Soil Science and Plant Nutrition

ISSN: 0038-0768 (Print) 1747-0765 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tssp20

Effect of organic components and aeration

regimes on the efficiency of a multi-soil-layering
system for domestic wastewater treatment
Suphakarn Luanmanee , Pinpetch Boonsook , Tasnee Attanandana &
Toshiyuki Wakatsuki
To cite this article: Suphakarn Luanmanee , Pinpetch Boonsook , Tasnee Attanandana
& Toshiyuki Wakatsuki (2002) Effect of organic components and aeration regimes on the
efficiency of a multi-soil-layering system for domestic wastewater treatment, Soil Science and
Plant Nutrition, 48:2, 125-134, DOI: 10.1080/00380768.2002.10409182
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00380768.2002.10409182

Published online: 22 Nov 2011.

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125

Soil Sci. Plant Nut}:, 48 (2), 125 -134. 2002

Effect of Organic Components and Aeration Regimes on the

Efficiency of a Multi-Soil-Layering System for Domestic
Wastewater Treatment
Suphakam Luanmanee, Pinpetch Boonsook*,

TasneeAttanandana~:,l,

and Toshiyuki Wakatsuki**

Division of Soil Science. Department of Agriculture, *Department of Soil Science. Kasetsart University. Bangkok.
10900 Thailand; and **Faculty of Life and EnvilV111nentai Science, Shil1lane University, Matslle. 690-8504 Japan
Received February 7, 2001; accepted in revised form November 28,2001

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Multi-soil-Iayering (MSL) system can be applied to wastewater treatment. The component

of an MSL system can be varied as a function of site-specific availability of materials. This
study investigates the comparative efficiency of five MSL systems as a function of alternative organic materials (Japanese sawdust, Thai sawdust, rice straw, kenaf, and corncob).
The MSL systems were set up in 15 X 50 X 100 cm boxes consisting of "soil mixture blocks"
alternated with a zeolite layer. The February-May 1999 results indicated that all the MSL
systems under a non-aeration regime effectively reduced the biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD 5 ) and removed soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) with percentages ranging from
88.0-99.8 and 92.5-100, respectively. From January to September 2000 when an on-off aeration regime was adopted, the MSL treatments comprising rice straw, kenaf, and corncob
continued to effectively reduce BOD 5 and remove SRP. On the other hand, the efficiency of
Japanese sawdust and Thai sawdust MSL treatments in reducing BOD5 and removing SRP
gradually decreased. Fine particles and slowly decomposable characteristics of Thai sawdust and Japanese sawdust induced compaction and subsequent clogging. Therefore, rice
straw, kenaf, and corncob were found to be more appropriate than Thai sawdust and Japanese sawdust for use as components of the MSL systems. Aeration at a rate of 64,000 L
m- 3 d- 1 for 1 week enhanced BOD5 reduction and SRP removal, especially, when clogging was
observed. However, aeration at this rate reduced the TN removal efficiency of the MSL system due to the inhibition of denitrification, excessive nitrification as well as the discharge
of stored NH4 + -N.

Key Words: domestic wastewater, multi-soil-Iayering system, organic component, treatment, zeolite.

Soil is not only important as a medium for crop production. but it is also used for the disposal of wastes and
wastewater. Soil acts as a "living filter," removing all
chemical contaminants present in domestic wastewater.
The "living filter" theory is based partially on the biodegradation and chemical degradation that occur in soilbased systems. Furthermore, soil may have a significant
capacity to sorb dissolved solutes present in wastewater.
In addition, certain types of chemical transformations,
such as precipitation, may occur in these systems (Lee
1976). The most serious problem when using soil as a
"natural" filter for wastewater treatment is "clogging"
which results in a low loading capacity.
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: agrtna
@nontri.ku.ac.th

The multi-sail-layering (MSL) system enhances soil's

inherent wastewater treatment capability (Wakatsuki et
al. 1993). The MSL system generally consists of a mixture of soil, organic materials, and iron particles. The
soil mixture is filled in a concrete box as blocks thus
forming a brick-layer-like pattern, which is designed to
reduce "clogging" within the MSL system and enhances
infiltration and distribution of wastewater.
The efficiency of the MSL system in nitrogen removal
via the denitrification process can be limited by an
insufficient amount of organic carbon (Isaacs and Henze
1994; Van Oostrom and Russell 1994; Ingersoll and
Baker 1998; Meinhold et al. 1998). Therefore, an organic material is incorporated with the soil in the MSL system resulting in the enhancement of the denitrification
process (Wakatsuki et al. 1993). The carbon source for

