Aerobic and Anaerobic

Biological Processes: Basics

Prof. S.N.Upadhyay
Department of Chemical Engineering & Technology
Institute of Technology
Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi 221 005

Keywords
Wastewater
Biological Processes
Biological Growth
Applications
Raw Water
Wastewater
1.Wastewater:
Domestic Wastewater

Industrial Wastewater
Industrial Wastewater...
Eg: Starch industry wastewater

Major component-
COD = 10,000-20,000 mg/L

Effects of discharging into natural
receiving bodies
- 20 m
3
/ton of starch
- high COD
- high suspended solids
- cyanide exposure

2.Biological Processes
Aim: any form of life-
survive & multiply

Need for energy &
organic molecules as
building blocks

Made of C, H, O, N, S, P
and trace elements
Biological Processes...
Cell: derives energy from
oxidation of reduced food
sources
(carbohydrate, protein & fats)

Micro-organisms
Tiny automatic reactors
Highly efficient
Cheaper to operate than man made reactors
Self-adjusting and self-maintaining

Microorganisms
Classification:
Heterotrophic- obtain energy from
oxidation of organic matter
(organic Carbon)

Autotrophic- obtain energy from oxidation of
inorganic matter
(CO
2
, NH
4
, H
+
)
Phototrophic- obtain energy from sunlight
Biological Oxidation
Biological oxidation is the conversion of elements from
organic form to their highly oxidized inorganic forms, a
process known as mineralization, with the help of
microorganisms.
Organic-C + O
2
CO
2

Organic-H + O
2
H
2
0
Organic-N + O
2
NO
-
3

Organic-S + O
2
S0
2-
4
Organic-P + O
2
PO
3-
4
Oxidation of organic molecules inside the cell can occur in
aerobic or anaerobic manner




Aerobic Biodegradation Process
Waste oxidation is aerobic when terminal oxidizing
agent is oxygen. The general equation is
C
X
H
Y
O
Z
N

+ O
2
+ (microorganisms, nutrients) H
2
O +
CO
2
+ NH
3
+ new biomass
Only thermodynamically favorable reactions occur
(The domestic wastewater has sufficient nutrients,
but some industrial effluents have less N and P
contents. The ratio of BOD
5
: N: P should be about
100:5:1.)

Anaerobic Biodegradation Process
Waste oxidation is anaerobic when oxygen is not
the terminal oxidizing agent.
Here also only thermodynamically favorable
reactions occur
C
X
H
Y
O
Z
N + (microorganisms, nutrients) CH
4
+
H
2
O + CO
2
+ NH
3
+ new biomass
(4C
3
H
7
0
2
NS + 8H
2
0 4CH
3
COOH + 4CO
2
+
Cysteine
4NH
3
+ 4H
2
S + 8H)
and
(4CH
3
COOH + 8H 5CH
4
+ 3CO
2
+ 2H
2
O)

Electron acceptor Type of reaction Metabolic byproduct
Oxygen
Nitrate (NO
-
3
)
Manganese (Mn
4+
)
Ferric iron (Fe
3+
)
Sulphate (SO
2-
4
)
Carbon dioxide
Aerobic
Anaerobic respiration
Anaerobic
Anaerobic
Anaerobic respiration
Anaerobic respiration
Carbon dioxide, water
Nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide
Manganese (Mn
2+
)
Ferrous iron (Fe
2+
)
Hydrogen sulfate
Methane
Electron Acceptors and Byproducts in Aerobic and Anaerobic Processes

Biological Oxidation
Aerobic Degradation Pathway
Biochemical Pathways
Anaerobic Degradation Pathway
Biochemical Pathways
Biochemical Pathways
Glucose

EPM Pathway

Pyruvic Acid
ADP ATP
Energy
Lactic Acid TCA Cycle H
+
Respiration H
2
O

CO
2
O
2

Aerobic pathways contains-
EMP pathways, TCA cycle, respiration

Anaerobic pathways contains-
EMP pathways

Released energy stored as ATP molecules

Excess food is stored as glycogen

C
6
H
12
O
6
+ 6O
2
+38 ADP + 38 P
i
6 CO
2
+38 ATP + 44 H
2
O
Biochemical Pathways
3. Biological Growth

- Exponential growth (batch)

- Monod kinetics

- Haldane kinetics
under toxic conditions

- Other Models
Biological Growth
Growth environment should provide sufficient nutrients,


It should be free from toxic substances,
It should have appropriate pH (5-9; for optimal growth- 6-8)
It should have appropriate temperature (psychrophils <20C,
mesophils-20-40C. thermophils >45C), and
It should have correct DO (1 -2 mg/l for aerobic)
C HOPKINS
Cafe Mgr
Kinetic Models
Un-structured Models
Structured Models
Segregated Models
Non-segregated Models
Simplicity of un-structured and non-
segregated models make them more
applicable
Kinetic Models
Biological Growth
N
t
= N
o
exp (t)
Or
X
t
= X
o
exp (t)

= ln 2/T
d

Exponential growth


Biological growth...
dX
dt
=

X
L
o
g

N
o
.

o
f

C
e
l
l
s

Time
L
a
g

p
h
a
s
e

L
o
g


g
r
o
w
t
h

p
h
a
s
e

S
t
a
t
i
o
n
a
r
y

p
h
a
s
e

D
e
a
t
h

p
h
a
s
e

Monod kinetics
Biological growth...

