Grantee Research Project Results
2002 Progress Report: Institutional Control in Brownfields Redevelopment: A Methodology for Community Participation and Sustainability
EPA Grant Number: R827933C018Subproject: this is subproject number 018 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R825427
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Urban Waste Management and Research Center (University New Orleans)
Center Director: McManis, Kenneth
Title: Institutional Control in Brownfields Redevelopment: A Methodology for Community Participation and Sustainability
Investigators: Villavaso, Stephen D. , Tittlebaum, Marty
Institution: University of New Orleans
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2002
Project Period Covered by this Report: July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003
RFA: Urban Waste Management & Research Center (1998) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Targeted Research
Objective:
The main objective of this subproject is to demonstrate the technical and economical feasibility of providing both wastewater and sludge treatment using the sequence grit removal, fine-mesh rotary screen, anaerobic fluidized bed reactor (AFBR), aerobic solids contact chamber (ASCC), and final clarification.
Although anoxic-aerobic sequencing has been used in the past to remove nutrients from municipal wastewater, this project primarily focuses on secondary biological treatment, including sludge digestion. This project uses the existing pilot plant facilities at the Marrero wastewater treatment experimental station and involves changing the capacity of the aeration unit to provide for different aeration times and adding a gas analyzer/meter to determine the gas production and composition. The project is limited to changing the operating parameters in both the AFBR and aeration chamber and determining the design parameters needed to design full-scale treatment facilities.
Progress Summary:
Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Reactor
The AFBR is operating under stable conditions. The laboratory and field tests show that the reactor has an average total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal of 24 percent, a total suspended solids (TSS) removal of 36 percent, a volatile suspended solids (VSS) removal of 33 percent, and a biogas production rate of about 21 ml/minute (30 L/day) with a methane concentration of about 70 percent. This high percentage of methane in the reactor biogas shows an active methanogenic decomposition of the organic matter contained in the return sludge and in the screened sewage being fed to the reactor. Although the TCOD removal may seem low, it is important to mention that the TCOD and VSS readings were made on the total sample, before settling. The 24 percent average TCOD removal and the 33 percent VSS removal, therefore, correspond to the conversion of organic matter to methane.
The reactor effluent contains the following average concentrations: 224 mg/L of TCOD, 91 mg/L of TSS, and 82 mg/L of VSS. These are the characteristics of the influent to the solids contact tank, which is reported next.
Aeration Chamber
During this period, the ASCC has been working with the following field conditions: mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) = 2500-3500 mg/L; hydraulic retention time (HRT) = 120 min; dissolved oxygen (DO) = 3-4 mg/L; sludge retention time (SRT) > 3 days; temperature between 25 and 28°C; pH = 7-7.5; and flow rate = 0.032 L/second. Samples were collected at the following points: effluent of the AFBR, MLSS, supernatant, recirculation line, and final effluent. The parameters measured are: TSS, VSS, TCOD, DCOD, and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). A great deal of effort has been invested in establishing a reliable measuring technique for EPS. It was found that polymer extraction from activated sludge depends on several factors, including the amount of cation exchange resin (CER) added, stirring intensity, and extraction time. It was found that reliable and reproducible polymer readings can be obtained by working with 60 g CER/g VSS, stirring intensity of 900 rpm, and extraction time of 3 hours.
The laboratory analyses show a 70 percent removal of TCOD, 50 percent removal of DCOD, 82 percent removal of TSS, and extracellular polymer concentration greater than 1000 mg/L as total organic carbon (TOC). The results also corroborate that the main mechanism for the removal of organic matter is bioflocculation.
Sludge Settling Characteristics
The main objective of this part of the research is to determine how the biological and physical conditions in the solids contact chamber define the settling properties and the strength of the floc formed during the bioflocculation process. The settling properties of the sludge are represented in Equation 1 as a function of the maximum settling velocity (Vo), the floc settling parameters (Fsp), the colloid settling parameters (Csp), the minimum settleable suspended solids concentration (Cmin), and the sludge concentration (X). The variables that are being controlled in the contact chamber are: MLSS concentration, HRT, SRT, DO, temperature, pH, and EPS production.
Vs = Vo {exp[-Csp*(X-Cmin)] - exp[-Fsp*(X-Cmin)]} (1)
A group of tests have been carried out in the field and in the laboratory to measure and control every variable in the study. These tests include:
- Stirred SVI (sSVI) test using a 2-L “Stiro-Settlometer” (field equipment manufactured by MCR Process & Technology) and based on the method and specifications given in the Standard Methods 2710 C for the evaluation of the sludge volume index. The zone settling velocity (ZSV) and the stirred zone settling velocity (SZSV) are being calculated for every condition.
- Exocellular polymers measurement. The EPS are being extracted using the method proposed by Frolund, et al.(1996), and the amount of EPS is being quantified measuring the TOC content of the extracted sample, using an Apollo 9000 TOC Combustion Analyzer fabricated by Tekmar-Dohrmann.
- Batch experiment to determine the floc break up through velocity gradients. During these experiments the flocs have been exposed to different G values and the floc break up was measured by the value of the suspended solids in the supernatant.
Future Activities:
The concentration of EPS in the solids contact chamber will be determined under different operating conditions to test the effect of operation parameters, such as DO, HRT, and SRT, on the sludge settling characteristics.
