Experimental approach for improving the removal efficiency of a metal pollutant using the Activated Sludge as a wastewater treatment process

Galal, Mansor; AbdElazez, Ahmad; M. Abd-Rabuo, Ramadan; El-Tokhy, Atef

doi:10.21608/ejabf.2019.32839

Experimental approach for improving the removal efficiency of a metal pollutant using the Activated Sludge as a wastewater treatment process

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

10.21608/ejabf.2019.32839

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of developing improved activated sludge cultures to remove a heavy metal salt (CuSO_4.5H₂O) present in high concentrations.Two types of bioreactors were employed to develop and maintain the aerobic cultures used to conduct the heavy metal-uptake studies. These were continuously stirred-tank batch reactors (CSTBR's) that used to sustain the aerobic cultures at selected specific growth rates beside detecting metal tolerant species and completely mixed batch reactors used to conduct metal uptake studies with cultures derived from the CSTBR's. Copper was selected for this application. The aerobic continuously stirred batch reactor (ACSBR) of high growth rate (HGR) exhibited good metabolic activities as indicated by the values of P^H, dissolved oxygen, TSS, VSS, , BOD and COD belonging to the mixed liquor provide an evidence for the presence of metabolically active organisms. The data obtained in the present study established that the copper uptake by the test sludge in the different unit reactors at the first four hours ranged from 15.63% to 27.21%. The present study proved that the maximum removal percent of copper salt achieved 79.6% to 81.9% of the total percent of copper uptake, while those obtained by the control experimental sludge ranged from 0.20% to 2.10%. This means that there was a big difference among the averages of metal uptake.

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