Causes for Variable Phosphorus Needs in Pulp and Paper Activated Sludge Systems, 1999 Environmental Conference Proceedings
Michael G. Richard
Colorado State University
The Sear-Brown Group
Effluent phosphorus limits have become common for pulp and paper activated sludge systems in the US and Canada. Meeting effluent phosphorus limits has been a problem for some of these systems. Filamentous and polysaccharide sludge bulking have occurred in systems attempting to meet effluent phosphorus limits, due to too little phosphorus for good sludge biology. The required phosphorus for good sludge quality is not a constant, rather is a variable dependent on a number of factors. This paper discusses the most significant of these factors: system sludge age, systemtemperature, wastewater composition, treatment system configuration, and wastewater chemistry.