The impact of chlorine disinfection on biochemical oxygen demand levels in chemically enhanced primary treatment effluent

The response trends of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and organic strength after the chlorination/dechlorination process were explored through a 2-year, 5-month chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) effluent onsite monitoring program and a 2-month laboratory-scale study. The monitoring results showed that better instantaneous mixing at the chlorine injection point reduced the effect of chlorination/dechlorination on the 5-day BOD levels. The laboratory study results demonstrated that chlorination did not change the particle size distribution, dissolved organic carbon, or chemical oxygen demand of the organic content of the effluent. Nevertheless, chlorination/dechlorination strongly affected the BOD measurement when nitrification was inhibited by changing bioactivity/biodegradation rates.