Fundamentals of biological wastewater treatment

Abstract

At the beginning of the new millennium water is becoming a strategic resource. Water has been and will continue to be a major factor for the survival of humans and human activities that needs certain concern and protection. Because of the limited resources of fresh water, careful use and frequent reuse after appropriate treatment are requirements for sustainable development and a healthy life. The authors of the book Fundamentals of Biological Wastewater Treatment are convinced both that it is necessary to learn lot of thinks essential to develop and continue to promote water recycling systems. In this frame, the biological wastewater treatment processes play a highly important role. This book is structured on 13 chapters and a Subject Index. In the first chapter, Historical Development of Wastewater Collection and Treatment, there are presented water supply and wastewater management in antiquity and medieval age. Also, there are presented early biological wastewater treatment processes, experiments with the activated sludge process and early Regulations for the control of wastewater discharges. The next chapter, Wastewater Characterization and Regulations, contains a comprehensive description of the wastewater pollutants and the connected legislation. First, there are presented the classification of wastewater pollutants and methods for measuring dissolved organic substances as total parameters. Then, the German legislation and EU Guidelines are presented. The chapter 3 Microbial Metabolism describes the proteins and nucleic acids, the catabolism and anabolism needed for understanding the composition and morphology of bacteria, as well as their role in biological wastewater treatment. ...