Is ozone in the wastewater treatment train an effective solution for the removal of filamentous bacteria?

Bacterial filamentation is the result of abnormal growth when bacteria cells don’t separate but elongate and grow in long thread like strands.  In the wastewater treatment process, the presence of some filamentous bacteria is beneficial as the filaments connect to form a mesh that is crucial to support floc formation. However excessively long filaments or excessive amounts can lead to costly wastewater treatment problems such as bulking where sludge does not compact upon settling. Some filaments can also cause excessive amounts of foaming.

For more than 30 years, pre-ozonation has been used ahead of solid-liquid separation processes to remove particles including effectively removing or lyses filamentous bacteria.

Ozone causes filamentous bacteria to emerge to the water surface and then oxidizes the metabolic derivatives inherent within it.

Ozoflotation is a process that combines the physical benefit of flotation with the oxidizing properties of ozone. This process is used during the pre-treatment stage to reduce the wastewater treatment load. Low dose ozonation can inhibit filamentous bacterial growth and can be applied to effectively control sludge bulking and improve floc settling. (Foladori et al, 2010).

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