Marco De Sanctis

This study compared the effectiveness of the Sequencing Batch Biofilter Granular Reactor (SBBGR) plant with and without the integration of ozone (BIO-CHEM process) in the remediation of medium-aged landfill leachate. Special attention is given to the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as a group of bioaccumulative and persistent pollutants. The findings highlight the high SBBGR performance under biological process only for key wastewater contaminants, with 82% for chemical oxygen demand (COD), 86% for total nitrogen, and 98% for ammonia. Moderate removal was observed for total (TSS) and volatile (VSS) suspended solids (41% and 44%, respectively), while phosphorus and colour removal remained limited. Remarkably, the SBBGR process achieved complete removal of long-chain PFAS, while its performance declined for shorter-chain PFAS. BIO-CHEM process significantly improved COD (87.7%), TSS (84.6%), VSS (86.7%), and colour (92–96%) removal. Conversely, ozonation led to an unexpected increase in the concentrations of several PFAS in the effluent, suggesting ozone-induced desorption from the biomass. SBBGR treatment was characterised by a low specific sludge production (SSP) value, i.e., 5–6 times less than that of conventional biological processes. SSP was further reduced during the application of the BIO-CHEM process. A key finding of this study is a critical challenge for PFAS removal in this combined treatment approach, different from other ozone-based methods.

Two advanced biological solutions for sludge minimization in wastewater treatment are tested. The first solution, particularly suitable for new installations, is based on the application of the sequential batch biofilter granular reactor (SBBGR). The second one, mostly appropriate for existing plants, is the alternate cycles process applied in the sludge line (ACSL) of conventional activated sludge systems. The results of treating raw municipal wastewater show that the SBBGR system is able to reduce the quantity of sludge up to 80%. Furthermore, the produced excess sludge requires no longer stabilization compared with the usual aerobic/anaerobic one. As regards the ACSL process, the results obtained in the full scale have shown an observed sludge yield reduction up to 54% with an increase in the specific oxygen uptake rate up to 20 mgO₂/gVSS/h. Finally, applying the ACSL process low specific consumption of energy is required.