title: Nutrient removal from wastewaters using high performance materials.
abstract: Return side streams from anaerobic digesters and dewatering facilities at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contribute a significant proportion of the total nitrogen load on a mainstream process. Similarly, significant phosphate loads are also recirculated in biological nutrient removal (BNR) wastewater treatment plants. Ion exchange using a new material, known by the name MesoLite, shows strong potential for the removal of ammonia from these side streams and an opportunity to concurrently reduce phosphate levels. A pilot plant was designed and operated for several months on an ammonia rich centrate from a dewatering centrifuge at the Oxley Creek WWTP, Brisbane, Australia. The system operated with a detention time in the order of one hour and was operated for between 12 and 24 hours prior to regeneration with a sodium rich solution. The same pilot plant was used to demonstrate removal of phosphate from an abattoir wastewater stream at similar flow rates. Using MesoLite materials, >90% reduction of ammonia was achieved in the centrate side stream. A full-scale process would reduce the total nitrogen load at the Oxley Creek WWTP by at least 18%. This reduction in nitrogen load consequently improves the TKN/COD ratio of the influent and enhances the nitrogen removal performance of the biological nutrient removal process.
authors.affiliation: NanoChem Ltd. Level 6 Gehrmann Building, Research Road, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia. imac@nanochem.com.au
authors.forename: I D R
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Mackinnon
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pinel
mesh_terms: D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000737:chemistry; D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic; D019149:Bioreactors; D007474:Ion Exchange; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; C517817:MesoLite; D012722:Sewage; D010758:Phosphorus; D000641:Ammonia; D009584:Nitrogen