. Both the sludge cake layer and gel layer had contribution to the fouling resistance, but the gel layer resistance value was dominant in all SRTs.

• Clean Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2001

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of zeolite addition on biofloc in aictvated sludge process. Two units were compared each other, in which one was operated as control unit (CU) and the other was managed by adding zeolite into aeration basin to sustain 4,000 mg/l (ZU). It was observed that flocs of both units were enduringly increased in medium size by extending SRT (Solid Retention Time), although their effect size of ZU was smaller than theirs of CU. Zeolite application excessively improved sludge settling property and ZU presented sludge settling velocity of 3.4 to 11 m/h regardless of SRT variation. The sludge volume index (SVI) was in the range of 50 and 108 ml/g. Conversely, the sludge settling velocity of CU seriously depended on SRT increase, and sludge sedimentation was not achieved at a 40 days of SRT due to Sphaerotilus appeared predominantly in reactor.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 2007

In order to elucidate the relationship between the sludge retention time(SRT) and the toxicity of heavy metals, such as copper (Cu), cadmium(Cd), and zinc(Zn), in sequencing batch reactor(SBR) process, IC50 was estimated with measuring of INT-dehydrogenase activity in variable SRTs. When the concentrations of heavy metals were increased, the activity of INT-dehydrogenase was gradually decreased indicating the heavy metals inhibit bacterial activity. Cu showed higher toxicity than Zn and Cd. $IC_{50}$ of Cu, Cd, and Zn ranged from $0.37\sim1.96$ mg/L, $15.4\sim16.9$ mg/L, and $9.70\sim23.4$ mg/L, respectively. The toxicity of Cu and Zn was reversely proportional to the length of SRT. It is probably caused by the increased concentration of extracellular polymeric substances in longer SRT which absorb heavy metals. Therefore, the operation of SBR with increased SRT is desirable in treatment of industrial wastewater containing heavy metals.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.468-473
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to derive the correlation between the Specific Phosphorus Release Rate (SPRR), Specific Phosphorus Uptake Rate (SPUR) and Specific Oxygen Uptake Rate (SOUR) at various Sludge Retention Time (SRT) condition in the A/O process. The laboratory scale reactor was operated on various SRT (10 day, 20 day, 30 day, 40 day). In this study, the SPRR, SPUR and SOUR tended to decrease with the SRT increase. Empirical equations was be obtained $y=4.54E-006x^2+0.0007x-0.0315$, $R^2=0.925$ (SOUR vs. SPRR) and $y=3.22E-006x^2+0.0004x-0.0173$, $R^2=0.928$ (SOUR vs. SPUR) from the relationship between SRT, SPRR and SPUR and SOUR. Therefore, the anaerobic tank design based on the research result such as SPRR, SPUR of a phosphorus design and SOUR would be possible.

• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.10 no.S_1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2001

Effect of the addition of an enzyme/microbial additive(EMA) to enhance anaerobic digestion of the primary sludge was investigated. Two laboratory scale anaerobic digester were operated with primary sludge taken from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The digester receiving EMA with the sludge feed performed better than the control digester, when both were operated at 10-days and 15-days Solid Retention Time(SRT). Addition of EMA to the experimental digester provided 7%(10-days SRT) and 16%(15-days SRT) higher gas production compared to the control digester when both were fed with the same amount of volatile solids. The reduction in volatile solids was 24% better in the experimental digester compared to the control ar 10-days SRT, and the improvement 10% at 15-day SRT. Improvement in COD reduction, and fecal coliform density reduction were also seen in the experimental digester due to EMA addition compared to the control both ar 10-days SRT and 15-day SRT operation. Preliminary cost benefit analysis for a wastewater treatment plant showed that approximately $115/day in gas production improvements can be realized upon addition of EMA to primary sludge anaerobic digesters operating at 10-day SRT. The value of increased gas production was $172/day if the same digesters are operated with EMA addition at 15-day SRT.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.21 no.E2
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• pp.41-48
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• 2005

A novel hybrid system composed of a biotrickling filter and an activated sludge reactor was investigated under the conditions of four different SRTs (sludge retention times). The performance of the hybrid reactor was found to be directly comparable among the four different sludge ages. Discernible differences in the removal performance were observed among four different SRTs of 2, 4, 6, and 8 days. High removal efficiency was achieved by continuous circulation of activated sludge over the immobilized mixture culture, which allowed on pH control, addition of nutrients, and removal of paint VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The results also showed that the removal efficiency for a given pollutant depends on the activity of microorganisms based on the SRT. As the SRT increased gradually from 2 to 8 days, the average removal performance decreased. The highest removal rate was achieved at the SRT of 2 days at which the highest OUR (oxygen uptake rate), $6.1mg-O_2/liter-min$ was measured. Biological activity in the recycle microbes decreased to a much lower level, $3.6mg-O_2/liter-min$ at a SRT of 8 days. It is thus believed that young microorganisms were more active and more efficient for the VOCs removal of low concentrations and high flow rates. The apparent correlation of $R^2=0.996$ between the average removal efficiency and the average OUR at each SRTs suggests that VOCs degradation by young cells significantly affected the overall removal efficiency for the tested SRTs.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.489-501
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• 2012

The nitrogen removal characteristics of the MBR system consisted of two intermittent reactors, a membrane reactor and a deaeration reactor under constant flow and wastewater composition at different operational temperature and SRTs (Sludge Retention Times) were studied by computer simulation. The nitrogen removal efficiencies were dropped from 59% to 31%, when operational temperature was increased to $25^{\circ}C$ from $13^{\circ}C$ with same SRT of 25 days. Lower RBO (Readily Biodegradable Organic) concentrations at intermittent reactors at $25^{\circ}C$ compared with those at $13^{\circ}C$ of operational temperature were believed to be the main cause. The nitrogen removal efficiencies and RBO concentrations at each intermittent reactors were recovered when SRT was reduced to 12.6 days at $25^{\circ}C$. The effect of both SRT and operational temperature on RBO concentrations at intermittent reactors is need to be studied further.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.175-189
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• 2013

A membrane bioreactor (MBR) with sludge retention time (SRT) of 300 days was maintained for over 2 years. Polypropylene microfiltration (MF) membrane with pore size of 0.2 ${\mu}m$ was used in the MBR system. The fouling behaviors of various sludge fractions from the MBR were studied and sub-divided resistances were analyzed. It was observed that $R_{cp}$ was a dominant resistance during the filtration of activated sludge, contributing 63.0% and 59.6% to the total resistance for MBR and sequential batch reactor (SBR) respectively. On the other hand, $R_c$ played the significant role during the filtration of supernatant and solutes, varying between 54.54% and 67.18%. Compared with $R_{cp}$ and $R_c$, $R_{if}$ was negligible, and $R_m$ values remained constant at $0.20{\times}10^{12}m^{-1}$. Furthermore, resistances of all sludge fractions increased linearly with rising mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration and growing trans-membrane pressure (TMP), while the relationship was inversed between fraction resistances and cross flow velocity (CFV). Among all fractions of activated sludge, suspended solid was the main contributor to the total resistance. A compact cake layer was clearly observed according to the field emission scanning electro microscopy (FE-SEM) images.