1. ANAEROBIC TREATMENT AS A SUSTAINABLE TREATMENT OPTION FOR DOMESTIC WASTEWATER AND ORGANIC FRACTION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Prof. Dr. Izzet Ozturk
Istanbul Technical University, Environmental Engineering Faculty, 34469, Maslak, Istanbul/TURKEY

2. high-rate anaerobic systems
High-rate anaerobic treatment has been used widely for the treatment of many industrial and municipal wastewaters in the last decades
Table 1. The benefits and drawbacks of anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage in the
high-rate anaerobic systems
Benefits
Drawbacks
1. Efficient in the removal of organic material especially for tropical regions (developing countries)
1. Long start-up period when seed sludge is not available, as the growth rate of methanogenic microorganisms is low
2. Low construction cost and small land requirements as generally at temperatures > 20˚C and high loading rates can be applied
2. Low pathogen removal
3. Low operation and maintenance costs, energy consumption is low and little equipment is needed
3. Requirement for post treatment to reach the effluent standarts
4. Lower sludge production as compared to aerobic and physical-chemical treatment processes
4. Low removal efficiently of particulate organic material at low temperatures
5. Biogas production which can be used for energy production
5. Risk for odour nuisance from the reduction of sulphate to sulphide

3. Under suitable conditions in an anaerobic sewage treatment system a bacterial population will develop that is compatible with the applied hydraulic and organic loads. Among the factors that determine the removal efficiency of biodegradable organic matter, the following are important:
1) The nature of the anaerobic matter to be removed
2) The suitability of environmental factors for anaerobic digestion
3) The retained amount of viable bacterial matter
4) The intensity of contact between the influent organic matter and the bacterial populations
5) The design of the anaerobic reactor
6) The retention time of sewage

4. Important environmental factors affecting anaerobic sewage digestion are:
- temperature
- pH
- the presence of essential nutrients
- the absence of excessive concentrations of toxic compounds
Nutrients (both macronutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, and micronutrients) are abundantly available in sewage
Compounds that could exert a distinct toxic influence on the bacterial population as well as sulphide are generally absent in sewage
Besides type of the sewerage system (combined or seperate) also affects the composition of sewage as well as anaerobic treatment efficiency

5. High-rate anaerobic systems are generally applied in the temperature range of 25-40C
However, many recent researches conducted at all temperature conditions revealed that temperature is not a limiting factor in anaerobic treatment applications if the appropriate process design is chosen
When they are operated in lower temperature ranges (5-20C), various adaptations of the conventional high-rate reactor design are needed
The methanogenic biomass and the wastewater should be in sufficient contact (can be achieved by increased liquid upflow velocities)

6. Psychrophilic anaerobic treatment is an attractive option for wastewaters which are discharged at moderate to low temperatures (optimal temperature for psychrophilic microorganisms is around 17C)
Since domestic sewage has a temperature lower than 35C, heating is required during the mesophilic anaerobic treatment. Thus, anaerobic treatment systems allow substantially lower treatment costs due to their ability to operate at low temperatures (10-20C)
In recent years anaerobic treatment of wastewaters having low COD concentrations could be efficient especially with high-rate reactors such as UASB and fluidized bed reactors
Since low COD concentration of the influent results in very low substrate levels, low biogas productions will occur inside the reactor as well (HRT determines the reactor volume)

7. The most appropriate anaerobic system to treat domestic wastewater has been considered as the UASB reactor because of its simplicity, low investment and operation costs
Particulate organics are physically removed due to settling, adsorption and entrapment which is the first step in the anaerobic treatment and conversion of domestic sewage
The rate-limiting step in the overall digestion process is the hydrolysis of retained particulates which need relatively long retention times, depending on the applied process temperature

8. Direct anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage is generally not applied because of the fact that the high SS concentration in sewage causes considerable difficulties
Under low temperature conditions, the SS are hydrolysed very slowly and tend to acccumulate in the reactor (deteriorate the granular sludge)
In order to guarantee an efficient treatment of domestic sewage under low temperature conditions, at least part of the SS present in the wastewater should be removed before feeding the wastewater to a sludge bed reactor
On the other hand, it was reported that two stage systems are more suitable for anaerobic sewage treatment at low temperatures whereas at high temperatures single stage systems should be chosen
At two stage reactor approach generally long HRT’s are applied for SS hydrolysis at the first stage whereas short HRT’s are enough for methane production at the second stage

