Quantitative method based on energy and mass balance for estimating substrate transient accumulation in activated sludge during wastewater treatment.
To calculate the transient accumulation of soluble organic matter in activated sludge, an equation based on COD and respirometry is described. In this approach the difference between the actual utilized organic matter and the metabolized matter is expressed as substrate transient accumulation. The amount of substrate generated by the lysis of dead microorganisms was taken into account, and the metabolized organic matter was expressed in two main endergonic functions of O(2) consumption, that is, assimilation and maintenance. The equation thus derived was simplified to contain parameters such as COD and O(2) consumption and tested on experimental results. The results show that the values obtained using this equation compared well to substrate removal in the absence of O(2) in short-term batch cultures.
Division of Biological Sciences, National Research Council, Ottawa K1A OR6, Canada.
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Guiot
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Nyns