Research note: Determination of Kinetic Parameters in Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge for Amol's Industrial Park Wastewater Treatment Plant

In this study the performance of integrated fixed film activated sludge system (IFAS) in Amol industrial wastewater treatment plant (Amol, Iran) in treatment of food industrial wastewater was investigated. In addition, kinetic coefficients were evaluated for the system. The capacity of this system was 1700 cubic meters per day; that includes different process comprising physical and biological treatment, disinfection, sludge thickening, digestion and dewatering. COD removal efficiency and kinetic coefficients including yield coefficient (Y), half saturation coefficient (Ks), maximum substrate utilization rate constant (k) and endogenous decay coefficient (kd) were evaluated. The obtained results demonstrated that except Ks other coefficient were in the normal range that was frequently reported for conventional activated sludge in the literature. The COD removal efficiency was about 98 to 99 percent. The results indicated that there is a direct relationship between the variation of kd and Ks with effluent substrate concentration; while, the relationship between rate constant (k) and effluent COD is reversed. Finally, the effect of increasing sludge retention time (SRT) on COD removal was also studied. It was concluded that COD removal increased with an increase active solid retention time to a certain point, behind that point there was no significant changes observed.