Operating costs related to instability in a pulp and paper activated sludge treatment system.

The article examines the operating costs of a wastewater treatment plant which treats the effluent of a thermomechanical pulp mill using an activated sludge treatment (AST) in Canada. Highlighting the importance of chemical products, a specific treatment cost is computed. It concludes that providing operators with warning signals and cause-and-effect relationships for bulking can optimize AST process and lessen operating costs.