BUILDING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE®

CONTROLLING MAGNESIUM AND PHOSPHORUS TO REDUCE STRUVITE

PRECIPITATION IN PLANT PROCESSES AND INCREASE REVENUE PETER SCHAUER, JAMES BARNARD : BLACK & VEATCH
ROB BAUR : CLEAN WATER SERVICES, TIGARD, OR • AHREN BRITTON : OSTARA

BACKGROUND WASSTRIP PROCESS MODELING RESULTS

■ Phosphorus accumulates in the cell mass, or is precipitated in chemical reactions, and is ■ WAS and VFA-rich fermentates combined in release tank.
WASTE-ACTIVATED SLUDGE STRIPPING TO REMOVE INTERNAL PHOSPHORUS
removed with the daily waste activated sludge. ■ WAS and VFA-rich fermentates ■ Phosphorus and magnesium are ■ Lower phosphorus and magnesium
■ The ratio of release of magnesium versus the release of phosphorus was between 0.20 mg and
■ During anaerobic solids processing, phoshporus, are combined in release tank to diverted in the centrate stream to concentrations in the digester is
0.25 mg magnesium/mg total phosphorus.
magnesium and nitrogen are released in the release phosphorus and magne- the struvite recovery process in less favorable for unintentional
■ BioWin was used to model the results of the tests. The endogenous release testing indicated a
recycle streams. sium prior to digestion. liquid after thickening. struvite formation in the digesters.
lower anaerobic hydrolysis rate than used in default configurations, though a reduced parameter
Influent Liquid Effluent
■ Some metal phosphate precipitation in sludge.
value is used under the separate anaerobic digester model within the software.
1,400 lbs/d Treatment

■ Struvite precipitation in sludge.

■ Modeling to describe testing with the addition of VFA required large changes to the sequestration rate
Process

■ Remaining released Mg, P and ammonia in

WASSTRIP for PAO, suggesting that the limiting factor for phosphorus release during the tests was not the con-
return streams. centration of VFA.
Patent Pending/World-Wide Rights Reserved

Primary Treatment Secondary Treatment

■ Approximately 20% to 30% of the phosphorus load of Solids
the activated sludge process is in the recycle streams.
SLUDGE SETTLES TO BOTTOM BACTERIA BREAK DOWN ORGANICS
Treatment

■ Recovery of phosphorus.
Lime 70 120
500 lbs/d Process Ca(OH) 2 N2 CO2
ADDED

■ Reduces phosphorus load in the effluent.

Endogenous Mg Release, mg/L

Phosphorus Concentration, mg/L

H 2O
60 100

■ Prevents loss of valuable resources.

H2 O NO3- C + O2 O2 H 2O
+ BACTERIA INGEST BACTERIA METABOLIZE

■ Serves as a source of income.

ORGANIC WASTE ORGANIC WASTE O2 50
Sludge ORGANIC P NH
+
-2
SO4 O
WASTE PO4 4 (CHO)N 2 80
1,370 lbs/d SO
-2
4 O2 O2
NH
+
O2 - +
40
4
P
H+ NO3H MOST BACTERIA
SETTLE OUT 60
SLUDGE (50%) O2 O2 O 30
+ 2
P NH 4 OXYGEN PUMPED IN

40
6 7 20 Test #1 Model #1
VFA ANAEROBIC + AEROBIC = BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL

TESTING GRAVITY
10
Lab Data
20
Test #2
Test #3
Model #2
Model #3

Testing was conducted to accurately

Modeling Data
WASSTRIP Test #4 Model #4
0

predict the impact and sizing of the

(Patent Pending) 0
VFA
UNIFIED 0 50 100 150 0 100 200 300

phosphorus release tank, as well as

FERMENTATION AND
THICKENING (UFAT) Time, hours

the impact on the overall system.

PATENT 6,387,264 ANAEROBIC Time, min
FERMENTER THICKENER P + Mg
RELEASE TANK

■ How much VFA needed to strip

phosphorus?
SLUDGE SLUDGE

■ The rate of P and Mg release in

HIGH

the tank?
P + Mg THICKENING
CENTRIFUGE PREDICTED FULL-PLANT IMPACTS
■ Production of ammonia? ■ Appears to be an upper limit on impact that VFAs can have on phosphorus release rates.
LOW P + Mg
CAKE

■ Impact on downstream processes? ■ Release rates anticipated using existing tankage will be adequate for phosphorus and magnesium
■ Can it be modeled with commer- release using WASSTRIP.

©Copyright, Black & Veatch Corporation, 2009. All rights reserved. The Black & Veatch name and logo are registered trademarks of Black & Veatch Holding Company. Other service marks and trademarks may be registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies.
PRIMARY ANAEROBIC DIGESTION REDUCED STRUVITE

cial modeling software?

SLUDGE

CHEMICAL SLUDGE
90% PHOSPHATE REMOVED
O S TA R A BACTERIA FERMENTS OR BREAKS DOWN THIS MATERIAL
20% AMMONIA REMOVED
0.006 0.0012
250 40
Mg Release per L of WAS, mg

MAGNESIUM
33% REDUCTION IN

Mg release Rate per

0.005 0.0010

P release Rate per

35
Endogenous Release, mg/L

DEWATERING
200
MAGNESIUM COSTS
CENTRIFUGE BIOSOLIDS
30 CENTRATE HIGH AMMONIA 0.004 0.0008

VSS, hr -1
VSS, hr -1
CRYSTAL GREEN AND PHOSPHORUS
o-PO4 ®

25 SLOW RELEASE STRUVITE

150 FERTILIZER PELLETS 0.003 0.0006
5-28-0 10% Mg US patents are pending that protect the WASSTRIP system
Mg 20 CENTRATE
HIGH AMMONIA and process technological advances, and world-wide patent
100 15 AND PHOSPHORUS
rights are reserved to Clean Water Services, Oregon, USA.
0.002

0.001
0.0004

0.0002
12% INCREASE
50
10
5
75 mg VFA / L RAS 186 mg VFA / L RAS
NEXT STEPS 0.000 0.0000
IN STRUVITE
■ Determine the overall impact to the treatment plant. ■ Impacts from pH.
374 mg VFA / L RAS 571 mg VFA / L RAS
0 0 0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10
GENERATION
■ Overall economics. ■ Impact on Dewaterability.
0 24 48 72 96 120 0 50 100 150 200 Phosphorus Release
VFA / VSS Magnesium Release
Time, hours Time, min

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