Bug of the Month: Addressing Nutrient Deficiencies in Aerobic Treatment Systems

A general guideline or starting point for nutrient demand in aerobic biological treatment systems is that the wastewater should contain a balance of approximately 100 parts BOD to 5 parts nitrogen to 1 part phosphorus. For the necessary biochemical reactions, micronutrients and macro nutrients must be present and readily available during the time of treatment. Micronutrients include iron, manganese, zinc, copper, cobalt, molybdenum, calcium and nickel. Macronutrients are generally recognized as nitrogen and phosphorus.In treatment plants, treating predominantly domestic wastewater, it is extremely uncommon for micro or macro nutrients to be lacking in availability. With this said, for plants that are