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Treating High Salt Content Wastewater with Sand Bioreactors

Conroy, Kristen Monica

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
The ability to treat high salt content wastewater in a cost-effect and environmentally sustainable manner is important to the food processing industry. Processing foods such as meat and fish often produces wastewater with a high salt content, which can interfere with treatment systems. Demand for meat and fish products are increasing rapidly as both population and GDP rise globally. At the same time, many small-scale food producers are facing increased wastewater treatment costs and more stringent environmental regulation. The objective of the present study was to determine the feasibility of treating high salt, high organic matter content wastewater with sand bioreactors. Sand bioreactors are fixed film systems consisting of pea gravel, coarse sand and fine sand. Bioreactors were dosed with turkey processing wastewater as control. The three treatments consisted of adding 6 g/L table salt, 13 g/L table salt and 35 g/L sea salt to the wastewater. Organic matter removal (COD, TOC) and ammonia removal were measured. Organic matter removal by sand bioreactors at all treatment levels was >90% from week 4-49. Acclimation periods for ammonia removal in the filters increased with increased salt content in the wastewater, ranging from 4 to 7 weeks and steady state ammonia removal was >99%. Clogging was observed in all salt treatment levels and was treated with resting and intermittent loading. Best practices for mitigating and alleviating clogging should be further explored. This low cost, non-sludge-forming technology could offer a potential alternative to conventional systems for high salt, high fat content wastewater treatment.
Karen Mancl (Advisor)
Tuovinen Olli (Committee Member)
Yu Zhongtang (Committee Member)
82 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Conroy, K. M. (2017). Treating High Salt Content Wastewater with Sand Bioreactors [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu149796844505562

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Conroy, Kristen. Treating High Salt Content Wastewater with Sand Bioreactors. 2017. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu149796844505562.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Conroy, Kristen. "Treating High Salt Content Wastewater with Sand Bioreactors." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu149796844505562

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)