The Role of Aeration in Wastewater Treatment

Water treatment aerators are used to remove impurities, particles, and dissolved gases such as carbon dioxide from the water and oxidize dissolved metals such as volatile organic chemicals, hydrogen sulfide, and iron. Increasing demand for the aerator from the wastewater treatment plant is one of the significant factors that propel the growth of the water treatment aerators market. Moreover, rising demand from aquaculture and municipal water treatment are also triggering the water treatment aerators market growth.

What is Aeration?

Wastewater aeration is the process of adding air into wastewater to allow aerobic bio-degradation of the pollutant components. It is an integral part of most biological wastewater treatment systems. Chemical treatments make use of chemicals to react and stabilize the contaminants in the wastewater stream whereas biological treatments use microorganisms that naturally occur in wastewater to degrade contaminants.

                                         Click To Download Sample PDF 


When is Aeration Used?

The activated sludge process is the most common option under the secondary treatment used in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. Aeration is part of the secondary treatment process. Aeration in an activated sludge process is based on pumping air into a tank, which promotes the microbial growth in the wastewater. The microbes feed on the organic material, forming flocs that can easily settle out. After settling in a separate settling tank, bacteria forming the “activated sludge” flocs are continually circulated back to the aeration basin to increase the rate of decomposition.

Increasing water pollution due to population and industrial growth is increasing demand for the aerators that fuels the growth of the water treatment aerators market. However, high initial investment associated with water treatment aerator is the key hindering factor for the growth of the water treatment aerators market. Furthermore, stringent government regulations and mandated for the treatment of industrial wastewater are rising the adoption of aerators that are expected to stimulate the growth of water treatment aerators market.

Why is Aeration Important for Wastewater Treatment?

Aeration is the most critical component of a treatment system using the activated sludge process. When properly implemented, aeration also eliminates seasonal problems such as algae growth or stratification. When exposed to heat and sun, still bodies of water such as reservoirs become stratified. This causes problems, such as foul odors, weed and algae growth, and fish kills. By improving the nutrient-oxygen balance, aeration helps improve water quality. A well-designed aeration system has a direct impact on the level of wastewater treatment it achieves. An evenly distributed oxygen supply in an aeration system is the key to rapid, economically viable, and effective wastewater treatment.

Read More>>

 

Comments