ZHANGYongmei,GEJingling,SUNHongbo,et al.PAC-enhanced Biological System for Coping with Shock Loads of Refractory Organic Matter[J].China Water & Wastewater,2026,42(5):93-98.
PAC-enhanced Biological System for Coping with Shock Loads of Refractory Organic Matter
China Water & Wastewater[ISSN:1000-4062/CN:12-1073/TU]
volume:
第42卷
Number:
第5期
Page:
93-98
Column:
Date of publication:
2026-03-01
- Abstract:
- Aiming to address the poor recovery of activated sludge in municipal wastewater treatment plants following shock loads of refractory organic matter, adding powdered activated carbon (PAC) to the middle section of the aerobic zone was proposed. This method aims to rapidly restore system performance while improving effluent quality and sludge sedimentation. Production trials were conducted in the modified AAO and multi-stage AO processes of a wastewater treatment plant to investigate the effects of PAC dosage and type on organic matter adsorption, effluent quality, and sludge sedimentation. The results indicated that PAC addition effectively reduced residual organic matter concentration in the effluent, but its adsorption efficacy was limited by saturation characteristic. Among the tested varieties, water-grade PAC at a lower dosage demonstrated the best adsorption performance. While PAC significantly reduced effluent ammonia nitrogen concentration, it concurrently increased the effluent total nitrogen concentration. Furthermore, PAC greatly enhanced sludge sedimentation, maintaining the sludge volume index and sludge volume within stable ranges of 80-100 mL/g and 40%-50%, respectively, over an extended period.
Last Update:
2026-03-01