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126

S. LUANMANEE et al.

denitlifying microorganisms is derived from either organic matter in wastewater or the added organic material
in the MSL system. The addition of the organic material
extends the effective life of the MSL system to purify
wastewater. Wakatsuki et al. (1993) estimated that jute
00% by weight) incorporated into the soil mixture
blocks during the MSL construction would have an
effective life of 12.8 years for enhancing nitrogen removal. Nonetheless, the effective life of the MSL system varies depending on the kind of material used and
the operating conditions. Aerobic / anaerobic conditions
in the MSL system are also an important factor for
nitrogen removal (Wakatsuki et al. 1993; Masunaga and
Wakatsuki 1999; Attanandana et al. 2000; Wakatsuki et
al. 2000). This study was therefore carried out to identify an appropriate organic component and aeration
regime for the MSL system adopted in Thailand.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The five MSL systems evaluated in this study were
constructed in 1997. The organic materials (Japanese
sawdust, Thai sawdust, rice straw, kenaf, and corncob)
were individually mixed with sandy clay soil taken from
the area adjacent to Kasetsart University's cafeteria
complex I and iron scraps at a ratio of 1 : 6 : I based on
dry weight, respectively. The soil used in this study is a
sandy clay with a pH (I : 1 HP) value of 7.2, organic
matter content of 20 g kg-I and available P (Bray II-P)
value of 58 mg kg-I. Five soil mixtures were placed in
the 15 X 50 X 100 cm acrylic boxes as 14.5 X 15 X 4.6
cm blocks, thus forming a brick-layer-like pattern (Fig.
1). The top of each soil mixture block was covered with
a 1.6-cm charcoal powder layer.
The void spaces between vertically and horizontally
adjacent soil mixture blocks were filled with zeolite
spheres (0.1 - 0.3 cm in diameter), which showed a cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 101.0 cmole kg-I. The
diameter of Japanese sawdust and Thai sawdust was less
than 0.2 cm. In comparison, the diameter of the corncob
powder was less than 0.05 cm. Kenaf stem and rice
straw were chopped into 1-2 cm long sections. J apanese sawdust, Thai sawdust, rice straw, kenaf, and corncob showed a total carbon content of 493.5, 510.7,
391.7,472.9, and 410.5 g kg-I and total nitrogen content
of 0.9, 1.5, 8.7, 3.3, and 6.0 g kg-I, respectively (measured with Sumigraph NC80 Analyzer, Model NC-H,
Sumitomo Chemical, Tokyo). These values corresponded to the carbon to nitrogen ratios of 548 : 1, 340: 1,
45 : 1, 143 : 1, and 68 : 1, respectively.
The efficiency of the MSL systems was evaluated
through the application of combined toilet and cafeteria
wastewater from Kasetsart University cafeteria complex

I. The combined wastewater was initially pre-treated by

using screen and sedimentation tanks to decrease the

amount of fat and large solids. However, the pre-treated
wastewater still contained fat and large solids at levels
inappropriate for pumping to the MSL system due to the
low capacity of the pumps. If wastewater contains high
levels of fat and large solids, the pumps become clogged
rapidly. Therefore, four settlement tanks were set up as a
second pretreatment device to improve the quality of
wastewater before being discharged into the'MSL systems. Nonetheless, the pre-treated wastewater from the
last settlement tank still contained high levels of BODs,
COD, total nitrogen, organic nitrogen, ammonium, and
soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) (Table 1).
During February-May 1999, the MSL systems were
operated without aeration. The wastewater was discharged periodically to the MSL systems (150, 270, or
540 mL for 1 min at 30 min intervals), corresponding to
hydraulic loading rates of 96, 173, or 346 L m- 2 d-l, respectively. Figure 2a shows that at the beginning of the
experiment, all the MSL systems received a wastewater
load of 96 L m- 2 d- I . Since clogging did not occur, during February 22-March 28, 1999, the wastewater load
increased to 173 L m- 2 d- I . At this loading rate, most of

Automatic pump

~50em--+

r\i.lA ~::;~:~:y"
I _

2cmthick

._- -

100 IUD!..iI
c:=:J
em . , . Charcoal.layer
1.6 cm thIck

mma ma iI

mimi m iii Soil mixture block

J.,.E.~~~~j?

Drainage pipe

14.5xI5.0x4.6 cm

fill

Fig. 1. Structure and components of the multi-soil-layering

systems for domestic wastewater treatment in combination with
settlement tanks.

127

Effect of Organic Components on Efficiency of an MSL System

Table 1. Quality of wastewater from the last settlement

tank before treatment through the MSL systems.
Parameter

February-May
1999 (n = 7)

January -September
2000 (n = 10)

pH
Eh (mY)
BODo (mg O2 L -I)
TN (mgNL- 1)
Org-N (mg N L -I)
NH/-N (mg N L 1)
N0 2--N (mg N L -I)
NOJ--N (mgNL- 1)
SRP (mg P L -1)

6.70 0.16
7.10 0.17
- 2.1 25
20 82
575 191
55.6 44.8
52.0 9.1
60.1 28.8
18.8 6.5
9.511.6
33.2 9.1
49.3 21.3
N.D.
0.70 2.10
N.D.
0.45 0.57
6.3 2.3
8.6 0.7
Each value represents mean SD. N.D., not detectable.

aJ

-''0
";IE

400

--IJ-- Jpn sawdust

350

-<>- Thai sawdust

____ Rice straw

300

-.-- Kenaf
____ Corncob

250

::!.. 200
~
....l

:r:

ISO

100

so
e>-

e>-

":'

'">.
'"
~

'l:

:;;
~

~
";

o-

e>-

'"
":'

":'

0.

