Biological treatment by active sludge with high biomass concentration at laboratory scale for mixed inflow of sunflower oil and saccharose

Abstract

We studied and quantified the elimination of sunflower oil from a wastewater influent using a biological treatment by activated sludge. Estimation of the biodegraded material was obtained doing a mass balance, and we conducted a follow-up of the different operational parameters and design. We delivered information about the operation of a system for treatment by activated sludge fed with an influent with sunflower oil and saccharose. The influent was previously agitated before entering the effluent sludge in a lab-scale plant. The working range for oil concentration was 100 to 850 mg/L in the influent. Biodegradation was in the range of 60% to 51%. The process works better with a high initial concentration of biomass (7500 mg/L) in order to absorb the impacts caused by the oil on the microorganisms. The lowest total suspended solids concentration was 4500 mg/L. The elimination of sunflower oil in biodegradation and flotation was on the order of 90%.