International Journal of Engineering Research in Electronics and Communication Engineering

Treatment of Municipal Wastewater using Oxygenic Photo granules (OPGs)

Author : Arya Chandran J ¹ K. Mophin Kani ² Anu N ³

Date of Publication :2nd May 2018

Abstract: Wastewater treatment methods are energy intensive. Although, activated sludge process is effective in removing organic matter but it consume large amount of energy, particularly in the aeration process. However, wastewater itself is a source of energy, if we capture this energy from wastewater, wastewater treatment might become an energy producer rather than a consumer. Compared to activated sludge process, oxygenic photogranules have potential to treat wastewater without external aeration. In addition it produces algal biomass, which is favorable to use for bio-fuel production. Hence wastewater treatment system with oxygenic photogranules reduces energy consumption and produce energy feed stock. This study was mainly focused on the synthesis of oxygenic photogranules from activated sludge in the presence of sunlight under unagitated condition for 42 days and then conducted the treatment of real municipal wastewater with these oxygenic photogranules. OPGs can remove COD and nitrogenous compounds without external aeration. In the present study, COD and nutrients like nitrogen and phosphate removal efficiencies obtained was 98.5%, 97.09% and 99.18% respectively. The OPG process eliminate the need of external mechanical aeration, which is the most energy intensive part of wastewater treatment processes, and allow the recovery of chemical energy from wastewater in the form of bioenergy feedstock. OPGs are easily harvestable biomass, overcoming the main challenges of algal based wastewater treatment technologies. In this study, efficiency of OPG in treating real municipal wastewater without external aeration was discovered.

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