Upset Early Warning Systems for Biological Treatment Processes: Source and Effect Relationships

Even with well-designed treatment systems, sudden inputs of inhibitory chemicals upstream can disrupt biological treatment processes for significant periods and, in some instances, produce effluents that pose risks to the environment or public health. Yet, few studies have been conducted to allow source-cause-effect relationships to be established for activated sludge treatment systems that experience such process upsets. This project involved a series of laboratory-based experiments to clarify the inherent source-cause-effect relationships for several realistic upset events. The findings were summarized in matrices that indicate which process effects are experienced when activated sludge is exposed to different classes of chemical toxins. Published by WERF. 248 pages. Soft cover and free online PDF.

Originally funded as WERF project 01-CTS-2a.