BOD removal in aerated stabilization basins

BOD removal from wastewater in the pulp and paper industry was often performed in large aerobic lagoons. A single continuous-flow, stirred tank reactor (CFSTR) model and a 4 CFSTR-in-series model were used to simulate full scale lagoons and the results were compared to influent and effluent BOD data from an operating rectangular aerobic stabilization basin. The models were coupled to a first-order BOD reaction rate model. Predictions by the single CFSTR model were poor. The 4 tanks-in-series model provided a reasonable approximation to field data. The requirement for an understanding of the mixing regime for meaningful estimation of kinetic parameters was emphasized.