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Assessing activated sludge morphology by laser and image analysis

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journal contribution
posted on 2014-07-18, 12:13 authored by Jun Wu, Andrew Wheatley
An excess of filamentous bacteria is a common settlement problem affecting the activated sludge process. In this study activated sludge morphology was monitored by image analysis and laser scattering. These were compared with the conventional sludge volume index. Good correlations between the two optical techniques for floc size were found when the small and interfering particles (< 50 m) were removed from the analysis (activated sludge size 100–500 m). A simpler image analysis procedure was developed using common software and equipment available in most laboratories. This should enable reproducible microbial morphology measurements to be used more widely routinely to predict the onset of poor settlement. The image analysis was used to determine the standard index of filamentinduced poor settlement, namely the total extended filament length. The results in common with some previously noted work did not show a simple link between either floc size or total extended filament length and sludge volume index. A new indicator of excess filaments is suggested, based on the frequency of occurrence of just the long extended filaments (> 100 m) which was shown to give better prediction of poor settlement (bulking).

History

School

  • Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering

Published in

PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS-WATER MANAGEMENT

Volume

163

Issue

3

Pages

139 - 145 (7)

Citation

WU, J. and WHEATLEY, A.D., 2010. Assessing activated sludge morphology by laser and image analysis. Proceedings of the Institute of Civil Engineers - Water Management, 163(2), pp.139-145.

Publisher

© ICE Publishing

Version

  • VoR (Version of Record)

Publication date

2010

Notes

This article was published in the Proceedings of the ICE - Water Management [© ICE Publishing]. Permission is granted by ICE Publishing to print one copy for personal use. Any other use of these PDF files is subject to reprint fees. The definitive version is available at: http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/content/article/10.1680/wama.2010.163.3.139

ISSN

1741-7589

Language

  • en

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