投加溶胞菌群对剩余污泥消化影响的初步研究

活性污泥法是目前世界上普遍应用的污水生物处理工艺，其在运行过程中产生大量的剩余污泥。由于剩余污泥处理费用巨大及污泥最终处置对环境具有潜在危害问题，污泥的处理和处置已经成为水处理领域关注的焦点。本文利用实验室筛选的溶胞菌群，在好氧消化的同时对污泥进行前处理，促进剩余污泥的破解与溶胞，再通过两相厌氧处理对污泥进行进一步消化，以研究投加溶胞菌对剩余污泥消化的影响。 本研究中溶胞菌污泥减量化技术分为两个部分，第一，污泥在溶胞菌作用下的好氧消化与污泥传统好氧消化的对比研究，利用取自成都三瓦窑污水处理厂剩余污泥，向好氧污泥消化反应器中投加溶胞菌，检测各项污泥指标，并通过同传统好氧污泥消化对比，以研究溶胞菌对污泥好氧消化的影响。第二， 经过溶胞菌处理后好氧消化的剩余污泥进行两相厌氧处理研究。通过建立好氧溶胞联合两相厌氧消化系统的来处理剩余污泥，并与相同条件运行的两相厌氧消化系统做对比，检测运行过程中系统中物质成分变化，研究了其处理能力和运行稳定性，探索了两相厌氧消化系统中的发酵类型差别，验证了好氧溶胞对剩余污泥的破解效果。 研究结果表明：污泥在溶胞菌作用下的好氧消化效果和消化效率均优于传统好氧消化。在溶胞菌群存在的情况下，剩余污泥的TSS和VSS去除率达到40%和53%，远高于传统好氧消化的12%和20%。污泥经过溶胞及好氧消化后，TCOD去除率达到54.4%。经过溶胞菌处理后的剩余污泥再进入两相厌氧处理系统，进入厌氧处理系统的剩余污泥的VSS／TSS比值约为0.62。在两相厌氧处理水力停留时间(HRT)为8d时，溶胞处理污泥厌氧消化后VSS去除率达到55.17%，对照组两相厌氧系统的VSS去除率平均值为18.53%。经过溶胞处理的两相厌氧系统的污泥减量了能力远高于对照组。两相厌氧系统的pH值和碱度说明系统运行较为稳定。产酸相的有机酸中乙酸含量高于丙酸和丁酸，说明发酵末端产物以乙酸为主。在20天的试验周期内，污泥溶胞处理后、两相厌氧系统产甲烷相产气量累积产气量为1.2L，对照组只有375ml。气体中甲烷含量都在55%左右。该研究结果表明，好氧溶胞对污泥有破解能力，溶胞处理对两相厌氧中产酸相水解污泥细胞有明显的促进作用，提高了产酸相的水解酸化能力和效率。该研究对于利用生物溶胞途径提高污泥消化效率具有重要意义。 The actived sludge process has been used more and more extensively, but the procedure will lead to a large quantity of excess sludge. The treatment of Excess activated sludge has becomes a focuses not only for it is a seriously negative effect on environment but also for the costly disposal comes subsequently. The cell lysing bacterium was keeped in our lab to joined in the digestion of the excess activated sludge which was carrying at the same time with pre-processing of sludge to investigated the influence of cell lysing bacterium on excess sludge. There are two part in the method of cell lysing bacterium digesting sludge technology, the first, comparison of excess sludge digestion between anaerobic Cell-lysing Pretreatment and Conventional Aerobic Process. The sludge which was collected from San Wanyao disposal plant in Chengdu was thrown into the aerobic process system with cell-lysing bacterium, then, the indexes were detected to compare the difference between the cell-lysing bacterium in aerobic process and the traditional method to determine the influence of cell-lysing bacterium on aerobic process ; The second, the research on the sludge which was pro-treated with cell-lysing and aerobic digestion in the diphase of anaerobic digestion system. The system of cell-lysing combined with diphase of anaerobic digesting was created to compare to the diphase of anaerobic digested system, the changes of mass constituent was detected to study the ability and steady of disposal. Moreover, the research explored the difference among the types of fermentation. The efficacious of aerobic process was been proved. The result shows that the digesting rate of aerobic process with cell-lysing bacterium was higher than the traditional process. The ratio of sludge is reach to 40%~53%, which was far more effectively than the traditional process rate of 12%~20%. The TCOD of sludge which was treated with cell lysing bacterium and Aerobic Process is reach to 54.4%. Then, the sludge was thrown into the diphase of anaerobic digesting system. VSS／TSS of sludge is 0.62, HRT is 6d, the reduction of VSS is reach to 40.8%. The pH and alkalinity indicate the steady running of the diphase anaerobic digest system. In the acerbity phasing, the content of acetic acid was more than butanoic acid and propanoic acid in organic acid, it is demonstrated that the main composition of final production of fermentation was Acetic Acid. During the 20d of experiment, methylhydride phasing of diphase anaerobic digest system produced 1.2L methylhydride, however, there is only 375ml in CK, the content of methylhydride in all gas phase was around the rate of 55%. The average ratio of VSS was 18.53% in CK diphase anaerobic digest system which was far more unavailable than the mass sludge rate of 55.17%. Results demonstrated that aerobic cell-lysing digested the sludge, the treat of cell-lysing could obviously promoted the hydrolyzeing of sludge cell in the acerbity phasing, which improved the ability and rate of hydrolization and acidification. This study is significant in inhenceing the rate of sludge digestion in the method of cell-lysing bacterium.