=
m

S
K
s
S +
Substrate Concentration (S)
S
p
e
c
i
f
i
c

g
r
o
w
t
h

r
a
t
e

(

)

Max. rate

m
/2

k
s
Haldane kinetics
(under toxic conditions)

Biological growth...

=
m

S
K S S i K
s
i + + . /
Substrate Concentration (S)
S
p
e
c
i
f
i
c

g
r
o
w
t
h

r
a
t
e

(

)

i
Contois Model

Moser Model

Teisser Model
S x K
S
s
+
=
max

+
=
S K
s
1
max
) 1 (
/
max
s
k s
e =
Apparatus for Treatability Study
Apparatus for Biological Treatability Study
4. Applications
1. Carbonaceous removal - aerobic
- anaerobic

2. Nitrogen removal - nitrification
- denitrification

3. Sulfide removal - anaerobic SO
4
reduction
- aerobic HS
-
oxidation

Aerobic Biodegradation Process
Micro-organisms oxidize waste to produce energy to enable them to
synthesize new molecules for building new cells. Thus microbial
metabolism has two parts- catabolism (meaning breaking down) for
energy and anabolism (meaning build-up) for synthesis.
Catabolism
C
X
H
Y
O
Z
N

+ O
2
+ (microorganisms, nutrients) H
2
O + CO
2
+ NH
3
+
Energy + other end-products
Anabolism
C
X
H
Y
O
Z
N

+ Energy + (microorganisms, nutrients) C
5
H
7
NO
2
(new
biomass)
Autolysis (Endogenous Respiration)
C
5
H
7
NO
2
+ O
2
+ (microorganisms, nutrients) 2H
2
O + 5CO
2
+ NH
3
+
energy
The catabolic, anabolic and autolytic reactions of aerobic
biological oxidation. In a real (finite time) continuous
biological reactor some of the organic matter in the influent
escapes oxidation; in batch culture at infinite time the
unmetabolized fraction is zero
Aerobic Degradation
Aerobic Biodegradation Process
Microorganisms thrive in oxygen rich environment and break
down and digest waste
Organic carbon present in the effluent is used as carbon and
energy source and it serves as electron donor
The enzymes involved in the process are- di- , mono-
oxygenases, and peroxidases. The first enzymes act only on
aromatic compounds whereas the second ones act on both
aliphatic and aromatic compounds. Peroxidases are effective
in degrading lignins
Aerobic Biodegradation Process
Final degradation products are- carbon dioxide, water, and
microbial biomass (sludge)
When the food becomes limiting, the microorganisms
consume their own protoplasm to obtain energy (catabolism
or endogenous respiration)
Biomass concentration decreases continuously until the
energy content reaches a minimum so as to be considered
biologically stable for disposal into environment. An organic
mass (e g sludge) with an oxygen uptake rate of less than or
equal to 1 mg O
2
/h/g can be considered to be stabilized.

Anaerobic Biodegradation Process
Microorganisms thrive in oxygen deficient environment
Organic matter is converted into stable end-products through several
independent, consecutive, and parallel reactions. In general there are six
main steps:
Hydrolysis of complex organic biopolymers (carbohydrates, lipids, and
proteins) into monomers (sugars, short and long chain fatty acids, and
amino acids) by a consortium of hydrolytic and acidogenic bacteria. The
volatile fatty acids (VFAs) thus formed mostly include- acetic, propionic,
and butyric acids
Fermentation of amino acids and sugars by hydrolytic bacteria
Anaerobic oxidation of long chain fatty acids and sugars/alcohols by
hetero-acetogenic bacteria
Anaerobic Biodegradation Process
Anaerobic oxidation of long chain fatty acids and sugars/alcohols by
hetero-acetogenic bacteria
Anaerobic oxidation of intermediate products such as volatile fatty
acids (other than acetate) by hetero-acitogenic bacteria
Conversion of hydrogen to methane by methanogenic bacteria
utilizing hydrogen
Conversion of acetate to methane by methanogenic bacteria utilizing
acetate

