Evaluation of Control Parameters for the Activated Sludge Process.

The evaluation of control parameters of the activated sludge process was effected with a laboratory-scale, completely mixed process employing internal cell recycle and an artificial wasterwater over a wide spectrum of conditions at full-scale facilities. The parameters: food-microorganism ratio, specific utilization rate, COD or BOD sludge age, and aeration and total system mean cell residence time can all be used to control an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant. Because of the sensitivity of the COD or BOD sludge age (when compared with measures of mean cell residence time), its use may be of limited value. The aeration basin cell residence time may be favored over the total system mean cell residence time because of the ease in measuring aeration basin solids and the difficulty in measuring solids concentration at the bottom of the secondary clarifier and in the recycle line.