"'"

Downloaded by [223.255.231.149] at 05:14 20 November 2015

Sampling date

the MSL systems became clogged except for the rice

straw MSL system. Therefore, the wastewater load of
the clogged systems was reduced to 96 L m- 2 d- 1,
whereas that of the unclogged systems increased to
346 L m- 2 d- l The wastewater from the last settlement
tank and the water treated with the MSL systems were
collected every day to check the pH and Eh values. The
daily samples were combined for 2 weeks and stored at
4C. From June to December 1999 the MSL systems
were operated continuously without aeration but the efficiency of the MSL systems was not examined.
Efficiency of the MSL treatments was investigated
again from January to September 2000 dming which
time the MSL systems were operated under an intermittent aeration regime. During this period, the wastewater
from the last settlement tank was discharged to the MSL
systems at a rate of 300 rnL for 1 min at 30 min intervals, which corresponded to a hydraulic loading rate of
192 L m- 2 d- 1 Aeration was applied occasionally to the
MSL systems at a rate of 64,000 L m- 3 d- 1. During
January-June 2000, the daily samples were combined
for 2 weeks before analysis. During the June-September 2000 period, the daily samples were combined for 1
week before analysis. The pH and Eh were measured on
daily grab samples of the wastewater and the water
treated with the MSL systems.
Analytical methods. The wastewater and the
water treated with the MSL systems were analyzed for
biochemical oxygen demand (BODs) according to the
azide modification of the Winkler method (APHA
1992). Organic nitrogen (Org-N) was analyzed by digestion with H 2S04 + K2S04 . The solution obtained from
the digestion was distilled using the macro-Kjeldahl
method. Ammonium (NH<I + -N) content was analyzed
using the modified salicylate-hypochlorite method
(Baethgen and Alley 1989). Nitrite (NO} --N) content
was analyzed according to the Griess-Ilovay Diazotization method (APHA 1992). Nitrate (N0 3--N) content
was determined by the modified alpha naphthylamine-

--

b)

Corncob

Kenaf

Thai sawdust <33!33X> >

Jpn sawdust

/l:i',.f',

'"":' '"":' '"'l: '"":'

:;;
.JO

"
";

0.

2:

;>,

1 ~'"

a
a

.JO

7'" ";"

:;;
~

'Z

9;>,

0.

'"

s:

a
0

00

"i'

~ 7 1" '1"

0.

C logging period

Fig. 2. Hydraulic loading rates (HLR) and period of clogging

observed in the MSL systems during the operation period.

pink color method of Jackson (1958). Total nitrogen

(TN) content was the sum of the contents of Org-N,
NH/-N, N0 2 --N, and N0 3 --N. The content of SRP was
analyzed according to the ascorbic acid method (APHA
1992). A spectrophotometer (Spectronic 21, Spectronic
Instruments, Inc., Rochester, NY) was used for all the
colorimetric methodologies.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

1. Quality of wastewater before treatment
through the MSL systems
The combined February-May 1999 toilet and cafeteria wastewater contained a relatively high level of fat
and large solids even though it was pre-treated by
screens and settlement tanks. Consequently, the pretreated wastewater before being discharged into the
MSL systems had a high BOD) of 575 191 mgL- 1
(Table 1). During January-September 2000, the screens
and the leach-line became clogged with fat and large
solids. Therefore, the wastewater passed slowly through

128

S. LUANMANEE et al.

100
~

~
c::
.,8
u

a)

80

-------------lr- Jpn sawdust

-<>- Thai sawdust

60

--II-- Ric e s tra w

;:l

"0

c5
0

co

--IE- Kenaf
-G-Corneob

40
20
aaI

.D
n.l
~

b)

100

'-g:.
"""'

90

aa.!..
ttl

aa-I

.....

0.

<t:I
......

aa-I

Downloaded by [223.255.231.149] at 05:14 20 November 2015

0
0

0
0

;>.,
ttl

0
0
I

.D

ttl
......

~I

'"

.!..

ttl

80

70

'"....
Cl..

60

--II-- Riee straw

---A- Kenaf

50

--@--

0
0

;!..,

.....

0.

ttl

<t:

0
0

0
0

b
;:l

......

0
0

0
0

....!..

M
;:l
<t:

;:l

......
I

0
0
I

0.

'"

rfJ

-lr-Jpn sawdust

"@

0
0

0
0

'-"

:>

-<>- Thai sawdust

Corneo b

rfJ

40
aa-I

aa-I

.D

ttl

'"

c)

....
I

0.

<t:

......I

aa;!..,
ttl

~I

9
8

:r::0-

.....

aa-

7
6

5
4

0
0

0
0

0
0
I

.n

ttl
......

'"

......

....
ttl
I

0
0

;!..,

.....

0.

ttl

<t:

o
o

0
0

......

-3
......

0-

'"

rfJ

-lr-Jpn sawdust

-<>- Thai sawdust

--II-- Rice s tra w

---lir- Kenaf

--(!)-

Corncob

-)K - was tewater

)j(~~~

SK==/
115.-

..----------.

3
aa-I
.D

.!..

'"

~
I

......

d)

aattl

aa-I

.....

0.

<t:

aa;!..,
ttl

800

0
0

0
0

ttl
......
I

0
0

...ttl

.n

'"

~
I

..-;

~I

0
0

0
0
I

.....

0.

<t:

......

0
0

;!..,
ttl

0
0

~
;:l
-,

0
0

-3-,
I

0
0
I

M
;:l
<t:
......

0.

'"

rfJ

-lr-Jpn sawdust

-<>- Thai sawdust

. - Rice straw

--Ii!.- Ken af

--<1}--

Corncob

-)K - was tewater

600

~e

>
-S
.<::
~

400
200
0

)1(-)1(-)1( -)1(-)1(-)1(')1(

-200
aa-I

aa-I

.D

ttl

'"

~
I

......

