Secondary Treatment
Secondary treatment is a biological digestion
process relying on bacterial population to
perform the degradation of organic
compounds.
Removal of biodegradable organics and
suspended solids, using chemical and/or
biological processes
Objective is to reduce organic load (BOD), odors and pathogens
04/13/20 1
Secondary Treatment
Biological Oxygen Demand
- Measures rate of oxygen used under controlled
conditions
- Indicates the organic strength of wastewater
The Basic Equation
NH3, PO4 and Aerobic Bacteria
Organic Carbon + O2
CO2 + H2O + New Cells*
*New
04/13/20 cells require C,H,O,N &P for growth. 2
In all these methods, the bacteria and protozoa consume
biodegradable soluble organic contaminants (e.g. sugars, fats,
organic short-chain carbon molecules, etc.) and bind much of the
less soluble fractions into floc particles.
Biological treatment systems adopted
for treating wastewater
ANAEROBIC
Septic Tanks
Digestion Tanks [for sludge treatment & Industrial Wastes]
Imhoff Tanks
Anaerobic Ponds [a pre-treatment for oxidation ponds for
strong wastes]
AEROBIC
Trickling Filter Process
Activated Sludge Process
Oxidation Ditch
Oxidation Pond
Aerated Lagoon
Secondary Treatment Processes
Two Types
1. Attached growth or Fixed Film
Organisms attached to some inert media like rocks
or plastic.
2. Suspended Growth
Organisms are suspended in the treatment basin fluid.
This fluid is commonly called the “mixed liquor ”.
ATTACHED GROWTH or FIXED FILM REACTORS
Trickling Filters
Rock Media Typically 1.25 – 2.5 m. deep.
Trickling Filter Design
• A trickling filter, which is a tank of media
such as gravel of plastic material.
• Wastewater is distributed over the top of
the media and flows downward across the
media surface in a thin film.
• It then exits the bottom of the tank and
flows into the clarifier/dosing tank.
Trickling Filter
Trickling Filters With time, the “slime” layer
becomes thicker and thicker
until oxygen and organic
matter can not penetrate to
the organisms on the inside.
The organisms on the inside
then die and become detached
from the media, causing a
portion of the “slime” layer to
“slough off”.
This means the effluent from a
trickling filter will have lots of
solids (organisms) in it which
must be removed by
sedimentation
Trickling Filters
Single Stage Trickling Filter
Two Stage Trickling Filter
Bio-towers
Suspended Growth Processes
Designed based on loading
Activated Sludge (the amount of organic
matter added relative to
the microorganisms
available)
Commonly called the food-
to-microorganisms ratio,
F/M
F measured as BOD.
M measured as volatile
suspended solids
concentration
F/M is the Kg of
BOD/day per Kg of
MLSS in the aeration
tank
Aeration
Diffused Aeration
Coarse Bubble
Fine Bubble
Aeration Basin
Mechanical Aeration
Sludge Volume Index, SVI
(volume of sludge after 30 min. settling, ml) x 1000
SVI =
mg/L suspended solids
A mixed liquor has 4000 mg/L suspended solids. After 30 minutes
of settling in a 1 Litre cylinder, the sludge occupied 400 ml.
SVI = (400 x 1000)/ 4000 = 100
Good settling if SVI < 100, if SVI > 200 …. problems
Trickling Filter attached with Septic Tank
