Geotextiles As Biofilm Filters in Wastewater Treatment
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iv Geotextiles as Biofilm Filters in Wastewater Treatment A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Drexel University by Cevat Yaman in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 2003 © Copyright 2003 Cevat Yaman. All Rights Reserved Dedications To my father, Hasan Yaman Acknowledgments I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Joseph P. Martin for the guidance and assistance he provided during my study. Sincere appreciation is also extended to Drs. Robert M. Koerner, Jonathan Cheng, Wesley O. Pipes, Andrea Welker, and Joseph Mullin for their suggestions during this research and for review of the dissertation. I am also grateful to Philadelphia Water Department for welcoming me into their wastewater treatment plant and their invaluable contributions. I am also thankful to Turkish Higher Education Council for funding my study in the United States. Special thanks goes to Eyup Korkut and Ibrahim Ersoz whose assistance and support I greatly appreciated. Finally, I especially want to thank my parents, Hasan and Asiye, my wife Esin, and my daughter Selin Nur, for their encouragement, support and understanding during my graduate years. iv Table of Contents List of Tables ..............................................................................................viii List of Figures ................................................................................................x Abstract....................................................................................................... xv Chapter 1. Introduction, Literature Review and Summary of Findings ................1 1.1 Scope and problem Addressed ......................................................1 1.2 Experimental Summary ...............................................................3 1.3 Dissertation Outline......................................................................4 1.4 Literature Review of Geotextile Clogging......................................5 1.5 Attached or Fixed-Film Biomass................................................. 10 1.6 Goals ......................................................................................... 11 1.7 Test Liquid ................................................................................ 13 1.8 Geosynthetics Used.................................................................... 16 1.9 Summary of Results ................................................................... 18 1.10 Biofilm Morphology in Geotextile Media .................................. 25 1.11 Applications to Wastewate r Discharges ..................................... 29 1.12 Applications to Urban Runoff ................................................... 33 Chapter 2. Filter Behavior and Geotextiles..................................................... 38 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................... 38 2.2 Geotextile Types ........................................................................ 40 2.3 Filter Functions, Modes and Types .............................................. 43 2.4 Geotextile Filters........................................................................ 48 2.4.1 General Principles .............................................................. 48 2.4.2 Detailed Pore Size Measurements........................................ 50 2.4.3 Selection of Geotextile PSD for Filtration Design ................. 54 2.5 Hydraulic Performance of Geotextiles ..........................................58 2.5.1 Modified Gradient Ratio Test..............................................58 2.5.2 Soil and Geotextile Modifications........................................ 60 2.5.3 Criteria for Geotextile Filter Design..................................... 61 2.6 Darcy’s Law, Permeability and Permittivity .................................. 65 Chapter 3. Receiving Waters and Wastewater Treatment Processes.................. 68 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................... 68 3.2 Wastewater and Effluent Characterization.................................... 70 3.3 Receiving Water Concerns.......................................................... 73 3.4 Unit Wastewater Loadings .......................................................... 80 3.5 Wastewater Treatment................................................................ 85 3.5.1 Common Unit Operations ................................................... 85 3.5.2 Physical Treatment............................................................. 86 3.5.3 Organisms in Wastewater ................................................... 90 3.5.4 Metabolism, Energy, and Synthesis ..................................... 93 3.5.5 Enzyme Kinetics ................................................................ 96 3.5.6 Growth Kinetics of Pure Bacterial Cultures.......................... 97 3.5.7 Biological Growth in Wastewater Treatment...................... 100 3.5.8 Population Dynamics........................................................ 107 3.6 Wastewater Treatment with Filters ............................................. 108 3.6.1 Filter Types...................................................................... 108 3.6.2 Packed Bed Granular Filters.............................................. 109 3.6.3 Removal Mechanisms in Granular Filters........................... 111 3.6.4 Continuous Flow Granular Filters...................................... 112 3.6.5 Intermittent Flow Granular Filters ..................................... 114 3.6.6 Re-circulating Granular Filters .......................................... 118 3.6.7 Other Types of Granular Filters......................................... 119 Chapter 4. Experimental Design, Methods and Material Selection.................. 121 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................. 121 4.2 Experimental Design Background ............................................. 121 4.3 Experimental Sequence ............................................................ 122 4.4 Experimental Apparatus ........................................................... 124 4.5 Granular Layers ....................................................................... 130 4.6 Test Liquid Sampling and Analysis ........................................... 132 4.7 Phase I Tests and Results.......................................................... 134 4.8 Phase II Results........................................................................ 137 Chapter 5. Results of Phase III & IV Studies ................................................ 140 5.1 Phase III-Overview .................................................................. 140 5.2 Phase III –Treatment ................................................................ 143 5.3 Phase III –Permeability Changes ............................................... 149 5.4 Phase IV – Overview................................................................ 154 5.5 Phase IV – Aerobic Treatment Results....................................... 156 5.6 Phase IV – Permeability Results................................................ 163 5.7 Phase IV – Denitrification......................................................... 165 5.8 Phase IV – Biomass Retention and Morphology in Geotextile Filters ..................................................................... 167 Chapter 6. Proposed Extension to Scale -up Study ......................................... 177 6.1 Introductions and Scope............................................................ 177 6.2 Experimental Layout ................................................................ 179 Chapter 7. Applications ............................................................................... 182 7.1 Introduction ............................................................................. 182 7.2 Groundwater Recharge with Wastewater ................................... 183 7.3 Community Scale Recharge Systems.......................................... 186 7.4 Onsite System Daily Flows........................................................ 188 7.5 Conventional Septic Systems ..................................................... 189 7.6 Septic Tanks ............................................................................. 191 7.7 Process Analysis ....................................................................... 195 7.8 Microbial Issues........................................................................ 199 7.9 Design Example ........................................................................ 200 Chapter 8. Summary and Conclusions .......................................................... 207 8.1 Recommendations for Future Research...................................... 211 Bibliography .............................................................................................. 213 Appendix A. Nitrogen Removal Rates ......................................................... 221 Appendix B. Tables of Ammonia, Nitrate, Total Suspended Solids, Permeability and BOD5........................................................... 232 Appendix C. List of Acronyms .................................................................... 235 Vita ........................................................................................................... 236 List of Tables 1.1 Pilot (Phase II) Primary Effluent Analysis ................................................ 14 1.2 Variations in Biological Parameter Concentrations