Economic and Ecological Aspects of Wastewater Treatment with Biological and Chemical Means

Abstract

Historically many installations for wastewater treatment were developed on the basis of chemical treatment. This was followed by the development and optimization of biochemical processes for the removal and conversion or degradation of unwanted wastewater constituents. Today, the early controversies of chemical versus biological wastewater treatments have subsided. Present developments are directed toward an optimal coupling and combination of both, chemical and biochemical unit processes for wastewater treatment. In that discussion many aspects must be taken into account and as far as possible quantitatively evaluated. In the following some of the less analyzed are to be described briefly:

• 1) Efficiency of unit processes evaluated not (only) in terms of traditional global parameters such as BOD or COD reduction, but in view of ecological consequences.

• 2) Process characteristics in terms of monitoring and controlling reaction progress.

• 3) Possibilities of adjusting processes to changing boundary conditions, both short-term changes and long-term developments.