Posttreatment of effluent from coke-plant wastewater treatment system in sequencing batch reactors

The performance of sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) for the treatment of effluent from a conventional coke-plant wastewater biological treatment system has been evaluated. The results showed that an operating mode that incorporated two anoxic portions, one ahead of the aeration period and one after the aeration, was superior to the other modes (prearranged denitrification and postarranged denitrification) for nitrogen removal. The 4-h anoxic fill probably allowed some substrates in the influent to be stored in the biomass and led to subsequent storage-induced denitrification in the second anoxic portion during the reaction period. Under these conditions, the ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reductions were 82.5 and 65.2%, respectively. During the fill period of an SBR, the organics concentration was reduced, probably due to the adsorption of organics onto activated sludge and dilution of the mixed liquor. Some readily biodegradable organics in the influent, such as phenol and o-cresol, were utilized by denitrifiers as a carbon source. A 16-h aeration significantly reduced the concentrations of o-cresol, 3,4-dimethyl phenol, and 2-quinoline alcohol, while reductions in quinoline, isoquinoline, indol, and methyl quinoline were limited.