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Preliminary Investigation of Rapid Potassium
Efflux from Activated Sludge in Response
to Peroxyacetic Acid Use
M. Geneja, K. Plichta
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Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology
Narutowicza 11/12, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2009;18(6):1197-1201
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ABSTRACT
Preliminary research on activated sludge potassium efflux (GGKE – glutathione-gated potassium efflux)
as a result of peroxyacetic acid (PAA) dosing were performed. Similar to the case of chlorine dosing, the PAA
dosing causes initiation of bacteria defense mechanisms related to the transformations of gluthathione tripeptide,
resulting in the increase of potassium ion concentrations in the activated sludge environment. In the range
of biomass concentration from 6.035 gMLSS/l to 9.331 gMLSS/l and applied peroxyacetic acid doses from 0.12 mg
PAA/gMLSS to 3.55 mg PAA/gMLSS, the increase of potassium ions K+ concentration in the activated sludge environment
after 10 minutes of reaction in batch varied from approximately 3 mg/l to 40 mg/l. The elementary
increase of potassium ion concentrations (mg K+/gMLSS· l) was dependant on reaction time and the PAA dose.
The elementary increase values varied from 0.5 mg K+/(gMLSS· l) for the dose of 0.3 mg PAA/gMLSS and 5 minutes
reaction time to 4 mg K+/(gMLSS· l) for 2.5 mg PAA/gMLSS and reaction time equal to 20 minutes.