Don Nelson C.

Potato
2018 21858
EnE 213 - Tue 6-9 pm

Homework No. 1
Nitrification stoichiometry

1. Lithotropic microorganisms are employed to oxidize ammonium in a wastewater to nitrate

under aerobic conditions in order to reduce the oxygen consumption by nitrification in a
receiving stream. If the concentration of ammonium in the wastewater, expressed as nitrogen,
is 22 mg/l, how much oxygen will be consumed for nitrification in the treatment of 1,000 m 3
of wastewater, what mass of cells in kg dry weight will be produced, and what will be the
resulting concentration of nitrate-nitrogen in the treated water? Assume fs equals 0.10 and
that inorganic carbon is used for cell synthesis. Compute also the theoretical sludge
production.

Solution:

For the reaction involved, ammonium serves as the electron donor and is oxidized to nitrate,
oxygen is the electron acceptor since it is an aerobic reaction, ammonium likewise serves as a
source of nitrogen for cell synthesis. In addition, fe = 1 - fs = 0.90.

Selecting the appropriate half reactions from the given table gives the following overall
biological reaction:

feRa: 0.225 O2 + 9H+ + 9e- = 0.45H2O

feRc: 0.02 CO2 + 0.005NH4+ + 0.005HCO3- + 0.1H+ + 0.1e- = 0.005C5H7O2N + 0.045 H2O
Rd: 0.125 NH4+ + 0.375H2O = 0.125NO3- + 1.25H+ + e-

R: 0.13NH4+ + 0.225O2 + 0.02CO2 + 0.005 HCO3 = 0.005C5H7O2N + 0.125NO3- + 0.25H+ +

0.12H2O

For each 0.13(14) = 1.82g ammonium - nitrogen, 0.225(32) = 7.2g of oxygen is consumed. Also,
0.005(113) = 0.565g cells and 0.125(14) = 1.75g NO3- - N are produced. The amount of
ammonium - N treated = (22mg/L)(1000m3)(10^3 liters/m3)(kg/10^5) = 22kg
Thus,

Oxygen consumption = 22kg (7.2g/1.82g) = 87 kg

Cell dry weight produced = 22kg (0.565g/1.82g) = 6.83 kg
Effluent NO3 - N conc. = 22 mg/L (1.75g/1.82g) = 21 mg/L

2. You were hired as an expensive consultant by an industry for treating their wastewater.
Analysis of their wastewater shows that it is composed mainly of oils and fats. The industry is
undecided between using an aerobic or anaerobic process. You decide to do some calculations…
A. Calculate fs and Y (g VSS/g BODL) for both aerobic and anaerobic processes. For the
anaerobic process, you can assume that CO2 is the electron acceptor, which is reduced to CH4
and NH4+ is the nitrogen source. NH4+ is also the nitrogen source for the aerobic process.

i) Solve for fs0 .

f0s = 1/ 1 + A

In solving for the value of fs0, it is important to obtain first the value of A by evaluating the
different parameters involved as shown in the following steps:

1) Secure the values of from the Table of Half Reactions.

a) Electron donor – fats and oils (Reaction No. 10)* = -6.6 kcal/e - eq
b) Electron acceptor – carbon dioxide (Reaction No. 6)* = -5.763 kcal/e - eq
c) Cell synthesis – ammonia (Reaction No. 1)* = 0

Y = f0 s
F0s = 1/ 1 + A
A = feo/ fso

Solving for A
A = [ΔGco’ + ΔGpo/km + ΔGNo/k]/ -kΔGRo’

Where k = 0.6, m = +1 if ΔGpo’>0 and m = -1 if ΔGpo<1

Solving for ΔGpo’

ΔGpo’ = ΔGdo - ΔGpyro
ΔGpo’ = -6.6 - (- 8.545)
= 1.945 kcal/e- eq
Solving for ΔGRo
ΔGRo = ΔGDo-ΔGao
= -6.6 - (-5.763)
= - 0.837 kcal/e- eq
Solving for A : (ΔGco’ = 7.5 kcal/e- eq) using the formula

A = [7.5+(1.945/(0.6)1+0]/ (-0.6)(-0.837)
A = 21. 3892

Solving for f0s using the formula

f0s= 1/ 1+21.3892 = 0.0447

Y = f0s = 0.0447 gCODx/gCODs converting units into gVSS/gBODL

Y = 0.0447/1.42
Y = 0.0315 gVSS/gBODL
B. For the aerobic process, estimate the grams of O2 needed per gram of electron donor in a
CSTR for which c = 5 days, fD = 0.2 and b= 0.10/day.
C. For the anaerobic process, estimate the grams of CH4 produced per gram of electron
donor in a CSTR for which c = 10 days, fD = 0.2 and b = 0.10/day.
D. Based on your calculations, what can you deduce about sludge production in aerobic and
anaerobic processes? Based on your stoichiometric calculations, briefly discuss two other factors
that you need to consider in deciding between the two processes.

3. For each of the following, write an oxidation half reaction and normalize the reaction on an
electron-equivalent basis. Add H2O as appropriate to either side of the equations in balancing the
reactions.
(a) CH3CH2CH2CHNH2COO- oxidation to CO2, NH4+, and HCO3-

1/24CH3CH2CH2CHNH2COO- + ⅜ H2O = 1/24NH4+ + 1/24HCO3- + ⅙ CO2 + 23/24H+ + e-

or
1/24CH3CH2CH2CHNH2COO- + 5/12 H2O = 1/24NH4+ + 1/12HCO3- + 1/8 CO2 + H+ + e-

(b) Cl- to ClO3-

1/6Cl- + 1/2 H2O = 1/6ClO3- + H+ + e-

4. You wish to consider the addition of methanol to groundwater for anaerobic biological
removal of nitrite by denitrification. If the nitrate-nitrogen concentration is 84 mg/l, what
minimum concentration of methanol should be added to achieve complete nitrate reduction to
nitrogen gas? Assume no ammonium is present and that fs for the reaction is 0.3

⅙ CH3OH + … = ⅙ CO3 … + e-
0.3 (1/28 NO3-) + … 0.3e- = 0.3 (1/28)C5H7O2N + …
0.7 (1/5 NO3-) + … 0.7e- = 0.7 (1/10)N2 + …

⅙ CH3OH + [ 0.3 (1/26) + 0.7 (⅕)] NO3- + … = 0.07N2 + …

⅙ (32) 0.1507(14)
5.33g CH3OH 2.11g NO3- - N

CH3OH minimum = (5.33/2.1)(84) = 212 mg/l