Evaluation of moving-bed biofilm sequencing batch reactor (MBSBR) in operating A<Superscript>2</Superscript>O process with emphasis on biological removal of nutrients existing in wastewater

In this study, the performance of moving-bed biofilm sequencing batch reactor in operating the anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A²O) process for treatment of wastewaters containing nitrogen and phosphorous was evaluated. For this purpose, a pilot system with two bench-scale sequencing batch reactors with a total volume of 30 L and functional volume of 10 L was used. The installation was elaborated using plexiglass, in which 60% of the functional volume consisted of PVC suspended carriers (Kaldnes K3) with a specific surface area of 560 m²/m³. The independent variables used in this study were hydraulic retention time (HRT) (1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, and 3.5 h) and the initial organic load (300, 500, 800, 1000 mg O₂/L). The results showed impressive performance in the case of an initial organic load of 300 mg O₂/L and HRT of 3 h with maximum removal of COD and TN, respectively, by 95.1 and 89.8%. In the case of an initial organic load of 1000 mg O₂/L and HRT of 3.5 h, the maximum total phosphorus removal was 72.3%. Therefore, according to the analysis of data obtained by different HRTs, it was revealed that the system of A²O has greater efficiency in removing organic matter from wastewater in the shortest possible time.     

Simultaneous biological organic matter and nutrient removal in an anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A<Superscript>2</Superscript>O) moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) integrated system

In the present study, the performance of three moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) has been evaluated in series with anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A²O) units for simultaneous removal of organic matter and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) from a synthetic wastewater with characteristics similar to those of a typical municipal wastewater. Response surface methodology based on central composite design was used to investigate the effects of nitrate recycle ratio, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) on the organic and nutrient removal and optimization process. The optimized values of influent COD, HRT, and R were 462 mg/L, 10 h, and 3.52, respectively. The predicted and observed values at optimized conditions were 92.8% and 93 ± 1.3%, 84.3% and 84 ± 1.3%, 71.7% and 68 ± 1.6% for COD, TN, and TP removals and 100 and 97 ± 1.2 mL/g for sludge volume index, respectively. After that, the influent COD, TN, and TP were increased to 550, 48, and 12 mg/L, respectively, to partly simulate the organics and nutrient variations of real wastewater treatment plants. The COD, TN, and TP removals were 91 ± 1.3, 82 ± 1.1, and 71 ± 0.8%, respectively. The influent COD, TN, and TP were increased again to 650, 56, and 14 mg/L, respectively. After this phase, the COD, TN, and TP removals were 90 ± 0.8, 80 ± 1.2, and 70 ± 1.0%, respectively. Obtained results indicated the good stability of the optimized system and the ability of MBBRs to remain stable at influent organics and nutrient variations. The ratio of attached volatile solids to mixed liquor volatile suspended solids was 1.90 ± 0.10, 2.07 ± 0.09, and 2.25 ± 0.14 in phases 1, 2, and 3, respectively. These high ratios indicate that the microorganisms had favored the attached growth to the suspended growth within the whole operation time.     

Continuous process study on simultaneous nitrification–denitrification of high ammoniacal nitrogen load wastewater in aerobic–anoxic sequencing bioreactors

The study focused on the feasibility of high NH₄ ⁺–N (400–600 mg/L) and COD load at two different hydraulic retention times (HRTs = 36 and 24 h) in two identical aerobic–anoxic sequencing bioreactors which were constructed in series in a single system using a specifically designed single biomass containing autotrophic nitrifying and heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria. Internal recirculation of synthetic wastewater from one tank to other was not carried out like the conventional aerobic–anoxic processes. Cycles of 15 days under sequences of aerated and non-aerated periods of three hour each were repeated during each continuous flow experiment conducted. Sodium bicarbonate and sodium acetate were selected as the appropriate inorganic and organic carbon sources. The results showed that the HRT may not affect the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification processes. Average nitrification ratio was obtained to be above 20 mg/L NH₄ ⁺–N/h daily. Results of 90 days’ operation also showed high removal efficiencies of ammoniacal nitrogen of about 83% daily. The main advantage of this process includes efficient ammoniacal nitrogen removal without separated aerobic and anoxic tanks, decrease operating costs due to the lesser oxygen concentration requirement in the bioreactors.     

