mechanical and chemical pre-treatments

activated sludge foam

phosphates

ammonium nitrogen

cations

struvite

The study of pollution of water

Others in area of ecological engineering

One of the problems in wastewater treatment technologies is the formation of foam/scum on the surface of bioreactors. The foam elimination/destruction can be carried out by various methods among which disintegration is included. Hybrid disintegration (chemical decomposition and hydrodynamic cavitation) of the foam microorganisms results in phosphates, ammonium nitrogen, magnesium and potassium transferred from the foam solids into the liquid phase. Application of both methods as a hybrid pre-treatment process caused in an increased concentration of phosphates of about 677 mg PO₄^3- L^-1, ammonium nitrogen about 41 mg N-NH₄⁺ L^-1. The concentration of Mg²⁺ and K⁺ in the solution increased from 6.2 to 31.1 mg Mg²⁺ L^-1 and from 22.4 to 102.0 mg K⁺ L^-1, respectively. The confirmation of physicochemical changes and release of cellular matter as a result of cellular lysis (hybrid disintegration) was IR analysis. It was demonstrated that the disintegration of foam permits removal of a part of nutrients in the form of struvite.