....

aa.....I

0.

<t:

aa;!..,
ttl

0
0

0
0

ttl
......
I

0
0
I

.<::

'"

~
I

......
Sampling date

.....I
ttl

0
0

.....I
0.

<t:

0
0

0
0

0
0
I

;>.,
ttl

;:l

......
I

0
0

....!..

;:l
......
......
I

0
0
I

OIl
;:l

<t:

0.

'"

rfJ
I

......

Fig. 3. Efficiency of the MSL systems in the reduction of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD,) and removal of soluble reactive
phosphorus (SRP) and pH and Eh values of the MSL-treated water as affected by intermittent aeration (N, non-aeration; A, aeration
at a rate of 64,000 L m- 3 d- 1).

129

Downloaded by [223.255.231.149] at 05:14 20 November 2015

Effect of Organic Components on Efficiency of an MSL System

the clogged screens and leach-line, thus reducing the

amount of fat and suspended solids before entering the
MSL system. As a consequence, the BODs in the pretreated wastewater decreased to 55.6 44.8 mg L- 1
(Table 1).
Due to the influence of the toilet wastewater in the
combined wastewater, nitrogen occurred principally in
ammonium forms. During February-May 1999, the
contents of TN, Org-N, and NH4 + -N in the wastewater
were 52.0 9.1,18.8 6.5, and 33.2 9.1 mgNL- 1,
respectively (Table 1). Nitrite and N0 3 - -N could not be
detected (Table 1) due to the anaerobic conditions of the
wastewater with Eh values of -21 25 mV (Table 1).
Similarly, during January-September 2000, the wastewater still contained a high TN level with a mean concentration value of 60.1 28.8 mg N L -I (Table 1).
The pre-treated wastewater also contained high levels
of SRP with mean values of 6.3 2.3 mg P L -I (during
February 1999-May 1999) and 8.6 0.7 mg P L- 1 (during January-September 2000) (Table ]). This may be
partly attributed to the detergent used within the cafeteria. Discharge of this wastewater to natural drainage
without remediation, may cause eutrophication.

be the most effective treatment for the reduction of

BODs (Fig. 3a). Table 2 shows that the BODs reduction
rate by the rice straw MSL system during the period
February-May 1999 was highest at 114 g m-:! d- I because it could receive the highest loading rate compared
with the other MSL systems. Efficient BODs reduction
by the rice straw MSL system was due to the relatively
aerobic conditions of the rice straw MSL system with
Eh values ranging from 331 to 458 mV (Fig. 3d), thus
enhancing the decomposition of the adsorbed organic
matter within the system.
When the MSL systems were operated with the on-off
regulation of aeration during January-May 2000, the
rice straw, kenaf, and corncob MSL systems could reduce BODs ranging from 75.0 to 100, 85.8 to 100, and
78.6 to 100%, respectively (Fig. 3a). These were more
effective than the Thai sawdust and Japanese sawdust
MSL systems (52.5-100 and 29.3-100, respectively)
(Fig. 3a). High efficiency of the rice straw, kenaf. and
corncob MSL systems in BODs reduction was due to the
aerobic conditions of these systems with the treated
water Eh values ranging from 371 to 729, 334 to 642,
and 331 to 608 mY, respectively (Fig. 3d). The aerobic
conditions of the MSL systems contribute to organic
matter decomposition. The Thai sawdust and Japanese
sawdust MSL systems experienced a long period of
clogging (Fig. 2b), thus reducing the capacity of the systems to reduce BODS'
The continual use of the MSL systems under the nonaeration operation resulted in the accumulation of
organic and inorganic suspended solids and biofilm
within the zeolite inter-layers and the soil pore spaces
(Fig. 4). This "clogging" reduced the ability of the MSL
systems to adsorb and decompose organic matter. The
clogging and subsequent surface flooding resulted in
anaerobic conditions. which reduced the microbial activity and the mineralization of organic matter (Spyridakis and Welch 1976). When anaerobes and facultative anaerobes predominate, decomposition slows down
(Fuller and Warrick 1985). In addition, some kinds of
organic materials mixed in the soil may induce and / or
prevent clogging of the MSL systems, depending on the

2.

Organic matter removal

During February-May 1999, all the MSL systems
evaluated irrespective of the organic materials used
under the non-aeration operation were also highly efficient in reducing BODs (Fig. 3a). Efficient BODs removal of the MSL system was due to the high adsorption and decomposition capacity of the soil. In addition,
the high temperature (25-35C) associated with Thailand's tropical climate contributed to the rapid microbial
decomposition. The rice straw, Thai sawdust, kenaf, and
corncob MSL systems gave higher percentages of BODs
reduction ranging from 96.7 to 99.8, 97.6 to 99.4, 92.7
to 99.8, and 96.1 to 99.6, respectively, compared with
the Japanese sawdust MSL system with percentages
ranging from 80.0 to 99.1 (Fig. 3a). Since the rice straw
MSL system could receive the highest hydraulic loading
rate at 346 L m-:! d- I and no clogging was observed
(Fig. 2b), the rice straw MSL system was considered to

