Feasibility of UASB/trickling filter systems without final clarifiers for the treatment of domestic wastewater in small communities in Brazil.
The paper analyses the concept and performance of different configurations of compact UASB/TF systems, without the final clarification stage, in relation to the removal of organic matter. The experiments were carried out in two sets of UASB/TF systems operating without secondary clarifiers, as follows: (i) four shallow (2.50 m height) TFs, each one filled with a different packing material; and (ii) two deep (4.20 m height) TFs, one filled with polyethylene corrugated sheets and the other with mixed polyethylene and sponge sheets. For the conditions tested (different packing material in shallow and deep TF), the UASB/TF systems had consistently complied (90 to 100% of the results) with the Brazilian discharge standards regarding to BOD, COD, and TSS parameters. The average BOD, COD and TSS effluent concentrations stayed below 40 mg BOD L(-1), 100 mg COD L(-1) and 50 mg TSS L(-1), respectively. UASB/TF systems can constitute an attractive alternative for domestic wastewater treatment in small communities in developing countries, especially considering its operational simplicity and very low running costs.
Federal University of Minas Gerais, Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. calemos@desa.ufmg.br
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D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D001938:Brazil; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*