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Grey water biodegradability

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Abstract

Knowing the biodegradability characteristics of grey water constituents is imperative for a proper design and operation of a biological treatment system of grey water. This study characterizes the different COD fractions of dormitory grey water and investigates the effect of applying different conditions in the biodegradation test. The maximum aerobic and anaerobic biodegradability and conversion rate for the different COD fractions is determined. The results show that, on average, dormitory grey water COD fractions are 28% suspended, 32% colloidal and 40% dissolved. The studied factors incubation time, inoculum addition and temperature are influencing the determined biodegradability. The maximum biodegradability and biodegradation rate differ between different COD fractions, viz. CODss, CODcol and CODdiss. The dissolved COD fraction is characterised by the lowest degradation rate, both for anaerobic and aerobic conditions. The maximum biodegradability for aerobic and anaerobic conditions is 86 and 70% respectively, whereas the first order conversion rate constant, k 20, is 0.119 and 0.005 day−1, respectively. The anaerobic and aerobic conversion rates in relation to temperature can be described by the Arrhenius relation, with temperature coefficients of 1.069 and 1.099, respectively.

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Abbreviations

APE:

Alkyl-phenol ethoxylate

BMP:

Biological methane potential

BOD:

Biochemical oxygen demand

C :

Substrate concentration

C 0 :

Initial substrate concentration

°C:

Celsius

CH4 :

Methane

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

Col:

Colloidal

CSTR:

Continuous stirred tank reactor

DEEDMAC:

Diethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride

dis:

Dissolved

EXP:

Exponential

fra:

Fraction

HRT:

Hydraulic retention time

k :

Kinetic rate constant

LAS:

Liner alkyl benzene sulphonate

Ln:

Natural logarithm

MBR:

Membrane biological reactor

MCR:

Membrane chemical reactor

mf:

Membrane filtrate

MW:

Molecular weight

MWCO:

Molecular-weight cut-off

pf:

Paper filtrate

SLS:

Sodium laurel sulphate

SRT:

Sludge retention time

ss:

Suspended solids

t :

Time

T :

Temperature

tot:

Total

TVS:

Total volatile solids

UASB:

Up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket

UBOD:

Ultimate BOD

VSS:

Volatiles suspended solids

θ:

Temperature coefficient

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Acknowledgment

The research, upon which this paper has been based, is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Nuffic).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Water and Environment Research Study Center, The University of Jordan, P.O. Box 1300, Amman, 11942, Jordan

    Lina Abu Ghunmi & Manar Fayyad

  2. Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Sub-Department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Lina Abu Ghunmi & Grietje Zeeman

  3. Section Sanitary Engineering, Department of Water Management, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5048, 2600 GA, Delft, The Netherlands

    Jules B. van Lier

Authors
  1. Lina Abu Ghunmi
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  2. Grietje Zeeman
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  3. Manar Fayyad
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  4. Jules B. van Lier
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Correspondence to Lina Abu Ghunmi.

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Abu Ghunmi, L., Zeeman, G., Fayyad, M. et al. Grey water biodegradability. Biodegradation 22, 163–174 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-010-9385-5

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