Effects of co-substrate on biogas production from cattle manure: a review

This literature review surveys the previous and current researches on the co-digestion of anaerobic processes and examines the synergies effect of co-digestion with cattle manure. Furthermore, this review also pays attention to different operational conditions like operating temperature, organic loading rate (OLR), hydraulic retention time (HRT), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and volatile solid (VS) removal efficiency and biogas or methane production. This review shows that anaerobic mono-digestion of cattle manure usually causing poor performance and stability. Anaerobic studies were generally performed under mesophilic conditions maintained between 35 and 37 °C. Organic waste loading rate generally ranges from 1 to 6 g VS–COD L^?1 day^?1 stable condition in anaerobic digester. Generally, studies show that HRT for co-digestion of fruit–vegetables waste and industrial organic waste appears to exceed 20 days. However, the anaerobic co-digestion process is generally operated at HRT of between 10 and 20 days. VS and COD removal efficiency usually reaches up to 90 % due to co-digestion with different type organic waste. Methane–biogas production is generally obtained between 0.1 and 0.65 L CH₄–biogas g^?1 VS.     

Modeling and simulation of hybrid anaerobic/aerobic wastewater treatment system

Modeling and simulation using GPS-X software for a packed bed up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket followed by a biological aerated filter were studied. Both treatment units were packed with a non-woven polyester fabric as a bio-bed. The system was operated at a hydraulic and organic loading rate of 9.65 m³/m²/d and 2.64 kg BOD₅/m³/day. Verification of the experimental results and calibration of the model were carried out prior simulation and modeling. Variables under consideration were HLR, OLR, and surface area of the packing material. HLR and OLR are increased incrementally until the break through point has been achieved. The results obtained from modeling indicated that the treatment system has great potential to be used as an ideal and efficient option for high hydraulic and organic loading rates up to 19.29 m³/m²/d and 4.48 kg BOD₅/m³/day. The model indicated that increasing the input HLR and OLR loads to the treatment system up to 50 % of the original values achieved removal efficiencies 98 % for TSS, 88 % for BOD₅, and 85 % for COD. Moreover, increasing the HLR to four times the original value (38.59 m³/m²/d) reduced the efficiency of the treatment system to 50 % for COD and BOD₅. However, the removal rates of TSS, TKN, and TP were not affected. Also, the modeling results indicated that increasing the surface area of the packing material increased the overall efficiency of the treatment system.     

Is filter packing important in a small-scale vermifiltration process of urban wastewater?

Nowadays, natural resources are under increasing stress which fosters wastewater reuse planning and emphasizes on the decentralized wastewater treatment. Vermifiltration has been described as a viable alternative to treat domestic and urban wastewater, but few studies have focused on the impact of different filter packings on vermifiltration performance. This study evaluates the effect of vermicompost and sawdust in a single-stage vermifilter (VF) for urban wastewater treatment. After an acclimation period of 45 days, urban wastewater from a combined sewage collection system was applied continuously for 24 h. Earthworm stock density was of 20 g L^?1, HRT of 6 h, HLR of 0.89 m³ m^?2 day^?1 and OLR of 7.38 g BOD₅ day^?1. System performance was assessed by the removal efficiencies of BOD₅, COD, TSS, NH₄ ⁺, TN and TP, and fecal coliforms and helminth eggs elimination. Vermicompost (VE) and sawdust (SE) were tested, using an earthworm abundance of 20 g L^?1. Treatment efficiencies were 91.3% for BOD₅, 87.6% for COD, 98.4% for TSS and 76.5% for NH₄ ⁺ in VE, and 90.5% for BOD₅, 79.7% for COD, 98.4% for TSS and 63.4% for NH₄ ⁺ in SE. Earthworms contributed to reduce NH₄ ⁺ and TN removal and to increase NO₃ ^? concentration. No treatment was able to eliminate fecal coliforms down to guidelines values for wastewater irrigation as helminth eggs were completely eliminated. Single-stage vermifiltration system using both filter packings is inconsistent and cannot meet EU guideline values for discharge in sensitive water bodies and WHO guidelines for irrigation with treated wastewater.     

