Organic Matter Removal Performance of Enhanced Sewer Self-purification by Porous Media Treating Domestic Wastewater under Various Temperatures

Abstract

The organic matter removal performance of a channel for enhanced sewer self-purification by porous media was investigated. The effect of temperature, within a range of about 10 to 28°C, on aerobic organic matter degradation was focused on, using real domestic wastewater as influent. A channel was observed for 96 days between the months of October to December, via a mass balance approach. Mass balance analysis revealed that organic matter removal mostly occurred via oxidation and that organic matter retention inside the channel was minimal. Using the oxygen consumption rate as a measure of organic matter removal, the evaluated removal performance was between 6.4–33.4 g O2 m−2 d−1 expressed per area of porous sponge media. Oxygen consumption rates were observed to increase with increased temperature of the porous sponge media and was not affected by fluctuations in organic loading. The results highlighted that enhanced sewer self-purification by porous media is anticipated to perform well in regions with average temperatures above 20°C.

Keywords

• temperature
• sewer self-purification
• sewer system
• biological wastewater treatment