Evaluation of activated sludge systems by image analysis procedures

Abstract

Biomass inspection under optical microscopy coupled to automated image analysis methodologies is, nowadays, increasingly used. Image analysis is presently considered a powerful tool to identify and quantify biomass morphological and physiological changes. In this work, an image analysis program was developed in Matlab environment, allowing the identification and characterization of microbial aggregates and protruding filaments in six different wastewater treatment plants. The results showed that the developed image analysis methodology proved to be a feasible method for a continuous monitoring of the activated sludge contents both in terms of aggregated biomass and filamentous bacteria, comparing the results with operating parameters. Furthermore, the results obtained during the monitoring period indicate that automated image analysis can help clarifying the nature of the events within the aeration tanks when the system is submitted to disturbances.