Modelling of moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) efficiency on hospital wastewater (HW) treatment: a comprehensive analysis on BOD and COD removal

Performance of moving bed biofilm reactor system for a real hospital wastewater (HW) was experimented, modelled, and optimized using response surface methodology. Prior to conducting laboratory tests, design of the experiments was evaluated to minimize any prediction error. Statistical analyses demonstrated the models’ validity and adequacy for anticipation of the removal of BOD and COD by the process. The models predictions (with desirability of 0.98) were found to be in very good agreement with confirmative experiments results. The results indicated that under convenient operating conditions of the studied variables (packing rate 70%, HRT 24 h, and MLSS 3000 mg/L), the removal efficiencies for BOD and COD were 97.8 and 95.6%, respectively. Moreover, kinetics of the biological process showed that removal of organic matters for the tested wastewater adheres to modified Stover–Kincannon model with a correlation coefficient of 0.998. Ratio of BOD to COD of 0.6 (optimal range for biological treatment normally is >0.5) suggests acceptable efficiency of the reactor for decomposing organic load. A high overall efficiency of the process and fulfilling the related standards make this system an appropriate option for treating HDW.     

Simultaneous sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim removal and biofilm growth characteristics in attached growth bioreactor

Antibiotic contamination of aqueous environment due to pharmaceutical sewage may lead to development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria strain. In this research, elimination of antibiotics from synthetic wastewater was investigated. For this purpose, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim were treated by a pilot scale of net-like rotating biological contactor with three compartments, 48 plastic discs with total volume of 78.75 L. This system was continuously operated for about one year at various organic loading rates with different antibiotic dosages. The obtained results indicated that by increasing hydraulic retention time, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was gradually increased. The optimal hydraulic retention time for desired rate of COD removal was 36 h. In addition, the effect of hydraulic retention time, organic load rate and sulfamethoxazole concentration in the removal of sulfamethoxazole and organic matter was assessed. Moreover, the results demonstrated that with increasing in organic load rate, sulfamethoxazole elimination was enhanced. In the next step, simultaneous removal of both antibiotics for constant inlet COD concentration of 8000 mg/L at optimum hydraulic retention time was analysed. The results showed that trimethoprim removal efficiency was approximately 100%, even at high concentration of trimethoprim (50 mg/L). For observation of dominant microorganism, samples of the developed biofilm on rotating biological contactor discs were scanned by scanning electron microscopy. In the first compartment where biomass was exposed to highest concentration of antibiotics, fungus strains were the dominant organism. In the second and third compartment antibiotic-resistant bacteria were the dominant attached living organisms.     

Tunisian landfill leachate treatment using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella</Emphasis> sp.: effective factors and microalgae strain performance

The potential of the autoclaved Tunisian landfill leachate treatment using microalgae (Chlorella sp.) cultivation was investigated in this study. Landfill leachate was collected from Borj Chakir landfill, Tunisia. A full factorial experimental design 2² was proposed to study the effects of the incubation time and leachate ratio factors on the organic matter removal expressed in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₄─N) and on the biological response of Chlorella sp. expressed by the cell density and chlorophyll content. All experiments were batch runs at ambient temperature (25 ± 2 °C). The Chlorella sp. biomass and chlorophyll a concentrations of 1.2 and 5.32 mg L^?1, respectively, were obtained with 10% leachate spike ratio. The obtained results showed that up to 90% of the ammoniacal nitrogen in landfill leachate was removed in 10% leachate ratio spiked medium with a residual concentration of 40 mg L^?1. The maximum COD removal rate reached 60% within 13 days of incubation time indicating that microalgae consortium was quite effective for treating landfill leachate organic contaminants. Furthermore, with the 10% leachate ratio spiked medium, the maximum lipid productivity was 4.74 mg L^?1 d^?1. The present study provides valuable information for potential adaptation of microalgae culture and its contribution for the treatment of Tunisian landfill leachate.     

