Remoção de nitrogênio e fósforo do esgoto sanitário por reator anaeróbio-aeróbio de leito fixo (RAALF), com recirculação da fase líquida

Abstract

The choice of an effluent treatment system must take into account technical and economic aspects, among which the process efficiency. The objective of this research was to evaluate the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus in an anaerobic-aerobic fixed bed reactor, operated at bench scale, with recirculation of the liquid phase. The reactor, with a volume of 6.95 L, was operated with polyurethane foam support and maintained at room temperature with the synthetic effluent treated by simulating the sewage. Different recirculation ratios were tested (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5) and different HRT (4, 8, and 12) with constant air flow rate of 10 L min-1. With the variation of these factors was possible to verify the influence of the recirculation ratio on nitrogen removal and the influence of HRT in removing nitrogen. During the operation period, was analyzed the physical and chemical parameters: temperature, pH, bicarbonate alkalinity, volatile acids, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, total, total suspended solids solids, nitrogen total kjeldahl ammonia nitrogen , nitrite, nitrate and phosphorus. It was also developed hydrodynamic tests through stimulus-response pulse with eosin Y tracer to evaluate the hydrodynamic behavior and check for abnormalities. And finally, there was the statistical analysis to find the optimal operating condition and statistical models for validation. For any variation due to recirculation as variation of HRT, temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH contributed to the development of microorganisms. The bicarbonate alkalinity and volatile acids indicated stability within the reactor. The recirculation ratio 50% was highest efficiency condition for total solids removal (83%). Recirculation ratio 100% was the highest efficiency for TKN (97%) and Namon (99%). A recirculation ratio of 150% was a higher removal efficiency for phosphorus (33%). It was also evaluated the influence of hydraulic overload in the reactor performance as the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus and it was revealed that the HRT of 8 h was the condition which resulted in higher removal efficiencies. Regarding hydrodynamic behavior of the reactor, it resembles complete mixture, verified by DTR curves and correlation coefficients. When varied HRT can observe the presence of dead zones (except for HRT of 12 h), which indicates occurrence of preferential paths. In HRT of 12 h was observed hydraulic short circuits and poor hydraulic efficiency. For the statistical analysis in the design of the central composite, was found by the desirability optimum operation condition with HRT of 12 h and recirculation ratio of 122.36%. It was still possible to find statistical models for nitrification, denitrification and total nitrogen and validates them for the operated conditions.