8.2: Food to Microorganism Ratio
Wastewater treatment relies on a biological process to treat the large amounts of organic material found in sewage. Bacteria consume the organic material (measured as BOD) and thus removes it from the wastewater. BOD can be thought of as food available to the bacteria .
The amount of bacteria in the system can also be measured by a test called the Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS). The ratio of how much food (BOD) in pounds is available to the population of microorganisms (MLSS) in pounds, is critical to the proper operation of a conventional wastewater treatment plant. This ratio is a baseline to determine how much food a single pound of organisms will eat every day.
In aerobic wastewater treatment, operators supply bacteria with air in aeration tanks, so they can breathe. Typically, there is food available in the incoming wastewater for the bacteria. Under these conditions the microorganisms thrive and actually grow their population. If operators did not periodically “waste” the excess microorganisms from the system the MLSS would become too high and alter the F/M ratio.
To calculate the Food to Microorganism ratio (F/M) we need to determine the amount of BOD in pounds, being sent to through the treatment system as well as the amount of available MLSS in pounds, in the system. The equation for F/M is:
F/M = Pounds of BOD per day/Pounds of MLSS in tanks
Typical Food to Microorganism ratios are between 0.2 and 0.5. A low F/M ratio means there are many microorganisms and a limited food supply. Conversely, a high F/M ratio means there is much more food available compared to microorganisms. Therefore, a very high or low ratio would result in a dispersed floc that will not settle well in the secondary clarifier.
Exercise 8.2
- A wastewater treatment plant receives an average flow of 5 MGD and the influent BOD is 260 mg/L. If the MLSS test shows there are 1,800 mg/L in the aeration tank that has a volume of 1.5 MG, what is the F/M ratio?
- The primary effluent flow of wastewater treatment plant is 3.8 MGD and has a BOD concentration of 295 mg/L. The aeration tank is 150 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 8 feet deep. What is the F/M ratio if the MLSS is found to 2,600 mg/L?
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What is the F/M of a wastewater treatment facility with the following process control data?
Influent Q = 4.8 MGD
Influent BOD = 425 mg/L
Primary Effluent BOD = 272 mg/L
MLSS = 2,100 mg/L
Aeration Volume = 2,890,000 gallons