Comparative performance evaluation of physicochemical treatment processes for simulated dairy wastewater

In the present study, the effectiveness of physicochemical treatment processes (coagulation and Fenton’s oxidation) was investigated for simulated dairy wastewater (pH = 7.3, chemical oxygen demand (COD) = 3600 mg/l, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅) = 1950 mg/l, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) = 87 mg/l, and total phosphorous (TP) = 14 mg/l). Plain and ballasted coagulation runs were carried out in a jar apparatus, while Fenton’s oxidation was performed in a three-neck glass reactor. Ballasted coagulation caused an enhancement in the settling rate of sludge though no significant enhancement in the removal of organics was observed. Individually, coagulation and Fenton’s oxidation processes resulted in ~67 and 80 % COD removals, respectively, from the wastewater. The sequential treatment exploring coagulation followed by Fenton’s oxidation showed overall COD, BOD₅, TKN, and TP reductions of ~93, 97, 84, and 70 %, respectively, from the wastewater. However, a biological post-treatment would be required to achieve the effluent discharge standards. The removal of proteins, fats, and amino acids from wastewater was confirmed from Fourier transform infrared analysis of the settled sludge (obtained after coagulation process). Preliminary cost analysis suggested coagulation and the sequential treatment (i.e. coagulation followed by Fenton’s oxidation) as the preferred options.     

Comparison of Fenton,ultraviolet–Fenton and ultrasonic–Fenton processes on organics and colour removal from pre-treated natural gas produced water

Produced water (PW) from natural gas field, characterized with high organic contents, has brought high environmental concerns world widely. Fenton and enhanced Fenton technologies were considered as the potential methods to degrade the organic contaminates in the PW, but with very limited data or reference. Here, we examined the optimum conditions of Fenton on organics and colour removal from natural gas PW after coagulation pre-treatment. Simultaneously, the optimal Fenton process integrated with ultraviolet (UV) and ultrasonic (US) irradiation were applied to enhance pollutants removal efficiencies. The optimal Fenton conditions were found at 60 min with molar ratios of 6:1 and 25:1 for H₂O₂/COD and H₂O₂/Fe²⁺, respectively and the initial pH of 3. Among these the three treatment processes, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon, 5-day biological oxygen demand (BOD₅), and colour removal efficiencies were highest during UV–Fenton (82, 73, 68, and 95%,) followed by US–Fenton (79, 70, 66, and 95%) and Fenton treatment (70, 58, 51, and 92%), respectively. High biodegradability (BOD₅/COD) was also observed after UV–Fenton process (0.76) than the others (both 0.73). The current study showed a satisfactory carbon and colour removal efficiencies from PW using different Fenton processes; however, there still is a need for final polishing such as biological treatment or low cost constructed wetland before discharge. This study can be a good reference for engineering application PW treatment.     

Assessment of bacterial biomass in the highly contaminated urban Nanming River,Guiyang, SW China

High anthropogenic N loads and abundant bacteria are characteristic of highly contaminated urban rivers. To better understand the dispersal and accumulation of bacteria, we determined contents and isotopic compositions of suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) and bacteria in a highly contaminated urban river (the Nanming) and effluents in winter and summer of 2013. Relative to SPOM, bacterial biomass in the river was depleted in ¹³C and ¹⁵N and its C/N ratio was lower (δ¹³C: ? 33.2‰ ± 3.1‰; δ¹⁵N: ? 1.5‰ ± 1.2‰; C/N: 4.8 ± 0.6), while effluents showed higher ¹³C and ¹⁵N contents and C/N ratios (δ¹³C: ? 25‰ ± 2.1‰; δ¹⁵N: + 8.5‰ ± 1.1‰; C/N: 8.1 ± 1.2). Source recognition of SPOM was based on carbon isotopes because they are conservative and distinct between end-members (effluent detritus and bacterial biomass). Using a mixing model, bacterial biomass in the river was calculated to account for < 20% and < 56% of bulk suspended particulate organic nitrogen in winter and summer, respectively. An N budget showed that bacterial N was a small proportion of total nitrogen (< 7.4%) in the riverwater.     

Mechanism of efficient nutrient removal and microbial analysis of a combined anaerobic baffled reactor–membrane bioreactor process

A combined ABR–MBR process consisting of an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) combined with an aerobic membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating municipal wastewater was investigated at controlled pH range 6.5–8.5 and at constant temperature 25 ± 1 °C. Total nitrogen (TN), ammonia (NH₄ ⁺–N), total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal performances were evaluated by analyzing the mechanism for efficient nutrient removal. The results showed that the average removal rates of COD, NH₄ ⁺–N, TN, and TP reached 93, 99, 79, and 92 %, respectively, corresponding with the COD, NH₄ ⁺–N, TN, and TP effluent of 24 (18–31), 0.4 (0–0.8), 10.6 (8.8–12.9), and 0.31 (0.1–0.5) mg/L under the operational condition of hydraulic retention time (HRT) 7.5 h, recycle ratio 200 %, and dissolved oxygen 3 mg/L. The MBR enhanced NH₄ ⁺–N, TN, and TP removal rates of 13, 10, and 18 %, respectively, and the membrane retention reduced TP 0.17 mg/L. The process was able to maintain a stable performance with high-quality effluent. Analysis of the results by fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, and phosphorus accumulating organisms as percentages of all bacteria in each compartment was stable. The enriched microorganisms in the system appear to be the main drivers of the process efficient for nutrient removal.     

