Activated-Sludge Stabilization of Swine Waste Ronald Eldon Hermanson Iowa State University
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Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1967 Activated-sludge stabilization of swine waste Ronald Eldon Hermanson Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Agriculture Commons, and the Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Hermanson, Ronald Eldon, "Activated-sludge stabilization of swine waste " (1967). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 3156. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/3156 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been microfihned exactly as received " HERMANSON, Ronald Eldon, 1933- ACTIVATED-SLUDGE STABILIZATION OF SWINE WASTE. Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ph.D., 1967 Ei^ineering, agricultural Engineering, sanitary and municipal University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan ACTIVATED-SLUDGE STABILIZATION OF SWINE WASTE by Ronald Eldon Hermanson A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major Subject: Water Resources (Agricultural Engineering) Approved: Signature was redacted for privacy. In Charge of Majo^ Work Signature was redacted for privacy. Signature was redacted for privacy. Iowa State University Of Science and Technology Ames, Iowa 1967 PLEASE NOTE: Figure pages are not original copy. They tend to "curl". Filmed in the best possible way. University Microfilms, Inc. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vi INTRODUCTION 1 Nature of the Problem 3 Objectives 7 Terminology 8 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 9 Incubation Period 9 The Activated-Sludge Process 11 RECENT RESEARCH 20 EXTENDED-AERATION THEORY 23 General 23 Assumptions 23 Nomenclature 25 Development of Mathematical Model 25 Comparison of Model with Domestic-Waste Data 41 EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUE 46 Equipment 46 Influent Waste 54 Operational Procedure 56 Sampling Procedure 60 Analytical Techniques 61 iii Page RESULTS 69 Preliminary Comments 69 Performance 71 Analysis 76 Application 80 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 82 Summary 82 Conclusions 83 Recommendations 84 REFERENCES CITED 85 APPENDIX A; TABLES 92 APPENDIX B; FIGURES 97 iv LIST OF TABLES Page 1. Activated-sludge process performance with domestic waste 19 2. Nomenclature 26 3. BOD-reduction data for domestic waste 44 4. Selected details of sedimentation units 50 5. Removal of the contents of a completely-mixed system 58 6. Experimental BOD-reduction data for swine waste 93 7. Biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids in milligrams per liter 95 8. Nitrogen concentrations in milligrams per liter ammonium-nitrogen 96 V LIST OF FIGURES Page 1. Flow diagram of extended-aeration, activated-sludge plant 30 2. The BOD curve 38 3. BOD-reduction efficiency for domestic waste 45 4. Flow diagram of experimental plant 47 5. Experimental plant, empty 49 6. Experimental plant in operation 49 7. Chemical oxygen demand reflux apparatus 66 8. Membrane filter apparatus and other equipment for suspended solids determinations 66 9. Steam distillation apparatus for ammonium-, nitrite-, and nitrate-nitrogen analyses 68 10. Air temperature recorder in controlled-temperature room 6 8 11. BOD-reduction efficiency for swine waste 77a 12. Influent BOD-COD relationship 98 13. Effluent BOD-COD relationship 99 14. Sample computer output from non-linear regression analysis; MLVSS constant 100 15. Sample computer output from non-linear regression analysis: detention time constant 101 16. Sample computer output from non-linear regression analysis: pooled data 102 vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to express my appreciation to the following: Dr. Howard P. Johnson, major professor in charge of my graduate program for the majority of the time, for his guidance of my program of study; Dr. Thamon E. Hazen, major professor in the absence of Dr. Johnson at the conclusion of the research, for his advice and constructive review of the manuscript; minor professors Dr. E. Robert Baumann and Dr. Herbert T. David, and Dr. Clarence W. Bockhop and Dr. Don Kirkham, for reviewing the manuscript and serving on the examining committee. I am further indebted to the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration for the fellowship that provided personal financial support and the majority of the research expenses. Credit is also due to the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service Research Grant EF 00410-03 (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station Project 1433), Thamon E. Hazen, Principal Investigator. INTRODUCTION Mankind has long been aware of the attendant dangers of the disposal of human and other wastes. The religion of the ancient Persians, prior to Moses, prohibited the discharge of waste into rivers. Pollution problems have grown, and will continue to grow, as our technology and standard of living continue to improve and as population increases. Historically our approach to the problems of environmental pollution has been to apply the economically feasible control provided by existing technology. The current trend includes scientific study of the amount of pollution an environment can absorb without adversely affecting human health and welfare and the balance of nature. Assessment of the magnitude of the pollution problem on land and in the air and sea is difficult. But it has been estimated that the oxygen-demanding portion of domestic and industrial waste is increasing so much more rapidly than waste treatment efficiency that the oxygen demand of treated wastes will be great enough by 1980 to consume the oxygen content of the dry-weather flow of all twenty-two river basins in the United States (National Academy of Sciences—National Research Council, 1966, pp. 12-13). The increasing national interest in pollution control is demonstrated by the legislation and programs which provide grant funds for municipal sewage treatment plants: 2 1. Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1956 (amended in 1961) 2. Public Works Acceleration Program in 1962 and 1963 3. Water Quality Act of 1965 In addition to providing grants, the Water Quality Act of 1965 requires the states to establish and enforce water quality standards for interstate waters, or the federal government will step in and set the standards. Other legislation in 1965 provided construction funds under four additional departments, among which is the Farmers Home Administration Act (Department of Agriculture). This act authorizes grants to nonprofit public agencies and corporations for constructing water supply and waste collection, treatment, and disposal systems in rural areas. The importance of research has also been emphasized in these acts under the Advanced Waste Treatment Research Program by adding new research laboratories and by obtaining the services of other federal, state, and local agencies and uni versities, Processes being investigated comprise adsorption, electrodialysis, foam separation, distillation, solvent extrac tion, emulsion separation, freezing, hydration, chemical oxidation, ion exchange, electrochemical degradation, and reverse osmosis. The first four processes look promising for large-scale use. 3 Nature of the Problem Farm animals contribute considerably more wastes than humans in some watersheds, and the excreta of farm animals may be a major source of water pollution. This problem will increase as the human population increases, because the animal population will also rise. The problem is intensified further by growing water demands. Disagreeable odors and the breeding of flies are associ ated with accumulations of animal manure. These characteris tics are particularly important in view of the frequent concentration of farm animals near the urban markets. Animal wastes are also a hazard to human health inasmuch as they may contain pathogens that are common to animals and man. At least one state requires that a permit be obtained for any animal-waste treatment facility that discharges to a water course (Illinois Department of Public Health, 1966). The advent of automation and confinement production has created a major problem for the American farmer in the dis posal of farm animal wastes, because of the increased animal concentration. And the modest amount of research on the animal waste problem has not yet produced a single method that is generally satisfactory for both the treatment and disposal of animal manure from confinement production systems. The specific waste considered herein is that from swine. It is likely that eventually the majority of hogs in this 4 country will be raised in large confinement systems. One example of such a system is beginning operation near Alta, Iowa. Within five years, the expectation is that nearly 100,000 hogs will be finished annually (Patrick, 1966). Some impression of the magnitude of the swine waste disposal problem can be given by comparing the wastes left by man and animals. The 1960 population of the United States was about 179 million and the Iowa population was about 2.8 million (United States Department of Commerce, 1961, pp. X and 1-25). In 1960 about 88 million hogs were raised in the United States and about 19 million hogs were raised in Iowa (United States Department