Effect of Using Effective Microorganisms EM-1 on the Performance of Extended Aeration Activated Sludge in Treating Domestic Wastewater

• Main Author: Waleed M. Sheet
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tikrit University 2013-05-01
• Series: Tikrit Journal of Engineering Sciences
• Subjects: Effective Microorganisms, Domestic waste Water, Extended Aeration
• Online Access: http://www.tj-es.com/ojs/index.php/tjes/article/view/243

<p>      This research concerning with the effect of using the effective microorganisms on the efficiency of extended Aeration Activated Sludge Units which consist from many strain of Bacteria, Fungi and Actinomycetes  in addition to board spectrum of nutrient and elements which important to growth, The use of this product is practically applied by using two bench scale laboratory units where they are operated to treat the wastewater after completing and preparing the activated sludge units to work under the same conditions of temperature and detention time (DT).</p><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td><div class="shape"><p dir="rtl"><strong>54</strong></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p>One bench scale is fed with wastewater and the other is operated by using a mixture of EM-1 along with the wastewater. It is noticed that the use of EM-1 with wastewater has reduced the smell resulting from disintegration in the aeration basin. Further, the color of sludge in the unit where EM-1 is added is light brown which means more activity and vitality. Besides, the concentration of mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS) is increased by using EM-1 by 30% due to the increase of nutrients and a reduction in the sludge volume index (SVI) which is an important factor in the performance of the secondary settling basins which means a reduction in bulking of sludge, which is considered one of the most notable operating problem in activated sludge units. As a result bulking of sludge reduced by25% when EM-1 is used. Thus, EM-1 has participated in solving three important operating problems suffered by operators of these treatment units easily and without using complicated technologies or appliances. Further, EM-1 improves the removal efficiency of the units about 6-8% due to the reduction in chemical oxygen demand in the treated wastewater leaving the unit by 32%.</p>