Aeration is a process that involves adding air to waste water to enable the aerobic degradation of its pollutant components. It’s an integral component of the majority of biological wastewater treatment systems. As opposed to chemical treatment which reacts to and stabilizes contaminants inside the wastewater stream using chemicals, the biological treatment utilizes microorganisms which occur naturally inside the wastewater to degrade its contaminants.
When is the aeration process used?
In industrial as well as municipal wastewater treatment, aeration is a component of the stage that is referred to as the secondary stage of treatment. The most common option used in the secondary treatment stage is the activated sludge process. In an activated sludge process, aeration is based on having air pumped into a holding tank, which then goes on to promote microbial growth inside the wastewater. The microbes then go on to feed on the organic materials contained in the wastewater, thus forming flocks which are able to easily settle out. After they have settled in a separate ‘settling tank’, bacteria that are forming the ‘activated sludge’ flocks are then recirculated back into the aeration basin continuously to get the rate of decomposition significantly raised.
How aeration really works
Aeration provides the necessary oxygen to the bacteria that is used in treating as well as stabilizing the wastewater. The oxygen is required by the bacteria to enable the occurrence of biodegradation. This is surely among the most crucial steps in the whole biological wastewater treatment process. The oxygen that is supplied is used by the bacteria in the wastewater to break the carbon-containing organic matter down to form water and carbon dioxide. Without the presence of enough oxygen, bacteria will not be able to biodegrade the organic matter that’s incoming within a reasonable length of time.
In the absence of dissolved oxygen, degradation would have to take place under septic conditions which happen to be quite odorous, slow, and yield incomplete pollutants conversions. Under septic conditions, some among the biological processes convert Sulphur and hydrogen to produce hydrogen sulphide and also convert carbon into methane. Other carbons would be converted into organic acids which produce conditions of low pH inside the basin and make water a bit more challenging to treat and also promote the formation of odour. Organic matter’s biodegradation in the absence of oxygen is a truly slow biological process.
Why is aeration crucial for the treatment of wastewater?
Aeration is the most crucial component of a treatment system that is utilizing the activated sludge process. An aeration system that is well designed features a direct impact on the water treatment level that it achieves. An amply as well as evenly distributed supply of oxygen in an aeration system is the main key to economically-viable, rapid, as well as an efficient and effective treatment of wastewater.
In conclusion, this is all that you need to know in regards to why the aeration process is crucial to biological wastewater treatment. Now that you understand it very well, then you should know that there are lots of varying suppliers who offer readymade treatment systems that you can use. All you need to do is just get in contact with them, and they will provide the necessary information.