Table 2. Reduction rates of biochemical oxygen demand (BODs) and removal rates of total nitrogen (TN) and soluble reactive
phosphorus (SRP) from the combined toilet and cafeteria wastewater using the MSL systems when they were operated without
aeration (during February-May 1999) and with intermittent aeration (during January-September 2000).
MSL systems
Jpn sawdust
Thai sawdust
Kenaf
Corncob
Rice straw

Reduction rate of BODs

(g m- 2 d- I )

Removal rate of TN
(g m- 2 d- I )

Removal rate of SRP

(g m-" d- I )

1999

2000

1999

2000

1999

2000

65.6
66.9
67.2
66.8
114

9.2
9.7
10.3
10.4
10.2

3.9
5.4
4.1
5.3
0.4

3.2
2.4
1.4
2.8
1.8

0.72
0.74
0.74
0.74
l.25

1.25
1.49
1.63
1.65
1.60

Downloaded by [223.255.231.149] at 05:14 20 November 2015

130

S. LUANMANEE et al.

characteristics of the organic materials. Since Japanese

sawdust and Thai sawdust have fine particles and are
slowly decomposable, their particles might clog the soil
pore spaces and cause compaction. Clogging in the Japanese sawdust and Thai sawdust MSL systems indicates
that Japanese sawdust and Thai sawdust are inappropriate organic components for the MSL system. The clogging may also be related to the thin layer of zeolite
inter-layer. Therefore, if the sawdust is used as a component of the MSL system, the thickness of the zeolite
inter-layer must increase to enable the percolation of the
wastewater in the system (Fig. 4).
The on-off aeration affected the BODs reduction of
the MSL systems particularly when the MSL systems
became ineffective due to the clogging. For example,
during August 3 -16, 2000 when the Thai sawdust and
the Japanese sawdust MSL systems were operated under
a non-aeration regime, the percentages of BODs reduction by the Thai sawdust and the Japanese sawdust MSL
systems were 52.5 and 29.3, respectively (Fig. 3a). Dur-

w~tewater Organic SS
BlOfilm

San~

00

L.J0
Silt---l>o

ci

Clay ---=::J

0'"

'0

~':'.

w,~tewater

00

L.J '.~O
Silt---l>oo

0". Q"

Clay~'

Na type clay
Inorganic SS
Dispersion

Biofilm
In organi c S S
Organic SS
Clay

& deposition

t?

b) Clogging by clay dispersion and deposition including biolilm.

inorganic and organic SS

W~tewater
. 0

San~ 0

L.J' 0
~.

:. ci

Sllt---l>oo'o

Art'fi' I

Destmction of coarse pore spaces

Sand
compactIOn. ~ Silt
~ __ _
-'=-..><...::ii...........___...L.- Clay
11Cla

Clay----.J
c) Destruction of coarse pore space by artificial compaction

Soil

Removal of soluble reactive phosphorus

During February - May 1999, all the MSL systems
were effective in removing SRP with a removal percentage ranging from 92.5 to 100 (Fig. 3b). Since the rice
straw MSL system had never been clogged, it could
receive the highest loading rate (Fig. 2a). Consequently,
the rice straw MSL system was most effective in removing SRP at a rate of l.25 g m- 2 d- 1, compared with the
other MSL systems (Table 2). Efficient SRP removal
was also due to the high capacity of the soil to adsorb
SRP from the wastewater. In addition, the iron scraps
mixed in the soil also provided ferric (Fe H ) ions that
contributed to the removal of SRP by the MSL systems.
The January-September 2000 results showed that
SRP removal by the rice straw, kenaf, and corncob MSL
systems was effective, with removal percentages ranging
from 90.2 to 100, 9l.0 to 100, and 98.3 to 100, respectively (Fig. 3b). In comparison, the Japanese sawdust
and Thai sawdust MSL systems could remove only
55.3-100 and 69.6-100% of SRP, respectively (Fig.
3b). The efficient SRP removal by the rice straw, kenaf,
and corncob MSL systems may be partly due to the aerobic conditions, which were associated with the rice
straw, kenaf, and corncob MSL systems. The Eh values
of the treated water from the rice straw, kenaf, and corncob MSL systems ranged from 371 to 707, 334 to 642,
and 331 to 608 m V, respectiVely, whereas those of the
Japanese sawdust and Thai sawdust MSL-treated water
ranged from 253 to 550 and 291 to 532 mV, respectively
(Fig. 3d). The aerobic conditions associated with the
3.

Decomposition

a) Reversible clogging by biofilm and organic SS

San~

ing August 21-27,2000 when the Thai sawdust and the

Japanese sawdust MSL systems were aerated at a rate of
64,000 L m- 3 d- 1, the percentages of BODs reduction
increased to 86.3 and 39.5, respectively (Fig. 3a). When
aeration was stopped again, during August 28September 10, 2000, BODs reduction rates by the Thai
sawdust and the Japanese sawdust MSL systems decreased to 70.7 and 32.3%, respectively (Fig. 3a). Wakatsuki et al. (1993) observed a reduction of 94.3% of
BODs when the Matsue city MSL system was aerated at
a rate of 16,400 L m- 3 d- 1 for 2 months, and the percentage of BODs reduction decreased to 85.7 when aeration
was stopped. After the Matsue city MSL system was
aerated again at a rate of 1,400 L m- 3 d- 1 for 1 month,
the percentage of BODs reduction increased up to 95.4.
The results of Attanandana et al. (2000) also showed a
reduction of 48.2% of BODs during the non-aeration
period and the efficiency of the MSL system in reducing
BODs increased to 90.3% when aeration was applied to
the MSL system at a rate of 24,000 L m- 3 d- 1 These
results suggested that aeration is essential for improving
the efficiency of the MSL system in eliminating organic
matter from the wastewater.

