The use of simultaneous chemical precipitation in modified activated sludge systems exhibiting biological excess phosphate removal: Part 5: Experimental periods using a ferrous-ferric chloride blend

A blend of ferrous chloride and ferric chloride (FeCl2-FeCl3) was simultaneously dosed into an activated sludge system at pilot scale in order to test the effect on biological P removal. Additional removal due to chemical precipitation was measured as the difference in system P removal between parallel test and control systems. Both systems strongly exhibited biological excess P removal (BEPR). The extent of P release in the anaerobic reactors of the two systems was compared by mass balance, as one indicator of the relative "magnitude" of BEPR. Phosphorus fractionation of the mixed liquor also served as an indicator of the biological and chemical mechanisms. Evidence was found that the BEPR mechanism is partially inhibited by simultaneous FeCl2-FeCl3 addition, even in the absence of effluent phosphate limitation. However, the degree of inhibition was relatively low, ranging from 3 to 25% (approximately) for Fe doses in the range ca. 10 to 20 mg/ℓ as Fe, with an average system P removal of 14 to 18 mgP/ℓ in the control. FeCl2-FeCl3 dosing in this range was sufficient to produce additional P removal of the order of 1 to 8 mgP/ℓ over periods of one to seven sludge ages per experimental period, depending on the experimental conditions. Sustained operation of the BEPR mechanism in the presence of FeCl2-FeCl3 was possible over a continuous period of seven sludge ages, under conditions in which effluent phosphate was at least partially limiting. Under such conditions, the chemical and biological mechanisms appear to be "disadvantaged" to approximately the same extent, as evidenced by the apparent stoichiometry of Fe: P for the chemical precipitation and magnitude of the poly P containing fractions measured for the biological mechanism. This suggested that the biological mechanism is able to compete effectively with the chemical mechanism under conditions of low reactor phosphate concentrations (~1 mgP/ℓ orthoP) for sustained periods. However, the presence of simultaneous chemical precipitant significantly reduces the extent to which the biological P removal potential is utilised under P-limiting conditions. This could explain the difficulty sometimes reported in the control of full-scale activated sludge systems with simultaneous precipitant addition where a very low effluent P concentration WaterSA Vol.27(2) 2001: 117-13