9. Specific biogas production rate is relatively low under psychrophilic conditions:
- At low temperatures, the increase of CO2 dissolution in water might cause a decrease in the pH of the reactor because the solubility of gaseous compounds present in biogas increases with decrease in temperature
- Low biodegradable organic matter concentration in the influent
Pilot and full-scale UASB reactor applications for domestic sewage are given in Table 2

10. Table 2. Pilot and full scale UASB reactor applications for domestic sewage”
Country
Volume
(m3) ˚C
Influent
(mg/L)
Seed h
(hr)
Removal
(%)
Reference
COD
BOD SS
Holland 6
10-18
100
-900
53-474 10
-700*
Granular
9-16
46-60
42-48
55-75
de Man et al., 1986 20
11-19
150
-550
43-157 50
-400*
6.2
-18
31-49
23-46
(-)
120
>13
391
291
2-7
16-34
20-51
van der Last
and Lettinga, 1992
Colombia 64 25
267 95
Digested
cow
manure
6-8
75-82
75-93
70-80
Lettinga et al.,
1987
3360 24
380
160
240
None 5
45-60
64-78
60
Schellinkhout
and Osorio, 1994
Italy
336
7-27
205
-326
55-153
-250
12-42
31-56
40-70+
55-80+
Collivignarelli
et al., 1991;
Maaskant et al., 1991
India
1200
20-30
563
214
418 74 75
Draaijer et al., 1992
12000
18-32
1183
484
1000 8
51-63
53-69
46-64
Haskoning, 1996a;
Tare et al., 1997
6000
404
362
62-72
65-71
70-78
Haskoning, 1996b;
Brasil
18-28
188
-459
104
-255 67
-236
5-15 60 70
Vieira and Garcia, 1992
477
600
303
Non-
adapted 13 68 76
Chernicharo and
Borges, 1997

11. On-site Anaerobic Treatment
Wastewaters are usually transported to centralised treatment plants through extended sewage networks however, decentralised wastewater treatment, i.e. community – or house- on-site treatment, may be more sustainable in some cases
Anaerobic on-site treatment is considered sustainable with its simple, thus cost-effective reactor design, small space requirement, low sludge production, low energy and nutrient demand, potential for energy production, high loading capacity, efficient removal of organic matter, possibility for nutrient recycling and suitability for small houses
The produced biogas is collected and utilised as renewable energy
Simple and easy-to-use anaerobic processes suitable for on-site treatment are septic tank, UASB-septic tank, and accumulation system

12. Figure 1. Flow scheme for a decentralised integrated system. 1
Figure 1. Flow scheme for a decentralised integrated system. 1. Pre-sedimentation tank, 2. UASB reactor,
3. RBC = Rotating Biological Contact Reactor, 4. UV/O3 = ultraviolet-ozone generator

13. Figure 2. Flow diagram for an anaerobic on-site treatment

14. Post-Treatment Alternatives
Anaerobic treatment is effective in removing biodegradable organic compounds, leaving mineralized compounds like ammonium, phosphate and sulfur in the solution.
These compounds therefore have to be removed by an additional post-treatment step to meet sufficiently the criteria for a sustainable environmental protection.
Besides it was reported that no pathogen removal could be achieved at low temperatures. Thus, anaerobic treatment of low strength wastewaters by UASB reactor should be considered as a pre-treatment alternative

15. Figure 3. Sectional view of a UASB + duckweed ponds + fish pond system

16. Biogas
UASB
Stabilization
Pond
To land
(a)
Sludge to drying beds
Biogas
Facultative
Aerated
Lagoon
UASB
To river or land
(b)
Sludge to drying beds
Biogas
Three Chamber
Oxidation
Pond
UASB
To land
(c)
Sludge to drying beds
Figure 4. Treatment alternatives following UASB reactor (a) Stabilization pond (b) Facultative aerated lagoon (c) Oxidation pond

17. Anaerobic Digestion of OFMSW
Anaerobic digestion for the treatment of OFMSW was devoloped in the 1980’s and early 1990’s.
The biomethanization of OFMSW will become a very feasible option by applying subsidies to electricity production from wastes.
In most of the EU member countries the electricity generated from the reneweable sources is subsided with an additional Є0,1/kWh
Since 1990, more than 120 waste treatment facilities have been constructed in Europe.
In most of these plants, the anaerobic digestion is followed by an aerobic phase, for the additional pathogen removal, so that not only biogas but also compost is produced.
The nutrient rich supernatant from these digesters can be treated with MAP and struvite is produced which has a marketing value as a fertilizer (Also the supernetant from digesters has a potential of agricultural use).

