Filtration System For On-Site Wastewater Treatment
Time: Fri 2019-09-20 10.00
Location: Kollegiesalen, Brinellvägen 8, Stockholm (English)
Subject area: Land and Water Resources Engineering
Doctoral student: Rajabu Hamisi , Hållbar utveckling, miljövetenskap och teknik, Vatten- och miljöteknik, Water and Environmental Engineering
Opponent: Professor Scholz Miklas, Lunds Tekniska Högskola
Supervisor: Gunno Renman, Vatten- och miljöteknik; Anders Wörman, Resurser, energi och infrastruktur
Abstract
Many on-site wastewater treatment systems in Sweden are not sustainable in terms of treatment efficiency, nutrient recycling and economics. Achieving reliable and sustainable systems to meet on-site wastewater treatment demands requires comprehensive field investigations of the performance of novel technologies. This thesis investigated the performance of a new leading-edge technology for on-site wastewater treatment in a real field environment in northwest of Baltic Proper Sea, Sweden. The system integrates septic tank treatment technology with a package treatment plant (PTP) and a sequencing batch subsurface flow constructed wetland (SBCW). The investigation combined three approaches: field monitoring, laboratory-scale column experiments and process-based modelling, to provide a better understanding of system performance, predict contaminant retention and test system response to various environmental factors, design scenarios and operational conditions.
The overall results indicated that the entire system is efficient in removing total phosphorus (83%), biological oxygen demand (BOD7, 99%) and Escherichia coli bacteria (89%). It is less efficient in total inorganic nitrogen removal (22%). Mean concentration of phosphorus (0.96 mg/L) and pH (8.8) in effluent from the entire system were found to be below the Swedish threshold values for on-site wastewater discharge. This indicates that the system could be reliable and sustainable technology for on-site wastewater treatment in cold climate conditions.
A complementary three-dimensional (3D) model developed using COMSOL Multiphysics® software proved to be a useful and rapid tool for predicting the behaviour of complex hydraulic dynamics. It provided valuable insights into the spatial and temporal variability in sorption processes caused by changes in different wastewater treatment system design parameters, environmental factors and modes of operation. Through process-based modelling, a reactive filter material with longer lifetime and a SBCW design that improved the sustainability of on-site wastewater treatment system were successfully identified.
It was concluded that long-term performance of reactive filter materials in PTP systems can be achieved when the system is loaded intermittently with low influent contaminant concentrations (<3 mg/L). Optimum phosphorus and nitrogen removal in SBCW can be achieved by manipulating drainage pipe placement and feeding mode, to enable longer contact time and artificial aeration conditions.