Soil mixture (decomposition of

organic SS and biofilm)

d) Prevention of clogging by homogeneous coarse particles and soil

mixture layer in MSL system

Fig. 4. Factors of clogging when soil is used as a filter and

prevention of clogging by the MSL system.

Downloaded by [223.255.231.149] at 05:14 20 November 2015

Effect of Organic Components on Efficiency of an MSL System

rice straw, kenaf, and corncob MSL systems may be due

to the absence or shorter duration of clogging compared
with the Japanese sawdust and Thai sawdust MSL systems (Fig. 2b). Under the aerobic conditions of the rice
straw, kenaf, and corncob MSL systems, the Fe2 + ions
were oxidized to Fe3 +, which subsequently precipitates
with phosphate ions. This resulted in the immobilization
of phosphate. Clogging of the Thai sawdust and the Japanese sawdust MSL systems results in anaerobic conditions and the reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+. This reduces the
ability of the system to remove the phosphate from the
wastewater.
Aeration exerts a significant effect on SRP removal,
particularly when the MSL system becomes clogged. In
the case of the Japanese sawdust MSL system with a
long period of non-aeration (April 17-June 9, 2000),
the SRP removal decreased to 6l.S% (Fig. 3b). When
aeration at a rate of 64,000 L m- 3 d- I was applied to the
Japanese sawdust MSL system, the SRP removal increased to 88.9% (Fig. 3b). After aeration of the Japanese sawdust MSL system was discontinued, the SRP
removal decreased again to S7.9% (Fig. 3b), indicating
that aeration significantly contributed to the SRP removal by the MSL system especially when the MSL system
was clogged. When clogging takes place in the MSL
system, anaerobic conditions are developed, thus enhancing the reduction of Fe3 + to Fe 2 +. Consequently, the
ability of the MSL system to adsorb or precipitate phosphate decreases. Aeration of the MSL system during the
clogging period contributed to the oxidation of Fe 2 + to
Fe H , thus increasing the SRP removal.

4.

Nitrogen removal
The long period of "clogging" in the Thai sawdust
and corncob MSL systems during the February-May
1999 period may have enhanced the denitrification.
When reducing conditions occurred in the MSL systems, the Eh value of the MSL-treated water decreased.
The redox potential of the treated water from the Thai
sawdust and the corncob MSL systems ranged from 282
to 399 and 190 to 389 mY, respectively (Fig. 3d). As a
result, the Thai sawdust and the corncob MSL systems
were the most effective treatments in removing TN,
ranging from 81.4 to 92.9 and 7S.2 to 9S.1 %, respectively (Fig. Sa). In comparison, the kenaf and the Japanese
sawdust MSL systems, with a shorter period of clogging
than the Thai sawdust and corncob MSL systems,
removed 2S.0-9l.3 and 46.7-7S.0% of TN, respectively (Fig. Sa). Since "clogging" was not observed in the
rice straw MSL system (Fig. 2b), the Eh value of the
rice straw MSL-treated water was high, ranging from
416 to 444 mV (Fig. 3d). As indicated by the percentage
of TN removal of -136 to 63.8, the rice straw MSL system was the least efficient in removing TN (Fig. Sa).

131

This might be due to acidification in the rice straw MSL

system resulting from the predominance of nitrification
and the low degree of denitrification as well as the
release of organic acids during rice straw decomposition. The pH values of the water treated with rice straw
MSL system was in the range of S.4-S.9 (Fig. 3c). Halling-Srensen and Jrgensen (1993) and Kadlec and
Knight (1996) noted that the denitrification rate was
reduced at a pH value below 6.0. As a result, the removal rate of TN in the rice straw MSL system was lower
than that in all the other MSL systems.
Since nitrification and denitrification processes are the
major mechanisms for removing TN from the wastewater of the MSL systems, aeration is a significant factor to
be controlled. During January 3-March S, 2000, when
all the MSL systems were operated under a non-aeration
regime, corresponding TN removal ranged from 33.9 to
93.6% (Fig. Sa). When aerat~on was applied to the MSL
systems during March 6-April 16, 2000 at a rate of
64,000 L m- 3 d- I , the MSL systems were ineffective in
removing TN with removal percentages ranging from
-3S0 to SO.8 (Fig. Sa). This was attributed to the restriction of denitrification in the presence of oxygen (Halling-Srensen and Jrgensen 1993; Kadlec and Knight
1996; Robertson 2000). Therefore, N0 3 --N was released to the MSL-treated water at concentrations ranging from 42.S to 209 mg N L -I (Fig. Sd). In addition, the
negative value of TN removal was partly attributed to
the release of the stored NH.j + -N. During April 24-June
9,2000, all the MSL systems were again operated under
a non-aeration regime. As a consequence, the TN
removal increased ranging from 62.7 to 82.4% (Fig. Sa).
The results indicated that the dynamic balance between
the nitrification and denitrification processes was the
most significant mechanism influencing nitrogen removal within the MSL systems. Aeration of the MSL systems also affected the mineralization of Org-N. For
example, during July 3-9, 2001, the efficiency of the
non-aerated MSL systems in removing Org-N ranged
from S6 to 82% (Fig. Sb). When aeration was applied to
the MSL systems, Org-N removal increased to rates
ranging from 83.3 to 100% (Fig. Sb). Therefore, aeration should be applied to the MSL at an appropriate rate
and for an appropriate duration to balance the mineralization of Org-N, nitrification, denitrification, as well as
NH4 + -N adsorption.
Changes in the pH values of the MSL-treated water
can be used to indicate the TN removal via the nitrification and denitrification processes. When the aeration
was applied to the MSL systems (March 6-April 16,
June 1O-2S, July 10-30, and August 17-27,2000), the
pH of the MSL-treated water decreased (Fig. 3d) due to
the release of hydrogen ions as a result of nitrification.
On the other hand, the pH of the MSL-treated water

