{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]],"date-time":"2026-06-24T12:26:43Z","timestamp":1782304003956,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"IWA Publishing","issue":"1","content-domain":{"domain":["iwaponline.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2019,1,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are surface-active organic compounds common in industrial cleaner formulations widely used in various sanitation applications. While acting as effective pathogenic biocides, QACs lack selective toxicity and often have poor target specificity. As a result, adverse effects on biological processes and thus the performance of biological nutrient removal (BNR) systems may be encountered when QACs enter wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Because of these impacts, there is motivation to screen wastewater influents for QACs and for process engineers to consider the inhibition effects of QACs on process evaluation and design of BNR plants. This paper introduces a mathematical model to describe the fate of QACs in a WWTP via biodegradation and bio-adsorption, and the inhibitory effect of QACs on nitrifiers and ordinary heterotrophic organisms. The model was incorporated as an add-on model in BioWin 5.3 and simulations of experimental systems were used for comparison of model results to measured data reported in the literature. The model was found to accurately predict the bulk phase concentration of QAC and the inhibition of nitrification with QAC concentrations \u22652 mg\/L. This work provides a preliminary framework for simulation of BNR plants receiving inhibitory substances in the influent.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2166\/wst.2018.449","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,25]],"date-time":"2018-10-25T05:31:44Z","timestamp":1540445504000},"page":"41-50","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2166\/iwapcrossmarkpolicypage","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Modeling quaternary ammonium compound inhibition of biological nutrient removal activated sludge"],"prefix":"10.2166","volume":"79","author":[{"given":"Daniela","family":"Conidi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Envirosim Associates Ltd, 175 Longwood Rd S, Suite 114A, Hamilton, ON L8P 0A1, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mehran","family":"Andalib","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Stantec Inc., Edmonton, AB T5 K 2L6, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christopher","family":"Andres","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Stantec Inc., Edmonton, AB T5 K 2L6, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christopher","family":"Bye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Envirosim Associates Ltd, 175 Longwood Rd S, Suite 114A, Hamilton, ON L8P 0A1, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Art","family":"Umble","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Stantec Inc., Edmonton, AB T5 K 2L6, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peter","family":"Dold","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Envirosim Associates Ltd, 175 Longwood Rd S, Suite 114A, Hamilton, ON L8P 0A1, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"945","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,24]]},"reference":[{"issue":"6","key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"845","DOI":"10.1002\/bit.260100610","article-title":"Kinetics of product inhibition in alcohol fermentation","volume":"10","year":"1968","journal-title":"Biotechnology & Bioengineering"},{"key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C2","first-page":"740","article-title":"Ozonation as pre-treatment of activated sludge process of a wastewater containing benzalkonium chloride and NiO nanoparticles","volume":"283","year":"2015","journal-title":"Chemical Engineering Journal"},{"key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1016\/j.watres.2018.01.073","article-title":"Impacts of quaternary ammonium compounds on membrane bioreactor performance: acute and chronic responses of microorganisms","volume":"134","year":"2018","journal-title":"Water Research"},{"key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C4","article-title":"Is Nitrite-Shunt Happening in the System? Are NOB Repressed?","year":"2015"},{"key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C5","unstructured":"Hajaya\n            M.\n          \n          2011\n          Fate and Effect of Quaternary Ammonium Antimicrobial Compounds on Biological Nitrogen Removal within High-Strength Wastewater Treatment Systems. PhD Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA."},{"key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C6","first-page":"278","article-title":"Modeling the fate and effect of benzalkonium chlorides in a continuous-flow biological nitrogen removal system treating poultry processing wastewater","volume":"130","year":"2012","journal-title":"Bioresource Technology"},{"key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"595","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhazmat.2015.07.073","article-title":"Biodegradation of benzalkonium chlorides singly and in mixtures by a Pseudomonas sp. isolated from returned activated sludge","volume":"299","year":"2015","journal-title":"Journal of Hazardous Materials"},{"issue":"2","key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.4236\/jwarp.2011.32012","article-title":"Adsorption of quaternary ammonium compounds onto activated sludge","volume":"3","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of Water Resource and Protection"},{"issue":"8","key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4289","DOI":"10.1021\/es4050314","article-title":"Identification and composition of emerging quaternary ammonium compounds in municipal sewage sludge in China","volume":"48","year":"2014","journal-title":"Environmental Science & Technology"},{"issue":"3","key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"479","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chemosphere.2008.03.008","article-title":"Mixtures of quaternary ammonium compounds and anionic organic compounds in the aquatic environment: elimination and biodegradability in the closed bottle test monitored by LC\u2013MS\/MS","volume":"72","year":"2008","journal-title":"Chemosphere"},{"key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C11","unstructured":"Tezel\n            U.\n          \n          2009\n          Fate and Effect of Quaternary Ammonium Compounds in Biological Systems. PhD Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA."},{"key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C12","first-page":"193","article-title":"Prolonged exposure of mixed aerobic cultures to low temperature and benzalkonium chloride affect the rate and extent of nitrification","volume":"179","year":"2014","journal-title":"Bioresource Technology"},{"issue":"3","key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C13","first-page":"1238","article-title":"Evaluation and modeling of benzalkonium chloride inhibition and biodegradation in activated sludge","volume":"45","year":"2010","journal-title":"Water Research"},{"key":"2020090301282385600_WST-EM18815C14","first-page":"352","article-title":"Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs): a review on occurrence, fate and toxicity in the environment","volume":"518\u2013519","year":"2015","journal-title":"Science of The Total Environment"}],"container-title":["Water Science and Technology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/iwaponline.com\/wst\/article-pdf\/79\/1\/41\/735472\/wst079010041.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"http:\/\/iwaponline.com\/wst\/article-pdf\/79\/1\/41\/735472\/wst079010041.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,3]],"date-time":"2020-09-03T05:28:37Z","timestamp":1599110917000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/iwaponline.com\/wst\/article\/79\/1\/41\/64467\/Modeling-quaternary-ammonium-compound-inhibition"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,24]]},"references-count":14,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,24]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2019,1,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2166\/wst.2018.449","relation":{},"ISSN":["0273-1223","1996-9732"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0273-1223","type":"print"},{"value":"1996-9732","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,24]]}}}