The application of different techniques to determine activated sludge kinetic parameters in a food industry wastewater

Abstract

In the present work, a continuous-feed system under steady state conditions (classical method) and a respirometric technique based on oxygen consumption measurements, were used to compare microbial parameters using a wastewater model system of a potato processing plant. The effects of the operating conditions in the continuous aerobic reactor on microbial growth and flora composition were also analysed. Continuous-feed experiments allowed for the calculation of the following biodegradation parameters: maximum substrate consumption specific rate (qSmax) = 0.19 mgCOD (mgVSS)-1·h-1, saturation constant (Ks) = 8.3 mgCOD·l-1, biomass yield (YX/S) = 0.61 mgVSS (mgCOD)-1, biomass decay constant (kd) = 0.04·h-1 and maximum oxygen consumption specific rate (qO2max) = 0.03 mgCOD (mgVSS)-1·h-1. The respirometric technique als allowed for the calculation of kinetic parameters. However, these parameters depended on dilution rate (D) and/or on dissolved oxygen concentration (DO).

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