18. Waste Characteristics
The organic fraction of municipal solid waste is rather a heterogenous substrate and the biogas yield in anaerobic treatment of OFMSW is dependent not only the the proces configuration, but also on the waste characteristics.
The waste characteristics is highly dependent on the collection system.
Source sorting of MSW generaly provides OFMSW of higher quality in terms of biogas yield and smaller quantities of non-biodegradable contaminants like plastics.
Mechanically seperated OFMSW which has a lower biogas potential is more contaminated, which leads to persistent handling problems and lower acceptability of the effluent product of the treatment process as fertilizer on agricultural land.

19. Waste Characteristics and Biogas Potential
Parameter
Mechanicaly Sorted OFMSW
(MS-OFMSW)
Source Sorted OFMSW
(SS-OFMSW)
TS (g/kg)
647,2
163,9
TVS (%TKM)
46,5
90,6
TCOD (kgO2/kg)
0,5
1,1
TKN (%TS)
1,4
2,1
P (%TS)
1,9
Substrate Type B0
(m3 CH4/kg TVS) G0
(m3/kg TVS)
Mechanicaly Sorted OFMSW
(MS-OFMSW)
0,16 - 0,37
0,29 - 0,66
Separetely Collected OFMSW
(SC-OFMSW)
0,45 - 0,49
0,81 - 0,89
Source Sorted OFMSW
(SS-OFMSW)
0,37 - 0,40
0,67 - 0,72
B0 : Maximum Methane Potential, G0 : Maximum Biogas Potential (%55 CH4)

20. Co-digestion Approach
The co-digestion concept involves the treatment of several waste types in a single treatment facility.
The profit of co-digestion in the anaerobic degredation proces is mainly within the folloving areas:
Increasing the methane yield
Improving the process stability
Achieving a better management of waste
The economical benefits of the collection and treatment of different types of wastes in a single treatment facility (Figure 5)
The fermentation products of OFMSW which is mainly VFA can be used as external carbon source for biological nutrient removal plants which suffers from organic carbon deficiency (Figure 5)

21. Qgas=0.1-0.3 m3/kg CODremoved
(80% CH4)
Liquid Fermentation Products (High VFA)
OFMSW ~ 8 to 10% TS
Plastics & Paper
Qgas=0.30 m3/kg VSfed
(65-70% CH4)
Biogas II
Biogas I
Methane Reactor
Pump
Domestic Wastewater
Grit Chamber
Screen
UASB Reactor
Aerated or SBR
Lagoon
Size Reduction
Agricultural Use
Solar Energy Assisted Heating
(if required!)
Heavy Fractions
Pulper
Anaerobic Hdrolysis & Acid Fermentation
Sludge Dewatering
Seperate Collected Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste
(SC-OFMSW)
Cake to Post Aerobic Composting
Filtrate
Liquid Fertilizer
A general flow scheme for the implementation of co-digestion aproach and anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater in a single treatment facility

22. Co-digestion Approach
The application of anaerobic co-digestion process may face problems due to some substrate characteristics.
High total solids content of typically 30 – 50%
High C:N ratio
Deficiecy in macro- and micronutrients
Content of toxic compounds (heavy metals, phthalates)
The key for codigestion lies in balancing several parametres in the co-substrate mixture.
Waste B
Waste A
Makro and micro nutrients
C:N ratio pH
Inhibitors/toxic compounds
Biodegradable organic matter
Dry matter

23. Co-digestion with Sewage Sludge
The codigestion can be applied at existing facilities without great investments and it combines the treatment of the two largest municipal waste streams.
The addition of high solids concentration of OFMSW digester operated with sludge having a low TS concentration will be possible even in rather high concentrations
The stabilizing effect of sludge on the digestion of OFMSW has been confirmed with sludge doses between 8 – 20% of feedstock volatile solids (Kayhanian and Rich, 1996; Rivard et al., 1990).
For the codigestion of OFMSW with sewage sludge, the optimum C:N ratio of the feedstock was found to be in the range of 25 to 30 based on biodegradable carbon (Kayhanian and Tchobanoglolous, 1992; Kayhanian and Rich, 1996).

24. Co-digestion with Other Waste Types
Other organic waste types such as;
Livestock waste (manure)
Olive mill effluents
Macroalgae
Wastes generated by agro industries such as slaughterhouses, meat-processing industries
can also be used as a co-substrate with OFMSW.

25. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!