Anaerobic Biodegradation Process
Un-dissolved carbohydrates and proteins are
hydrolyzed through a separate path. The hetero-
acetogenic bacteria grow in close association with
the methanogenic bacteria during final stage of the
process. Conversion of fermentation products by
hetro-acetogens is thermodynamically possible only
when the hydrogen concentration is sufficiently low,
requiring a close symbiosis amongst the classes of
bacteria.
Soluble organic substances, long
chain fatty acids, amino acids,
carbohydrates
Acidogenic bacteria
Non-methanogenic substances-
butyric acid, propionic acid,
aldehydes, alchohols
Acetogenic bacteria
Methanogenic substances-
formic acid, acetic acid, H
2
,
CO
2
, alcohol (CH
3
OH)

Reactions performed by acidogenic & acetogenic bacteria
Biological Carbonaceous Removal
Anaerobic






Schematic of the Anaerobic Process
Hydrolysis
Acidogenesis
Methenogenesis
Complex Organics
Intermediates Propionate
H
2
Acetate
CH
4
20% 5%
60% 15%
35% 10% 13% 17%
15%
72% 28%
100%
Flow of Carbon During Anaerobic Degradation of Organic Material
Anaerobic Biodegradation Process
Comparison between Aerobic and
Anaerobic Processes
Comparison between Aerobic and
Anaerobic Processes
Parameter Aerobic Anaerobic

Gaseous product No methane 2.4 kg CO
2
/kg
COD
CH
4
, a combustible gas
(24MJ/cu m) 1 kg CO
2
/kg
COD
Sludge disposal cost Very high, around 50% of
the total cost
10% of that in the aerobic
process
Nutrient requirement Substantial 20% lower than aerobic
Gaseous emission Volatile organic
compounds are released
into air
No such problem
Electron acceptor Only oxygen Several electron acceptors
Degradation of aromatic
compounds
Less suitable More suitable
Comparison of Aerobic and Anaerobic Degradation of Aromatic Components
Anaerobic Aerobic
Channeling +H
2
O, 2H,-2H,+CO
2,
+CH
4


O
2


Central
intermediates
Benzoyl CoA,
resorcinoploroglucinol
Catechol,
protocatechuate
gentisate
Ring attack

2 or 4H +H
2
O O
2

Central
intermediates
Easy to reduce or hydrate Easy to oxide

Cleavage of
the ring
Hydrolysis of 3-oxo
compound
Oxygenolysis

Nitrogen Removal
Nitrification
Urea is the principal form in which human body excretes excess nitrogen;
it is rapidly hydrolyzed to ammonia. Nitrification is bio-oxidation of
ammonia to nitrate with the help of nitrosomonas and nitrobacter, which
obtain their cell carbon from CO
2
and energy from the oxidation of
inorganic compounds.

Nitrosomonas (3.33 g O
2
/1 g NH
4
-N)

55NH
4
+
+ 76O
2
+ 5CO
2
--- C
5
H
7
O
2
N + 54NO
2
-
+ 52H
2
O + 109H
+

Nitrobacter (1.11 g O
2
/1 g NO
2
-N)

400NO
2
-
+ 195O
2
+ 5CO
2
+ NH
3
+ 2H
2
O 400NO
3
-
+ C
5
H
7
O
2
N
Biological Nitrogen Removal
Nitrification
Nitrifying bacteria have extremely slow doubling time (1 2 d) compared
to common aerobic sewage bacteria (0.25 1.5 h). They are active in
aerated lagoons, oxidation ditches, and stabilization ponds or when the
concentration of organic compound is low (bottom 0.5 m of a low rate
trickling filter). Nitrification is desirable when the treated wastewater is to
be used for irrigation (nitrate as nutrient) or when it is to be discharged
into a water body (ammonia- toxic to fish). In stabilization ponds, nitrate
promotes algal-bacterial symbiosis.
Biological Nitrogen Removal
Biological Nitrogen Removal
Factors affecting nitrification

* Temperature

* Substrate concentration

* Dissolved oxygen

* pH

* Toxic and inhibitory substances
( )| | ) 2 . 7 ( 83 . 0 1
) 15 ( 095 . 0
4
4
pH e
DO K
DO
N NH K
N NH
T
O N
m

(

+

=


Biological Nitrogen Removal
Denitrification
* Assimilatory denitrification
reduction of nitrate to ammonium by microorganism for protein
synthesis

* Dissimilatory denitrification
reduction of nitrate to gaseous nitrogen by microorganism
nitrate is used instead of oxygen as terminal electron acceptor
considered an anoxic process occurring in the presence of nitrate
and the absence of molecular oxygen
the process proceeds through a series of four steps

NO NO NO N O N
3
-
2
-
2 2

Biological Nitrogen Removal
Factors affecting denitrification

* Temperature

* Dissolved oxygen

* pH

Biological Sulfate Removal
* Sulfate removal cycle

anaerobic
SO
4

--
HS
-
S
0

(O
2
deficient)


(O
2
excess)