Comparison of the performance of an external nitrification biological nutrient removal activated sludge system with a UCT biological nutrient removal activated sludge system

Abstract

A laboratory scale external nitrification (EN) biological nutrient removal activated sludge (BNRAS) system and a UCT BNRAS system with similar design and operating parameters receiving the same influent wastewater were operated in parallel for 234 d to compare their N and P removal performance and to establish the advantages and disadvantages of the ENBNRAS configuration. For both systems, the COD mass balances, COD removals and filtered and unfiltered effluent COD concentrations were virtually identical, i.e. 78%, 93%, 40 and 50 mgCOD/ l respectively. However, the oxygen demand in the ENBNRAS system was only 23% of that in the UCT system. The N mass balances and TKN removals also were virtually the same, i.e. 87% and 94% respectively.

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