Applicability of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor for typical sewage of a small community: its biomass reactivation after shutdown

In this study, the characteristics of sewage of small community were determined for 6 months to ascertain the type of treatment required in subtropical conditions. The results demarcated sewage of this community as a medium-strength wastewater (chemical oxygen demand: 475 mg/L, biochemical oxygen demand: 240 mg/L and total suspended solids: 434 mg/L). Chemical oxygen demand to sulphate ratio of the sewage (11.6) established that it was amenable to anaerobic digestion. The temperature, strength, biodegradability and components of sewage were suitable for anaerobic digestion, and thus, upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) was selected for its treatment. These reactors are often shutdown in small communities due to environmental and/or socio-economic factors. The ability of two UASB reactors, seeded with cow dung (UASB_CD) and activated sludge of a dairy treatment plant (UASB_ASDIT) to restart after a long idle period of 12 months, was investigated along with sludge analysis by scanning electron microscope. Biomass in both reactors reactivated rapidly after shutdown period and within 30 days after substrate feeding achieved uniform removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, chloride and oil and grease. Chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency of both reactors became uniform and remained close to 80% after 30 days through reactivation of microbes in sludge bed due to adequate food and temperature conditions. During restart-up, at an average organic loading rate of 0.902 kg COD/m³ per day, methane yields of 0.091 and 0.084 m³/kg COD removed were achieved for UASB_CD and UASB_ASDIT reactors, respectively.     

Removal of bisphenol A (BPA) from biologically treated wastewater by microfiltration and nanofiltration

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor that is difficult to completely remove from wastewater by conventional biological methods. Increased post-treatment BPA removal with ceramic membranes is worth investigating because of these membranes’ mechanical and chemical stability and lifespan. To determine the effectiveness of ceramic membranes for post-treatment of biologically treated BPA-contaminated wastewater, microfiltration (MF) and nanofiltration (NF) were conducted. Both processes removed BPA completely at an initial BPA concentration of 0.3 ± 0.14 mg/L. Increased concentration of 0.7 ± 0.29 mg/L decreased BPA removal. MF removed at least 24 % of BPA, presumably because BPA was adsorbed on particulate matter, which was retained by the membrane, or adsorbed on its surface. NF removed up to thrice more BPA. MF and NF completely removed suspended solids and 40–60 % COD. Filtration capacity decreased with time due to fouling but did not depend on initial BPA concentration. BPA concentrations in municipal wastewater are typically lower than the lowest concentration tested, where MF completely removed BPA. Hence, MF ceramic membranes appear a promising solution for post-treatment of BPA-containing wastewater. MF can be used at a much lower transmembrane pressure than NF, requiring less energy to pump wastewater through the membrane, thus reducing costs.     

Photocatalytic activity evaluation of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles based on COD analyses for water treatment applications: a standardization attempt

Evaluation of the photocatalytic activities of TiO₂ nanomaterials based on the chemical oxygen demand (COD) analyses under identical experimental conditions was not previously reported. In this work, COD has been selected as an adequate industrial water quality measure toward the establishment of a representative standard test method. The initial COD values of six organic pollutants representing dye, surfactants, phenols and alcohol were set at 30 ± 2 mg/L. Ten of different commercial and synthesized TiO₂ samples representing anatase, rutile and mixed phases were used and characterized. The data of photocatalytic processes were compared to that obtained using the commonly widespread Degussa-P25 TiO₂ (TD). The COD of all pollutants was completely removed by TD at UV exposure dose ≤9.36 mWh/cm². Consequently, the maximum irradiation dose was set at this value in all experiments. The percentages of COD removal as well as the values of the accumulated UV doses required for complete removal of pollutants were measured using the different TiO₂ samples. TiO₂ samples show different performance abilities toward the various pollutants compared to TD. Based on the obtained data, TiO₂ photocatalysts were divided into two categories according to the hydroxyl radical formation rates. Comparison with previous studies reveals that the photocatalytic efficiency evaluation depends on the method of measurement. COD is recommended to be used as an adequate technique of analysis that meets the purpose of water treatment applications.     

