Dissolved Oxygen Management for Improved Wastewater Treatment

Biochemical reactions for wastewater treatment are primarily reactions enabled by microbial metabolic processes. Waste treatment technology seeks enhancement of the reactions through environmental controls, dissolved oxygen levels, and bacterial speciation. In general, the reactions that occur within aerobic systems mineralize carbonaceous material through oxidation and scavenge chemical nutrients while microbial systems of anaerobic conditions produce reduced chemicals for gaseous disposal. These ambivalent environments commonly exist in zones within water mass of natural water bodies but they can be created within contiguous zones of managed waste streams. On meso-scales of time and space, these environments may exist in many locations within a waste stream and change continuously as hydraulic and chemical loading varies. Microbial population management for treatment optimumization is generally a feedback from control of chemical and physical parameters, although, accelerated population adjustments through culture-dosing to serve transient waste stream qualities is also a management option. Some environmental support for sustained population systems include dissolved oxygen DO concentration controls for different treatment objectives along a flow-path. Dissolved oxygen concentration is difficult to measure but optimum control is contingent on continuous measurements. DO sensor failures caused by biofouling is a common problem in all low-level oxygen environments typical of wastewater streams, however, a new DO measuring technology developed by this author is proved to be practical for advanced wastewater treatment requirements and for strict oxygen management.