In this study, an operational data set was analysed by establishing a path model to figure out the actual cause-effect relationship of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP); in particular, for the effluent concentrations of T-N and T-P. To develop the path models, data sets of operational records including effluent concentrations and operational factors were obtained from a field scale WWTP of 680,000 m3 of treatment capacity. The models showed that the relationship networks with the correlation coefficients between variables for objective expressions indicated the strength of each relationship. The suggested path models were verified according to whether the analyzation results matched known theories well, but sophisticated minute theoric relationships could not be cropped out distinctly. This indicates that only a few paths with strong theoric casual relationships were represented as measured data due to the high non-linearity of the mechanism of the removal process in a biological wastewater treatment.

The aim of this paper is to compare the characteristics of the T-P removal from synthesized municipal wastewater by electro-coagulation using cylindrical Al and Fe electrode as anode. For this purpose, a concentric circle type electrolysis reactor was used and the operating conditions for T-P removal from synthesized wastewater are as follows; potential 10 V, electrolyte 0.03% NaCl, initial T-P concentration 1.0 ~ 6.0 mg/L and flow rate 1.0 ~ 5.0 L/min. From the experimental results, T-P concentration of treated wastewater was decreased to less than 0.2 mg/L enough to discharge standard and Al electrode showed performance than Fe electrode for T-P removal by electro-coagulation. Optimal conditions for T-P removal to less than 0.15 mg/L which is 75% of discharge standard for large scale municipal wastewater plant (capacity higher than 500 m3/day) were obtained as follows; flow rate 2.503 L/min, and 2.337 L/min, HRT 1.059 min, 1.134 min, for Al and Fe electrode, respectively. Consumed mass of Al and Fe were of 3.76 times and 8.90 times respectively, were obtained to removed T-P at optimal conditions with potential 10 V, and 0.03% NaCl as electrolyte.