Sturm, Belinda

Presented at WEFTEC 2023.

Titles from this speaker

Evaluating Nitrogen Oxides Transformations at Low Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations

Abstract

This paper was presented at WEFTEC 2023 in Chicago, IL.

This study evaluates nitrogen oxides transformations at low-DO concentrations. Microbial community data coupled with biokinetics, and detailed process modeling facilitated an analysis of the fundamental mechanisms associated with SND and its interaction between biomass and intermediate nitrogen oxide species and readily biodegradable COD.

SpeakerJimenez, Jose

Presentation time

08:30:00

08:50:00

Session time

08:30:00

10:00:00

SessionLow Carbon BNR Fundamentals and Controls

Session locationRoom S502 - Level 5

TopicAdvanced Level, Facility Operations and Maintenance, Municipal Wastewater Treatment Design, Nutrients

Author(s)

Jimenez, Jose

Author(s)J. Jimenez 1; J. Boltz 2 ; M. Miller 3; K. Bauhs 5; B. Sturm 6; B. Rittmann 7; J. Jimenez 1;

Author affiliation(s)Brown and Caldwell 1; Woodard and Curran 2 ; Brown and Caldwell 3; Brown and Caldwell 5; University of Kansas 6; Arizona State University 7; Brown and Caldwell 1;

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2023

DOI10.2175/193864718825159062

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count10

Description: Evidence of Antibiotic Resistant Genes Sorbed to Microplastics in Biosolids and...

Evidence of Antibiotic Resistant Genes Sorbed to Microplastics in Biosolids and Mobilized to Runoff

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) with accumulated Antibiotic Resistant Genes (ARGs) can be captured in biosolids and contaminate the terrestrial environment through biosolids land application. A field experiment with land-applied biosolids combined with rainfall simulations was conducted to control the biosolids loading, biosolids application methods, and rainfall events. The attached ARGs on MPs were analyzed from soil and runoff samples. Through biosolids application, some ARGs were significantly increased; tetW on MPs in soil increased 5-10 times. In runoff from biosolids-amended plots, the relative abundance of ARGs on MPs increased by 159% and 34%, as compared to the abundance in soil for spreading and incorporating plots, respectively. The biosolids application method affected the mobility of MPs and their associated ARGs to runoff, with surface spreading having the greatest mobility.

Antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) have potential risk to human health but cannot be efficiently removed by wastewater treatment and may even be proliferated. Microplastics (MPs) with accumulated ARGs can be captured in biosolids and contaminate the terrestrial environment through biosolids land application. This is one of the first field studies to investigate the transport of ARGs on MPs from biosolids to land and runoff.

SpeakerSturm, Belinda

Presentation time

10:30:00

11:00:00

Session time

10:30:00

12:00:00

SessionMicroplastics Interaction with Pathogens and Other Microconstituents

Session locationRoom S502 - Level 5

TopicDisinfection and Public Health, Intermediate Level, Microconstituents and Contaminants of Emerging Concern (Non-PFAS), Research and Innovation

Author(s)

Sturm, Belinda

Author(s)B. Sturm 1; Z. Li 1 ; Y. Hiripitiyage 2; B. Sturm 1;

Author affiliation(s)University of Kansas 1; University of Kansas 1 ; University of Kansas 2;

