PVA-gel beads for immobilization of microorganisms

Conventional biological wastewater treatment

- Activated sludge (AS) method -

Microbial Solid-liquid
degradation separation
Discharge
Wastewater supernatant
(organic Sedimentation
tank
contaminant)

Air
[Excess sludge]
Sludge return
Activated sludge methods problems

Treatment tank is big

Bulking phenomenon occurs by layer change of

microorganism resulting from a load change

It is necessary to draw a large amount of sludge

Large operating costs

Removal and treatment of sludge is high

 Commonly-used bio-media method
Bio-media added activated sludge method

Bio-media is added to AS tank as adjuvant to increase AS

performance. (developed in latter half of the 1980s)

Final sedimentation tank

Effluent from
primary Treated water
sedimentation tank

Aeration tank

Return sludge

Excess
sludge
Various types of bio-medias

Most of them do not have porous

structures like PVA-gel beads. (bacteria is
retained only on the surface with protozoa
and metazoa.)
From each carrier manufactures website
Basic flow of PVA-gel beads method under
aerobic conditions

Organic biodegradation
Solid-liquid separation
Influent Effluent

PVA-gel tank AS tank Sedimentation tank

*Sludge is not returned to PVA-gel tank.

Treated water by Effluent

PVA-gel beads

Sludge
Principle of Autolysis as sludge reduction using PVA-gel beads

Proprietary technology that eliminates or reduces sludge

Organic Less excess sludge

biodegradation generation

PVA-gel tank Sludge reduction tank

Autolysis Use of microbiological metabolism

 Advantages of PVA-gel beads
Easy retrofit (water quantity, loading up)
Add a PVA-gel tank to an AS one or retrofit an existing
treatment (AS) tank to PVA-gel one
Small footprint
Reduce tank volume due to high load designing
Low running cost
Reduce the cost of excess sludge disposal
Reduce the cost of low-biodegradable substances disposal
because of its biodegradation kg/m3-
kg/m3d
4
Reduce energy from dewatering and drying
3
Increased capacity up to 5 times

Volume load

2
x5


1

0
Activated
PVA-gel
PVA
sludge
 Features of PVA-gel beads

Stable immobilization of bacteria High load operation

Aerobic (organic treatment)
Nitrification, Denitrification (Nitrate treatment)
Anaerobic (Methane fermentation)

Bacteria rich flora Lower excess sludge

Aerobic treatment
Autolysis treatment

High biodegradability of organic substances

Treatment of low degradable substances
Aerobic treatment
 Features of PVA-gel beads
High load operation
Aerobic (organic treatment) :
standard 25 kg BOD/m3 geld (2.5 kg BOD/ m3 tank volumed)
Nitrification, Denitrification (Nitrate treatment) :
standard 3 kg N/m3 geld (0.3 kg N/m3 tank volumed )
Anaerobic (Methane fermentation) :
standard 3 kg N/m3 geld (0.3 kg N/m3 tank volumed )

Lower excess sludge

Aerobic treatment : 30% or less of removed BOD
Autolysis treatment: 5 to 10% of removed BOD
*It differs according to water qualities.

Treatment of low degradable substances

Oil and grease, PVA and so on
 KURARAY PVA-gel method
Conventional

Effluent

Sedimentation tank Excess sludge
Return sludge 100%

PVA-gel method
Standard method
Effluent

Return sludge Excess sludge

40%
(Many references)

Excess sludge reduction autolysis method

Autolysis Effluent
(mineralization) Reuse
Excess sludge
tank 5-10%