ABSTRACT

In this chapter, the effect of nitrogen–fluoride–carbon (NFC)-doped TiO2 photocatalysts on the performance of the activated sludge system is been evaluated. This evaluation was conducted by comparing real wastewater with a peptone-blended synthetic wastewater. For this purpose, the effect of an NFC-doped TiO2 powder photocatalyst, specially prepared in a laboratory, on the performance of the activated sludge system was evaluated according to both acute and chronic inhibition results. The renewability of the activated sludge was assessed after photocatalyst exposure for 20 days. According to the respirometric analysis in which acute and chronic inhibitions were determined, activated sludge that was fed with real domestic wastewater was more negatively affected than when fed with peptone from TiO2 nanoparticle exposure due to its micro-pollutant content. When it is provided an increase in the biodegradation of it by using new generation photocatalytic AOPs, the real wastewater inhibition will decrease and the renewability of activated sludge will increase, similar to that in pepton. So, it is thought that this approach can be used successfully by most domestic wastewater treatment plants.