#Japan #Tokyo #Wastewater Treatment #AGSOR® #Organo

Introduction

Organo Corporation, based in Koto City, Tokyo, is proud to announce that its continuous wastewater treatment system utilizing aerobic granules, AGSOR®, has been certified as a practical technology by Tokyo's Water Bureau.

Background

For many years, activated sludge has been the go-to biological treatment method for wastewater due to its cost-effectiveness. However, traditional activated sludge methods face challenges such as slow solid-liquid separation in sedimentation tanks, making it difficult to maintain high sludge concentrations. This leads to unstable effluent quality and increased required installation space. To combat these issues, Organo and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government collaborated on a project aimed at commercializing a continuous wastewater treatment system that utilizes aerobic granules.

Understanding Aerobic Granules

Aerobic granules are granular sludge produced by high-density microbial self-agglomeration, with particle sizes exceeding 200 µm. One of their remarkable features is their rapid sedimentation rate, which allows for exceptional solid-liquid separation. This high biomass retention in the reactor leads to improved effluent quality and the potential for more compact facilities.

Collaborative Research with Tokyo

Since 2020, Organo has worked alongside the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to conduct demonstration tests at the Sunamachi Water Reclamation Center in Koto City. Over a period of four years, continuous operation has been carried out on actual equipment, successfully achieving the outlined research goals:
1. Achieving an effluent quality comparable to the control system with treatment volumes greater than 1.5 times.
2. The energy required for the granule system is equal to or lower than that of the control system.
3. Delivering effluent quality on par with advanced treatment for nitrogen at standard activated sludge treatment volumes (HRT of over 6 hours).

Benefits of the AGSOR® System

The AGSOR® system enhances the concentration of sludge in reactors by diverting part of the incoming wastewater to create aerobic granules without the need for carriers or chemical injection. This innovation enables treatment speeds 1.5 to 2 times faster than traditional methods, significantly improving water quality concerning nitrogen and phosphorus. Additionally, the stability of solid-liquid separation in the final sedimentation tank is elevated.
Moreover, the AGSOR® system allows for substantial downsizing of bioreactors and final sedimentation tanks. This compact design leads to reduced costs during facility upgrades compared to conventional methods and lowers ongoing maintenance expenses.

For more detailed information about the AGSOR® system, visit Organo Corporation's website.