Abstract

SANCHEZ ORTIZ, IVÁN ANDRÉS et al. Treatment of domestic sewage with high rate algal ponds, evaluation of startup with two percentages of inoculation. Ing. Desarro. [online]. 2024, vol.42, n.1, pp.1-.  Epub Apr 17, 2024. ISSN 0122-3461.  https://doi.org/10.14482/inde.42.01.001.414.

The main objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of two percentages of inoculum used for the startup of high rate algal ponds (HRAP) in the postreatment of effluent of septic tank. The HRAP1 and HRAP2 were inoculated by the substitution of 3.25 % and 6.50 % of the effective volume with liquid from a HRAP operated with a hydraulic retention time of eight days. During seven consecutive days the variables organic nitrogen (ON), total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), total phosphorous (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and chlorophyll-α were measured; the phytoplankton was quantified and characterized. The chlorophyll-a concentrations in the HRAP1 varied between 451.2 and 1,802.2 μg/L and in the HRAP2 between 339.1 and 2,194.7 μg/L, the final densities of phytoplankton were respectively of 683,200 and 5'535,130 organisms/mL, with presence of individuals of the Chlorophyceae, Cryptophyceae and Euglenophyceae classes in the two ponds. The calculated removal efficiencies for the HRAP1 and HRAP2 were respectively: 37.1 and 51.6 % for ON; 89.6 and 97.3 % for TAN; 30.4 and 30.3 % for TP; -1.3 and -53.2 % for COD; 1495 and 2398 Log units for E. coli. The inoculation promoted the rapid growth of the phytoplankton communities, with best results for nitrogen removal and E. coli inactivation due the use of higher amounts of inoculum.

Keywords : effluent; inoculation; pollutant removal; septic tank; waste stabilization ponds; wastewater treatment.

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