Fate of cellulose in primary and secondary treatment at municipal water resource recovery facilities
[1];
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[7];
[8];
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Western University London Ontario Canada
- Suez Water Technologies and Solutions Oakville Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Western University London Ontario Canada
- Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. Toronto Ontario Canada
- CirTec BV Purmerend The Netherlands
- Civil Engineering Department Ryerson University Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of California Irvine California, Water‐Energy Nexus Center University of California Irvine California
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Western University London Ontario Canada, Trojan Technologies London Ontario Canada
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Western University London Ontario Canada, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Western University London Ontario Canada
Abstract Cellulose from toilet paper is a significant fraction of particulate organics, which is recoverable. For the first time, comprehensive mapping and tracking the fate of cellulose across various unit processes at full‐scale in two water resource recovery facilities located in North America and Europe was undertaken. The influent cellulose content accounted for approximately one‐third of the total suspended solids (TSS). Although about 80% of the raw wastewater cellulose was removed in primary treatment, the type of primary treatment process (rotating belt filter [RBF] vs. primary clarification [PC]) had a significant impact on cellulose capture and diversion. The high cellulose content of the RBF sludge accounting for 35% of the TSS facilitates cellulose recovery. For the North American plant, with a conventional activated sludge process (SRT of 6–7 days, preceded by PC), cellulose biodegradation efficiencies of 70%–90% of the PC effluent were observed in summer and winter. For the European plant, with a modified University of Cape Town process (SRT of 14 days, without primary treatment in train 2, or preceded by RBF in train 1), comparable cellulose biodegradation efficiencies were also observed. Results from laboratory SBRs indicated that cellulose biodegradation efficiency at room temperature was 86% of the influent cellulose. Practitioner points Cellulose fate was tracked across two different WWTPs in two different geographies. Cellulose in the influent wastewater accounted for 1/3 of the total suspended solids. Primary treatments were able to capture more than 80% of the influent cellulose. Cellulose was biodegraded in secondary treatment, resulting an effluent of 2–3 mg/L.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 1524256
- Journal Information:
- Water Environment Research, Journal Name: Water Environment Research Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 91; ISSN 1061-4303
- Publisher:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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