132

S. LUANMANEE et al.

a)
100
....... 50
~
0
"'@
-50
>
-100
....OJ -150
~ -200
-250

..

.~

---6-Jpn sawdust

-<>- Thai sawdust

.__ Rice straw

iii

-A
--i)--

0\
0\

0\
0\

0\
0\

OJ

~
I

0\
0\

....
P<t:
I

.!..
ro
~I

.n

0
0

.=ro

....,

ro
~I

Kenaf
Corncob

0
0

0
0

.n
OJ
~

Downloaded by [223.255.231.149] at 05:14 20 November 2015

~
t;l

100

~
-

80

.....

<t:

0
0

0
0

...!.

do
;::!
<t:

....,

;::!
I

0
0
I

P-

OJ

VJ

::::-=-=--..:::~

----l>.-Jpn sawdust

.....

40

- __ Rice straw

20

-A-Kenaf
--0- Corncob

....,;::!

60

Z
do
.....

.=

ro
~I

P-

>
0

6OJ

0
0

~I

0
0

0
0

....
ro

b)
.......

IA INI A IN lAIN

-<>- Thai sawdust

0
0\
0\

0\
0\

0\
0\

0\
0\

.....I

....
ro

.n
OJ
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~,

0
0

.=ro

....,

ro
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P-

-<,

0
0

0
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.....I

ro
~,

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....

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.=

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<t:

;::!

-,
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0
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...!.

....,;::!
I

gp

<t:

0
0
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P-

OJ

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C)
100

'i

'-'

80

>
0

60

.....

40

-;;;

6OJ

...

20

:r:

~
..

.. ..

0\
0\

0\
0\

.n

....,

~,

ro

OJ
~

d)
'"';'

.....:l

Z
all

E.
Z,

..,

120
100
80
60
40
20
0

0\
0\

0
0

>..

P-

<t:,

I::

....,ro,

ro
~,

,.

I-A.

0
0
I

-<>- Thai sawdust

-e-

-A- Kenaf

0\
0\

.!..

0
0

....
m
I

.DOJ

~I

"';<

.....

.n
OJ

0\
0\

,
....

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~,

0\
0\

,
.....

P-

<t:
I

..-

Corncob

0
0

0
0

....,
P<t:,

~
m

~I

0
0

.=

....,;::!,

----l>.-Jpn sawdust

-<>- Thai sawdust

--11-- Rice straw

-/!;.-- Ken af

----&-- Cornco b

-",-wastewater

A_

)I(

)I( -)I( ,)!( ->K~)I(-=)I(:)I(

0\
0\

-___- Rice straw

0
0

0
0

"3
....,
I

do
;::!
<t:,

0
0

b.

OJ

VJ

~--.
_

----l>.- Jpn sawdust

0\
0\
I

;..,
til

0
0

.=

....,ro,

0
0

.n
OJ
~

Sampling date

0
0

.....I
m

~I

0
0

.....I

P-

<t:

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0

ro

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0
0

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...!.

....,;::!,

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.=

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0

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<t:
;::!

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0

P-

OJ

VJ

Fig. 5. Efficiency of the MSL systems in the removal of total nitrogen (TN), organic nitrogen (Org-N), and ammonium (NH/-N)
and concentration of nitrate (NO, - -N) in the treated water as affected by intermittent aeration (N, non-aeration; A, aeration at a rate
of 64,000 L m- 3 d- I ).

133

Effect of Organic Components on Efficiency of an MSL System

150

Wastewater

BOD,

100

PO,"

NlI/

N"NO, N,O

ClI"CO,

50
~

0~

"'

a>

E
"....

Charcoal
- Adsorption, aerobic decomposition

a
-50

Soil mixture layer

(Anoxic)
Soil
- Physical tiltration
- Physical!chemical adsorption
- PO." fixation by Fe! Al oxide

-100
-150
-200

- Microbial decomposition

-250

y = 40.~08x - 219.73

-300

= 0.635*'

Metal iron

pH of the MSL-treated water

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5. Mechanisms of the MSL system for the

purification of domestic wastewater
Figure 7 illustrates the possible mechanisms of the
MSL system for the reduction of BODs and removals of
TN and SRP from the domestic wastewater. Domestic
wastewater generally contains high levels of BODs,
nitrogen especially Org-N and NH4 + -N, and phosphorus. When the domestic wastewater is discharged into
the MSL system, the organic matter from the wastewater
is first physically and chemically adsorbed on the soil
and zeolite specific surface area and subsequently decomposed by microorganisms. Aeration contributed to
the BODs reduction by the MSL system. Since BODs
represents the easily decomposable organic matter,
BODs readily responds to aeration.
Organic nitrogen from the wastewater is partly adsorbed on the soil and the zeolite surface area and partially mineralized to NH4 + -N. Under aerobic conditions,
the NH/ -N is oxidized to N0 2 - -N and NO, --N. Zeolite
has a high capacity to adsorb NH/-N due to its high
CEC. Nitrate (NO] --N) resulting from nitrification in the

1\
H+

NO;~N lI:

Mixcd
organic
material

(C Source)

Fc'"
Fe(OH), "

NH" + adsorption

--

..

