A study on using fireclay as a biomass carrier in an activated sludge system

Abstract

By adding a biomass carrier to an activated sludge system, the biomass concentration will increase, and subsequently the organic removal efficiency will be enhanced. In this study, the possibility of using excess sludge from ceramic and tile manufacturing plants as a biomass carrier was investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of using fireclay as a biomass carrier on biomass concentration, organic removal and nitrification efficiency in an activated sludge system. Experiments were conducted by using a bench scale activated sludge system operating in batch and continuous modes. Artificial simulated wastewater was made by using recirculated water in a ceramic manufacturing plant. In the continuous mode, hydraulic detention time in the aeration reactor was 8 and 22 h. In the batch mode, aeration time was 8 and 16 h. Fireclay doses were 500, 1,400 and 2,250 mg l(-1), and were added to the reactors in each experiment separately. The reactor with added fireclay was called a Hybrid Biological Reactor (HBR). A reactor without added fireclay was used as a control. Efficiency parameters such as COD, MLVSS and nitrate were measured in the control and HBR reactors according to standard methods. The average concentration of biomass in the HBR reactor was greater than in the control reactor. The total biomass concentration in the HBR reactor (2.25 g l(-1) fireclay) in the continuous mode was 3,000 mg l(-1) and in the batch mode was 2,400 mg l(-1). The attached biomass concentration in the HBR reactor (2.25 g l(-1) fireclay) in the continuous mode was 1,500 mg l(-1) and in the batch mode was 980 mg l(-1). Efficiency for COD removal in the HBR and control reactor was 95 and 55%, respectively. In the HBR reactor, nitrification was enhanced, and the concentration of nitrate was increased by 80%. By increasing the fireclay dose, total and attached biomass was increased. By adding fireclay as a biomass carrier, the efficiency of an activated sludge system to treat wastewater from ceramic manufacturing plants was increased.

Treatment of produced water in a floating carrier bioreactor

“…The use of non-conventional agricultural and solid waste carrier materials such as rice husk [38], fireclay [39], coir geotextiles [40] and fiber thread [41] have demonstrated effective treatment capability. These non-conventional carrier materials are hybrid (hydrophilic and hydrophobic) and degradable.…”

Novel carrier for seafood wastewater treatment using moving bed biofilm reactor system

“…In the MBBR system, the biofilm carriers play an important role in determining the overall efficiency and performance of treating wastewater [19,22]. Biofilm carriers for MBBR can be classified by non-porous or porous carriers such as activated carbon particles [23], fireclay [24], natural materials [25], and materials supported on polymers including polyethylene cylinder [26], polypropylene [27], poly(vinyl chloride) [28], polyurethane foam [29], poly(vinyl alcohol) gel [30]. Among mentioned carriers, non-porous carriers such as polyethylene cylinders (Kalnes types) possess a low specific surface area (about 300-500 m 2 /m 3 ) and are prone to the detachment of biofilm given their smooth surface [31].…”

Design and Manufacturing of High Surface Area 3D‐Printed Media for Moving Bed Bioreactors for Wastewater Treatment

“…Various carriers such as sand, gravel, peanut shells, rice husk, coconut shells, cane bagasse, and maize stubble have been used as carriers in bio‐filters (Ramirez‐Lopez et al ; Shao et al ). Also, fireclay (Tilaki ), bamboo charcoal (Chen et al ), fiber threads (Jin et al ), geotextiles (Mukkulath and Thampi ), and peach pits (Soltani et al ) have been investigated as potential carriers in bio‐filters. A sample of different kinds of bio‐carriers used in a MBBR, along with a brief summary of their characteristics, is given by Shrestha ().…”