There will be the collection of additional field and laboratory data to study the effect of HRT, SRT, MLSS, EPS, DO, pH, and temperature on bioflocculation and settling properties of the sludge. Collection of additional field and laboratory data will be done to study the effect of HRT, SRT, MLSS, EPS, DO, pH, and temperature on floc formation and floc strength.
Future developments also will include the development of a compression model for the representation of the settling properties of the sludge blanket and the development of a mathematical model to predict the settling properties of the sludge at different operational conditions.
Supplemental Keywords:
wastewater treatment, anaerobic fluidized bed reactor, solids contact chamber, biological flocculation, pilot plant study,, RFA, Economic, Social, & Behavioral Science Research Program, Scientific Discipline, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Waste, environmental justice, Economics, Brownfields, Environmental Policy, Ecology and Ecosystems, Urban and Regional Planning, brownfield sites, CD-ROM, redevelopment, urban regeneration, urban planning, urban waste management, training and outreach, web site development, community participation, community outreach, environmental justice assessment, community based intervention, outreach and educationProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain Center Abstract and Reports:
R825427 Urban Waste Management and Research Center (University New Orleans) Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R825427C001 Comprehensive Evaluation of The Dual Trickling Filter Solids Contact Process
R825427C002 Issues Involving the Vertical Expansion of Landfills
R825427C003 Deep Foundations on Brownfields Sites
R825427C004 Ambient Particulate Concentration Model for Traffic Intersections
R825427C005 Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Approaches for I/I Reduction
R825427C006 Urban Solid Waste Management Videos
R825427C007 UWMRC Community Outreach Multimedia Exhibit
R825427C008 Including New Technology into the Investigation of Inappropriate Pollutant Entries into Storm Drainage Systems - A User's Guide
R825427C009 Investigation of Hydraulic Characteristics and Alternative Model Development of Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands
R825427C010 Beneficial Use Of Urban Runoff For Wetland Enhancement
R825427C011 Urban Storm and Waste Water Outfall Modeling
R827933C001 Development of a Model Sediment Control Ordinance for Louisiana
R827933C002 Inappropriate Discharge to Stormwater Drainage (Demonstration Project)
R827933C003 Alternate Liner Evaluation Model
R827933C004 LA DNR - DEQ - Regional Waste Management
R827933C005 Landfill Design Specifications
R827933C006 Geosynthetic Clay Liners as Alternative Barrier Systems
R827933C007 Used Tire Monofill
R827933C008 A Comparison of Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Bed (USAB) and the Anaerobic Biofilm Fluidized Bed Reactor (ABFBR) for the Treatment of Municipal Wastewater
R827933C009 Integrated Environmental Management Plan for Shipbuilding Facilities
R827933C010 Nicaragua
R827933C011 Louisiana Environmental Education and Resource Program
R827933C012 Costa Rica - Costa Rican Initiative
R827933C013 Evaluation of Cr(VI) Exposure Assessment in the Shipbuilding Industry
R827933C014 LaTAP, Louisiana Technical Assistance Program: Pollution Prevention for Small Businesses
R827933C015 Louisiana Environmental Leadership Pollution Prevention Program
R827933C016 Inexpensive Non-Toxic Pigment Substitute for Chromium in Primer for Aluminum Sibstrate
R827933C017 China - Innovative Waste Composting Plan for the City of Benxi, People's Rupublic of China
R827933C018 Institutional Control in Brownfields Redevelopment: A Methodology for Community Participation and Sustainability
R827933C019 Physico-Chemical Assessment for Treatment of Storm Water From Impervious Urban Watersheds Typical of the Gulf Coast
R827933C020 Influence of Cyclic Interfacial Redox Conditions on the Structure and Integrity of Clay Liners for Landfills Subject to Variable High Groundwater Conditions in the Gulf Coast Region
R827933C021 Characterizing Moisture Content Within Landfills
R827933C022 Bioreactor Landfill Moisture Management
R827933C023 Urban Water Issues: A Video Series
R827933C024 Water Quality Modeling in Urban Storm Water Systems
R827933C025 The Development of a Web Based Instruction (WBI) Program for the UWMRC User's Guide (Investigation of Inappropriate Pollutant Entries Into Storm Drainage Systems)
R827933C027 Legal Issues of SSO's: Private Property Sources and Non-NPDES Entities
R827933C028 Brownfields Issues: A Video Series
R827933C029 Facultative Landfill Bioreactors (FLB): A Pilot-Scale Study of Waste Stabilization, Landfill Gas Emissions, Leachate Treatment, and Landfill Geotechnical Properties
R827933C030 Advances in Municipal Wastewater Treatment
R827933C031 Design Criteria for Sanitary Sewer System Rehabilitation
R827933C032 Deep Foundations in Brownfield Areas: Continuing Investigation
R827933C033 Gradation-Based Transport, Kinetics, Coagulation, and Flocculation of Urban Watershed Rainfall-Runoff Particulate Matter
R827933C034 Leaching and Stabilization of Solid-Phase Residuals Separated by Storm Water BMPs Capturing Urban Runoff Impacted by Transportation Activities and Infrastructure
R827933C035 Fate of Pathogens in Storm Water Runoff
R87933C020 Influence of Cyclic Interfacial Redox Conditions on the Structure and Integrity of Clay Liners for Landfills Subject to Variable High Groundwater Conditions in the Gulf Coast Region
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.