| dc.description.abstract | Abstract
Chloroxylenol (CHL) is a compound we find in disinfectant products such as soap to clean the skin and other surfaces, and as a result, a large amount of CHL is discharged into the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). To investigate the effect of CHL on the microorganisms in biological WWTPs, four tests were conducted by using sludge and carriers from the control reactor, namely controls tests with and without nitrogen inhibitor and acute CHL tests with and without nitrogen inhibitor, in which the sludge was exposed to CHL for the first time. Additionally, chronic tests with and without nitrogen inhibitor were conducted using the sludge and carriers from the chronic reactor which was exposed for CHL for 43 days. Respirometry test were conducted to measure the respiration rate of the culture in WWTPs and in that way get a knowledge of how CHL affect substrate removal and biomass growth. Nitrite (NO2-), nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) values were measured regularly to control the behaviour of the microorganisms in the WWTPs. We discovered CHL did not show any sign of COD removal inhibition. However, oxygen utilization rate (OUR) measurement showed microorganisms used more oxygen for growth in the presence of CHL. Chronic test showed a higher oxygen consumption by the microorganisms than acute test which can be acclimation due to time with the presence of CHL. The control reactor operations showed high efficiency in COD and NH4-N removals. The effluent concentrations in the chronic reactor showed a fluctuating trend. | |