Fe:!+

Fig. 6. Relationship between the pH of the treated water and

the efficiency of the MSL systems in TN removal.

increased after aeration was stopped (Fig. 3d) as a consequence of the release of hydroxyl ions from the denitrification process. Figure 6 illustrates the significant
correlation (r = 0.635**) between the TN removal and
the pH of the MSL-treated water. As the pH of the
MSL-treated water increased, the percentage of TN
removal also increased. These results suggested that
effective TN removal could be achieved by controlling
the pH level of the MSL-treated water during the aeration and non-aeration periods. At pH values of the MSLtreated water between 6.5 and 7.0, the TN removal efficiency generally exceeded 50%. However, the control of
the on-off aeration by using the change of the pH of the
MSL-treated water should be further studied in the MSL
system applied on a benchmark scale.

:/"~

BOD, ../
Decomposed ""'f----' .....~:!
..--.C ,0 + NO,' ~

-350
2

(Aerobic)
OlI'

Fc J+

po,,]

adsorption/precipitation

Fig. 7, Possible mechanisms of the MSL system for purification of domestic wastewater.

aerobic zeolite inter-layer is translocated to the soil mixture, which consists of organic materials. When organic
matter mixed in soil is decomposed, oxygen is consumed to become an electron acceptor. Depletion of
oxygen induces anaerobic conditions in the soil mixture.
Under anaerobic conditions, N0 3 - -N is used as the electron acceptor and converted to nitrogen gases (N 2 , NO,
NP) (Wakatsuki et al. 1993; Masunaga and Wakatsuki
1999). Therefore, aerobic and anaerobic conditions are
the most important factors controlling the efficiency of
the MSL system in removing TN via nitrification and
denitrification processes. Even though aeration is essential for enhancing Org-N and NH4 + -N removal, intensive
aeration reduces the efficiency of the MSL system in
removing TN due to the inhibition of the denitrification
process. When nitrification occurs, hydrogen ions are
released, thus reducing the pH of the treated water
whereas denitrification produces hydroxyl ions and subsequently a higher pH is induced. Therefore, the changes in the pH of the treated water can be used for
controlling the aeration of the MSL system for an appropriate rate and appropriate duration.
Phosphorus can be weakly (physically) or strongly
(chemically) adsorbed on the AI, Fe, and Ca sUliaces in
the soil matrix. High CEC of zeolite also contributes to
the SRP and TP removal. Phosphorus removal significantly depends on the redox potential of the MSL system. Under aerobic conditions, phosphate from the
wastewater forms insoluble compounds with ferric hydroxide. Anaerobic conditions enhance the reduction of
ferric ions, thus reducing the efficiency of the MSL system in removing SRP and TP.

6.

Conclusions
The characteristics of organic matter affect the effec-

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134

S. LUANMANEE et al.

tiveness of the MSL system used for domestic wastewater treatment. Kenaf, corncob, and rice straw are the
most appropriate materials for use as components of the
MSL system. Fine particles and slowly decomposable
characteristics of Thai sawdust and Japanese sawdust
lead to compaction and subsequent clogging in the MSL
systems, thus, reducing the effectiveness of the MSL
systems in purifying wastewater. Clogging of the MSL
system can also be caused by the accumulation of organic and inorganic suspended solids in the MSL system, biofilm formation around soil particles, compaction
of the soil, as well as clay dispersion resulted from the
destruction of the aggregates by a high sodium concentration of wastewater. However, since clogging of the
MSL system may be reduced if the thickness of the zeolite inter-layer increases, further studies should be cartied out.
Operation of the MSL system with aeration at a rate
of 64,000 L m- 3 d- 1 for 1 week alternating with a 2week period of non-aeration is sufficient to promote the
efficiency of the MSL system in the reduction of BODs
and removal of SRP. Concurrently, the clogging of the
MSL systems can be avoided. However, this operation
leads to excessive nitrification and inhibits the denitrification process as well as discharge of the stored NH4 + N. Thus, aeration at a rate of 64,000 L m- 3 d- 1 for 1
week alternating with 2 weeks of non-aeration is inappropriate for TN removal.
The pH of the MSL-treated water practically indicates
oxidation-reduction conditions in the MSL system. The
pH of the treated water should be kept at a level between
6.5 and 7.0 during the on-off aeration operation, to control the rate and duration of aeration, which is appropriate for enhancing the efficiency of the MSL system in
TN removal. Since this study was conducted on a smallscale, prediction of the lifetime of the systems cannot be
made. The results of this study should be further confirmed on a benchmark scale for practical use.
Ackllowledgme11ts. The authors gratefully acknowledge the
financial support provided by the Thailand Research Fund for
this study. Thanks are also due to Dr. Robert W. Simmons for
editing this manuscript.

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