Improvement on the treatment of thick oil sewage by using integrated biochemical treatment technology

Sewage treatment station in oilfield needs a new process to meet the desired requirements. A new process was proposed to meet the discharge standards, which consisted of the following sub-processes: electrochemical treatment → coagulation treatment → integrated biochemical treatment of moving bed biofilm reactor and membrane bio-reactor → combined treatment process of macroporous adsorption resin. Electrochemical treatment included 5 electrolytic cells, total volume of which was 10 L. The PFS was chosen as the coagulants in the coagulation treatment, and the removal rate of COD could reach 66% when the dosage of PFS was 500 mg/L. The biochemical treatment consisted of anoxic tank, aerobic tank and membrane zone, and the removal rate of COD was about 55–70% when HRT was 12 h. SD300 resin was chosen as the best adsorbent in the treatment using macroporous adsorption resin. In addition, the effluent COD after coagulation treatment process becomes about 180 mg/L, the effluent COD after biological treatment becomes about 50 mg/L, and the last effluent COD with the macroporous adsorption resin becomes about 20 mg/L. The three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum was used to analyze the differences in types of organic matters in water samples between the raw water and the treated one. The results demonstrated that the new process meets the needs of wastewater treatment.     

Variations in Concentrations and Fluxes of Dimethylsulfide (DMS) from the Indian Estuaries

In order to examine the variations in concentrations of dimethylsulfide (DMS) and its fluxes to the atmosphere, 25 major and medium estuaries from Indian subcontinent were sampled during wet and dry periods. River discharge brought substantial amount of nutrients and suspended particulate matter (SPM) to the Indian estuaries; however, the concentration of phytoplankton biomass was severely limited by latter due to shallowing of photic depth. Bacillariophyceae was the dominant phytoplankton group in the Indian estuaries followed by green algae, Cyanophyceae, and Dinophyceae. Relatively higher concentrations of DMS were observed in the estuaries located along the east (3.6 ± 5.7 nM) than the west coast of India (0.8 ± 0.3 nM) during wet period whereas no significant differences were observed during dry period. The concentrations of DMS were significantly lower during wet than dry period and it was consistent with the phytoplankton biomass. The slope of the relation between DMS and phytoplankton biomass displayed a significant spatial variation due to contribution of different groups of phytoplankton in the Indian estuaries. The concentrations of DMS in the Indian estuaries were higher than other estuaries in the world except some Chinese estuaries. The annual mean flux (1.95 ± 2.5 μmol m^?2 day^?1) from the Indian estuaries is lower than that of other estuaries in the world, except Pearl River estuary due to inhibition of phytoplankton growth by suspended load and low flushing rates.     

Distribution of biochemical constituents in the surface sediments of western coastal Bay of Bengal: influence of river discharge and water column properties

Biochemical composition of surface sediment samples from off major and minor rivers along the east coast of India revealed that spatial distribution of sediment organic carbon (SOC) composition was mainly governed by differential characteristics of discharged water and associated biogeochemical processes in the water column. The northwest (NW) region of coastal Bay of Bengal was influenced by discharges from Ganges river while peninsular (monsoonal) rivers influenced the southwest (SW) region. The NW region characterized by low nutrients suspended particulate matter (SPM), high phytoplankton biomass in the water column and high SOC while contrasting to that observed in the SW region. The isotopic ratios of SOC (?22 ‰) in the NW region were close to that of organic matter derived from phytoplankton (?23 ‰) suggesting in situ production is the major source whereas terrigeneous source contributed significantly in the SW region (?19.6 ‰). Though low in situ biological production in the SW region, relatively higher total carbohydrates (TCHO) were found than in the NW and insignificant difference of total and free amino acid concentrations between NW and SW were resulted from faster removal of organic matter to the sediment in association with SPM in the SW region. Higher proteins concentrations than total amino acids indicate that nitrogenous organic matter is preserved in the former form. The protein to TCHO ratio was lower in the SW suggesting significant contribution of aged and non-living organic matter in this region.