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2023

DOI10.2175/193864718825159183

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count15

Improving Clarifier Models by Describing Extracellular Polymeric Substances

Abstract

Improved settleability in activated sludge processes is an essential feature of new innovations. To accelerate the adoption of such technologies, the ability to link operational conditions with settling characteristics is needed to support process design and prediction of improvements in settleability. The previous works indicated that the threshold of flocculation (TOF) (Mancell-Egala et al., 2017a), which describes the collision efficiency of particles, was successfully introduced as a simple experimental method to calculate the flocculent settling coefficient (rp) in 1-D clarifier models and to enhance the ability to predict clarifier effluent solids. TOF also showed to have a clear relationship with effluent quality making it a useful operational parameter to detect flocculation limitations. In addition, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) quality, most often expressed as a protein over polysaccharides ratio has been linked to flocculation behavior, densification and granulation (McSwain et al., 2005). This knowledge was used to develop an empirical function between the composition of (EPS) expressed as EPS-TKN/COD and TOF. This relationship between EPS composition and TOF was introduced as a means of linking biological process models (i.e. Sumo2C model) and 1-D clarifier models (Ngo et al., 2021b). Essential for this approach is the prediction of EPS amounts and quality from process models as a function of feast-famine, and other operational conditions as this defines settling behavior. This paper discusses three approaches for EPS prediction from process models and will provide insights on 2 which type of EPS modeling might be needed for different purposes. While this abstract describes different datasets tested for the different models, the full paper will provide a full comparison of the three models on the full-scale dataset collected at Blue Plains

This paper discusses three approaches for EPS prediction from process models and will provide insights on which type of EPS modeling might be needed for different purposes. With optimized EPS quality prediction, it is possible to simulate settling improvements based on changes in operational conditions both based on a wide range of SRT as well as based on feast-famine driver. The latter will help to accelerate the adoption of intensification technologies.

SpeakerNgo, Nam

Presentation time

10:35:00

10:50:00

Session time

10:30:00

12:00:00

SessionPushing the Boundaries of Our Biological Models

Session locationRoom S404a - Level 4

TopicFacility Operations and Maintenance, Intermediate Level, Municipal Wastewater Treatment Design, Research and Innovation

Author(s)

Ngo, Khoa Nam

Author(s)N. Khoa Nam 1; T. Wadhawan 2 ; B. Sturm 3; J.P. Boltz 4; J. Hinojosa 5; A.N. Massoudieh 6; I. Takacs 7; J. Jimenez 8; H. De Clippeleir 9;

Author affiliation(s)District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority 1; Dynamita SARL, France 2 ; University of Kansas 3; Woodard & Curran Arizona State University, USA 4; District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority 5; Catholic University of America 6; Dynamita SARL, France 7; Brown and Caldwell, USA 8; District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, USA 9;

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2023

DOI10.2175/193864718825159190

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count9

Sludge Densification and Low DO BNR: Anaerobic Selectors are the Key!

Abstract

Intensification of wastewater treatment aims to create higher treatment capacity while reducing energy demand. Low dissolved oxygen (DO) operation can reduce energy costs, but there are concerns about process performance, particularly sludge settleability. Three phases of experimentation were completed on two bench-scale treatment configurations to compare sludge settleability and microbial kinetic rates: 1. High DO, 2. Low DO and 3. Low DO, with an extended anaerobic HRT. Excellent sludge settleability was obtained in the A/O configuration (average SVI 83 ± 5 mL/g) at low DO concentrations of 0.3 – 0.6 mg/L. Whereas, an A2 /O configuration experienced filament growth and sludge bulking. When the HRT was increased to 1.5 hour anaerobic HRT and 0.5 hour anoxic HRT, the A2 /O train was able to achieve good sludge settleability (average SVI 101 ± 7 mL/g).

Low dissolved oxygen (DO) operation is an attractive approach compared to typical aeration levels of 1.5 - 2 mg/L. However, there are concerns for process performance, specifically sludge settleability and lower microbial kinetic rates. Two bench-scale treatment plant configurations (A2/O and A/O) were operated at high and low DO. An Excellent sludge settleability (SVI 101 ï‚± 7 mL/g) was achieved at low DO concentrations with a longer anerobic HRT of the selector zone.

SpeakerSturm, Belinda

Presentation time

14:30:00

14:45:00

Session time

13:30:00

15:00:00

SessionAdvancing Low-energy Biological Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal Through Low DO Operation

Session locationRoom N426b - Level 4

TopicAdvanced Level, Municipal Wastewater Treatment Design, Nutrients

Author(s)

Sturm, Belinda