Monitoring Simulated Bioflocculation: Application of Micro-Flow Imaging Technology

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution volume 226, Article number: 79 (2015) Cite this article

Abstract

Bioflocculation occurs in both engineered and natural systems and plays an important role in several water treatment processes as well as in pathogen transport and survival. In this study, bioflocculation was simulated in the laboratory to allow for well-controlled experiments. Escherichia coli and latex particles of varying sizes (3.2, 11 and 25 μm) were spiked into a buffer solution and were bioflocculated by adding alginate and varying amounts of calcium (0, 5, 10 and 15 mM). The extent of flocculation was determined by the calcium concentration, and the floc structure was modified by varying the particle size. The bioflocculation process was monitored with a dynamic particle analyzer, and the flocs formed were analyzed with respect to size, shape and porosity parameters. Larger flocs were observed to have a more heterogeneous structure with higher variation in shape and porosity compared to smaller flocs. Circularity and porosity parameters were shown to be strongly correlated with the calcium concentration. In addition, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation experiments were performed on flocculated and non-flocculated samples, and the inactivation data were assessed in light of floc characteristics determined with the particle analyzer.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

References

  1. American Public Health Association (APHA), American Water Works Association and Water Pollution Control Federation. (2005). Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. Washington DC: APHA/AWWA.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bolton, J. R., & Linden, K. G. (2003). Standardization of methods for fluence (UV dose) determination in bench-scale UV experiments. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 129(3), 209–215.

  3. Borst, M., & Selvakumar, A. (2003). Particle-associated microorganisms in stormwater runoff. Water Research, 37, 215–23.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bruus, J. H., Nielsen, P. H., & Keiding, K. (1992). On the stability of activated sludge flocs with implications to dewatering. Water Research, 26(12), 1597–604.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Droppo, I. G. (2001). Rethinking what constitutes suspended sediments. Hydrological Processes, 15(9), 1551–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Droppo, I. G., Leppard, G. G., Flannigan, D. T., & Liss, S. N. (1997). The freshwater floc: a functional relationship of water and organic and inorganic floc constituents affecting suspended sediment properties. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 99(1–4), 43–53.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Eisma, D., Dyer, K. R., & vanLeussen, W. (1997). The in-situ determination of the settling velocities of suspended fine-grained sediment—a review. In N. Burt, R. Parker, & J. Watts (Eds.), Cohesive Sediments, Proceedings of INTERCOH Conference, Wallingford (pp. 17–44). Chichester: England. Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Emerick, R. W., Loge, F. J., Thompson, D., & Darby, J. L. (1999). Factors influencing ultraviolet disinfection performance part II: association of coliform bacteria with wastewater particles. Water Environment Research, 71(6), 1178–87.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Emerick, W. R., Loge, F. J., Ginn, T., & Darby, J. L. (2000). Modeling the inactivation of particle-associated coliform bacteria. Water Environment Research, 72(4), 432–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Eriksson, L., & Alm, B. (1991). Study of flocculation mechanisms by observing effects of a complexing agent on activated sludge properties. Water Science Technology, 24, 21–8.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Farnood, R. (2005). Flocs and ultraviolet disinfection. In I. G. Droppo, G. G. Leppard, S. N. Liss, & T. G. Milligan (Eds.), Flocculation in Natural and Engineered Environmental Systems (pp. 385–95). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Frolund, B., Palmgren, R., Keiding, K., & Nielsen, P. H. (1996). Extraction of extracellular polymers from activated sludge using a cation exchange resin. Water Research, 30, 1749–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Gehr, R., & Nicell, J. (1996). Pilot studies and assessment of downstream effects of UV and ozone disinfection of a physicochemical wastewater. Water Quality Research Journal of Canada, 31(2), 263–81.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Gregory, J. (1998a). Turbidity and beyond. Filtration & Separation, 35(1), 63–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gregory, J. (1998b). The role of floc density in solid-liquid separation. Filtration & Separation, 35(4), 367–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Gregory, J. (2009). Monitoring particle aggregation processes. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 147–148, 109–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Jolis, D., Lam, C., & Pitt, P. (2001). Particle effects on ultraviolet disinfection of coliform bacteria in recycled water. Water Environment Research, 73(2), 233–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Lakretz, A., Elifantz, H., Kviatkovski, I., Eshel, G., & Mamane, H. (2014). Automatic microfiber filtration (AMF) of surface water: impact on water quality and biofouling evolution. Water Research, 48, 592–604.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Mamane, H. (2008). Impact of particles on UV disinfection of water and wastewater effluents: a review. Reviews in Chemical Engineering, 24(2–3), 67–157.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Mamane, H., Kohn, C., & Adin, A. (2008). Characterizing shape of effluent particles by image analysis. Separation Science and Technology, 43, 1737–53.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Örmeci, B., & Linden, K. G. (2002). Comparison of UV and chlorine inactivation of particle and non-particle-associated coliform. Water Science and Technology: Water Supply, 2(5–6), 403–10.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Örmeci, B., & Vesilind, A. P. (2000). Development of an improved synthetic sludge: a possible surrogate for studying activated sludge dewatering characteristics. Water Research, 34(4), 1069–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Parker, J. A., & Darby, J. L. (1995). Particle-associated coliform in secondary effluents: shielding from ultraviolet light disinfection. Water Environment Research, 67(7), 1065–75.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Rabinski, G., & Thomas, D. (2004). Dynamic digital image analysis: emerging technology for particle characterization. Water Science and Technology, 50(12), 19–26.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Sanin, D. F., & Vesilind, A. P. (1996). Synthetic sludge: a physical/chemical model in understanding bioflocculation. Water Environment Research, 68(5), 927–33.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Schulz, N. H., & Jørgensen, B. B. (2001). Big bacteria. Annual Review of Microbiology, 55, 105–37.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Sobeck, D. C., & Higgins, M. J. (2002). Examination of three theories for mechanisms of cation-induced bioflocculation. Water Research, 36(3), 527–38.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Urbain, V., Block, J. C., & Manem, J. (1993). Bioflocculation in activated sludge: an analytic approach. Water Research, 27(5), 829–38.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Wilkinson, K. J., Negre, J. C., & Buffle, J. (1997). Coagulation of colloidal material in surface waters: the role of natural organic matter. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 26, 229–43.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This research was funded by the Natural Sciences Research Council of Canada (NSERC) under the Discovery Grant Pprogram and by the Ontario Research Fund under the Early Researcher Award program.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada

    Kerim Kollu & Banu Örmeci

Authors
  1. Kerim Kollu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Banu Örmeci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Banu Örmeci.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kollu, K., Örmeci, B. Monitoring Simulated Bioflocculation: Application of Micro-Flow Imaging Technology. Water Air Soil Pollut 226, 79 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2299-4

Download citation

Keywords

  • Aggregation
  • Bacteria
  • Bioflocculation
  • Floc
  • Particle
  • Size
  • Porosity