Abstract
This paper investigated the organic matter removal in waste stabilization ponds (WSP) based on ten full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) located in Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast Brazil. Although many systems are operating at high organic loading rates, in some cases, over 1000 kg BOD5 ha−1 d−1, the ponds promoted satisfactory removals of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The first-order removal rates (k) for BOD5 and COD were obtained by assuming the ideal hydraulic patterns of completely mixed and plug-flow models. The k values proved to be a function of physical and operational parameters that affect fluid movement in a pond. The increase in the organic loading rate caused an increase in first-order removal rates. Moreover, increasing the ratio between hydraulic retention time (HRT) and depth (H) led to a reduction in k values. This information can be adapted into predictive models to be applied in WSP designs with similar characteristics. In comparison with the empirical equations reported in the literature, these models lead to removal rates more appropriate to the local reality.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support given by CAPES and CNPq. The authors also would like to thank Professor André Bezerra dos Santos for reviewing the English language.
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This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).
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Highlights
•Waste stabilization pond systems in Northeast Brazil promote satisfactory removals of organic matter, even if they are subjected to high organic loading rates (> 400 kg BOD5 ha-1 d-1).
•BOD5 and COD first-order removal rates (k) were dependent on the type of pond and its geometric configurations.
•The organic loading rate and the ratio between hydraulic retention time and depth can be used as explanatory variables in simple prediction models of first-order removal rates.
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Alves, M.S., da Silva, F.J.A., Araújo, A.L.C. et al. First-Order Removal Rates for Organic Matter in Full-Scale Waste Stabilization Pond Systems in Northeastern Brazil. Water Air Soil Pollut 231, 528 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04855-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04855-w