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Kinetics of enhanced phosphorus removal in the activated sludge process

An investigation into the removal of phosphorus in the activated sludge process showed that: (1) Luxury uptake of phosphorus may be induced by the presence of an anoxic zone (2) If a primary and secondary anoxic reactor are present in the system, the actual retention time of the primary anoxic react...

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Main Author: Martin, Kevan A C
Other Authors: Marais, Gerrit van Rooyen
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Civil Engineering 2016
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access_status_str Open Access
author Martin, Kevan A C
author2 Marais, Gerrit van Rooyen
author_browse Marais, Gerrit van Rooyen
Martin, Kevan A C
author_facet Marais, Gerrit van Rooyen
Martin, Kevan A C
author_sort Martin, Kevan A C
collection Thesis
description An investigation into the removal of phosphorus in the activated sludge process showed that: (1) Luxury uptake of phosphorus may be induced by the presence of an anoxic zone (2) If a primary and secondary anoxic reactor are present in the system, the actual retention time of the primary anoxic reactor will have the dominant effect on the degree of phosphorus removal. (3) In a system where only a primary anoxic reactor is present, there is an optimum actual anoxic retention time for obtaining maximum phosphorus removal. This optimum value appears to coincide with the condition where there is no nett release of phosphorus in the anoxic zone. Decreasing or increasing the actual anoxic retention time either side of the optimum value has a detrimental effect on phosphorus removal. (4) Increasing the influent ammonia-nitrogen and hence the reactor nitrate concentration, enhances phosphorus removal. (5) An increase in aeration reactor pH to between pH 7-8 enhances phosphorus removal. (6) The mechanism of removal does not appear to be precipitation. Although an increase in pH through the anoxic reactor was observed due to denitrification, phosphorus was released into solution. (7) The degree of phosphorus removal is independent of the influent phosphorus concentration. (8) Anoxic stripping of phosphorus is not a pre-requisite for luxury uptake of phosphorus to occur. (9) The concentration of phosphorus removed is a function of the COD utilized. The ratio of phosphorus removed to the COD utilized is constant at a particular sludge age, so that as the concentration of COD utilized increases, the concentration of phosphorus removed increases. (10) The concentration of phosphorus removed is a function of the sludge age. For a fixed biodegradable influent COD, the longer the sludge age, the less phosphorus removed.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:32:31.718Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2016
publishDateRange 2016
publishDateSort 2016
publisher Department of Civil Engineering
publisherStr Department of Civil Engineering
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/18237 Kinetics of enhanced phosphorus removal in the activated sludge process Martin, Kevan A C Marais, Gerrit van Rooyen Civil Engineering Phosphorus Sewage - Purification - Activated sludge process An investigation into the removal of phosphorus in the activated sludge process showed that: (1) Luxury uptake of phosphorus may be induced by the presence of an anoxic zone (2) If a primary and secondary anoxic reactor are present in the system, the actual retention time of the primary anoxic reactor will have the dominant effect on the degree of phosphorus removal. (3) In a system where only a primary anoxic reactor is present, there is an optimum actual anoxic retention time for obtaining maximum phosphorus removal. This optimum value appears to coincide with the condition where there is no nett release of phosphorus in the anoxic zone. Decreasing or increasing the actual anoxic retention time either side of the optimum value has a detrimental effect on phosphorus removal. (4) Increasing the influent ammonia-nitrogen and hence the reactor nitrate concentration, enhances phosphorus removal. (5) An increase in aeration reactor pH to between pH 7-8 enhances phosphorus removal. (6) The mechanism of removal does not appear to be precipitation. Although an increase in pH through the anoxic reactor was observed due to denitrification, phosphorus was released into solution. (7) The degree of phosphorus removal is independent of the influent phosphorus concentration. (8) Anoxic stripping of phosphorus is not a pre-requisite for luxury uptake of phosphorus to occur. (9) The concentration of phosphorus removed is a function of the COD utilized. The ratio of phosphorus removed to the COD utilized is constant at a particular sludge age, so that as the concentration of COD utilized increases, the concentration of phosphorus removed increases. (10) The concentration of phosphorus removed is a function of the sludge age. For a fixed biodegradable influent COD, the longer the sludge age, the less phosphorus removed. 2016-03-28T14:24:19Z 2016-03-28T14:24:19Z 1975 Master Thesis Masters MSc (Eng) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18237 eng application/pdf Department of Civil Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Civil Engineering
Phosphorus
Sewage - Purification - Activated sludge process
Martin, Kevan A C
Kinetics of enhanced phosphorus removal in the activated sludge process
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Kinetics of enhanced phosphorus removal in the activated sludge process
title_full Kinetics of enhanced phosphorus removal in the activated sludge process
title_fullStr Kinetics of enhanced phosphorus removal in the activated sludge process
title_full_unstemmed Kinetics of enhanced phosphorus removal in the activated sludge process
title_short Kinetics of enhanced phosphorus removal in the activated sludge process
title_sort kinetics of enhanced phosphorus removal in the activated sludge process
topic Civil Engineering
Phosphorus
Sewage - Purification - Activated sludge process
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18237
work_keys_str_mv AT martinkevanac kineticsofenhancedphosphorusremovalintheactivatedsludgeprocess