Active Sludge and Aerobic Digestor

Fats and oils are the most common contaminants in wastewater and are usually discarded 17 through physical processes. This paper studies its elimination through an environmentally friendly 18 biological treatment, yielding good results on both laboratory scale and in the field. In this study a 19 comparative evaluation of the biodegradation of fats and oils in two scenarios were developed in 20 an activated sludge plant at laboratory scale, and a wastewater treatment plant. The full-scale values 21 for some key parameters are compared, such as the oil concentration in the influent and effluent, 22 mass loading and removal efficiency and biodegradation systems. Activated sludge plant at 23 laboratory scale working on a mass load range from 0.2 to 0.8 (kg COD / day / kg MLSS) initially 24 reaches levels of 75% biodegradation thereafter influent concentration is increased and thereby the 25 mass load is increased in a range of working system under high load and biodegradation rates 26 ranging from 71 to 64% are achieved. The actual system consists of a treatment plant wastewater 27 with an aerobic digester for sludge treatment. Fats and oils are retained in a previous degreaser to 28 biological treatment and subsequently sent to the aerobic sludge digester, constituting of thus on a 29 single substrate, resembling an activated sludge plant with extended aeration mode, and levels of 30 biodegradation in the range of 69 to 92%. From this work, we can say that the choice of biological 31 treatment for fats and oils is feasible and adequate. Furthermore, the biomass presents great 32 adaptability to the oil substrate, favored in this case for being the only source of carbon, therefore 33 fats and oils should be removed using biological treatment, instead of the flotation procedure or at 34 most using it as an intermediate process. 35