Prove di ozonolisi sui fanghi biologici prodotti da impianti di depurazione delle acque reflue urbane

La tecnica di ozonolisi viene applicata ai fanghi biologici derivanti da impianti di depurazione acque reflue urbane, e consiste nell'ottenere, grazie all'ozono, una minor massa fangosa da smaltire e una miglior trattabilità del fango residue. In questo elaborato si prendono in esame le sperimentazioni effettuate a Marina di Ravenna e si estraggono le prime conclusioni gestionali, economiche e ambientali sull'applicabilità del metodo a questo tipo di fango.

Water reduction in waste-activated sludge by resettling and filtration in batch. Phase (1): pilot-scale experiments to optimize performance

This article describes an effective procedure for reducing the water content of excess sludge production from a wastewater treatment plant by increasing its concentration and, as a consequence, minimizing the volume of sludge to be managed. It consists of a pre-dewatering sludge process, which is used as a preliminary step or alternative to the thickening. It is made up of two discontinuous sequential stages: the first is resettling and the second, filtration through a porous medium. The process is strictly physical, without any chemical additives or electromechanical equipment intervening. The experiment was carried out in a pilot-scale system, consisting of a column of sedimentation that incorporates a filter medium. Different sludge heights were tested over the filter to verify the influence of hydrostatic pressure on the various final concentrations of each stage. The results show that the initial sludge concentration may increase by more than 570% by the end of the process with the final volume of sludge being reduced in similar proportions and hydrostatic pressure having a limited effect on this final concentration. Moreover, the value of the hydrostatic pressure at which critical specific cake resistance is reached is established.

Integration of sulphate reduction, autotrophic denitrification and nitrification to achieve low-cost excess sludge minimisation for Hong Kong sewage

An integrated anaerobic-aerobic treatment system of sulphate-laden wastewater was proposed here to achieve low sludge production, low energy consumption and effective sulphide control. Before integrating the whole system, the feasibility of autotrophic denitrification utilising dissolved sulphide produced during anaerobic treatment of sulphate rich wastewater was studied here. An upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor was operated to treat sulphate-rich synthetic wastewater (TOC = 100 mg/L and sulphate = 500 mg/L) and its effluent with dissolved sulphide and external nitrate solution were fed into an anoxic biofilter. The anaerobic reactor was able to remove 77-85% of TOC at HRT of 3 h and produce 70-90 mg S/L sulphide in dissolved form for the subsequent denitrification. The performance of anoxic reactor was stable, and the anoxic reactor could remove 30 mg N/L nitrate at HRT of 2 h through autotrophic denitrification. Furthermore, sulphur balance for the anoxic filter showed that more than 90% of the removed sulphide was actually oxidised into sulphate, thereby there was no accumulation of sulphur particles in the filter bed. The net sludge productions were approximately 0.15 to 0.18 g VSS/g COD in the anaerobic reactor and 0.22 to 0.31 g VSS/g NO3--N in the anoxic reactor. The findings in this study will be helpful in developing the integrated treatment system to achieve low-cost excess sludge minimisation.

Mechanisms involved in Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens removal during activated sludge wastewater treatment

Wastewater treatment reduces environmental contamination by removing gross solids and mitigating the effects of pollution. Treatment also reduces the number of indicator organisms and pathogens. In this work, the fates of two coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens, were analyzed in an activated sludge process to determine the main mechanisms involved in the reduction of pathogenic microorganisms during wastewater treatment. These bacteria, modified to express green fluorescent protein, were inoculated in an activated sludge unit and in batch systems containing wastewater. The results suggested that, among the different biological factors implied in bacterial removal, bacterivorous protozoa play a key role. Moreover, a representative number of bacteria persisted in the system as free-living or embedded cells, but their distribution into liquid or solid fractions varied depending on the bacterium tested, questioning the real value of bacterial indicators for the control of wastewater treatment process. Additionally, viable but nonculturable cells constituted an important part of the bacterial population adhered to solid fractions, what can be derived from the competition relationships with native bacteria, present in high densities in this environment. These facts, taken together, emphasize the need for reliable quantitative and qualitative analysis tools for the evaluation of pathogenic microbial composition in sludge, which could represent an undefined risk to public health and ecosystem functions when considering its recycling.

Characterisation and fluidisation of synthetic pit latrine sludge

Half of the world’s urban population will live in informal settlements or “slums” by 2030. Affordable urban sanitation presents a unique set of challenges as the lack of space and resources to construct new latrines makes the de-sludging of existing pits necessary and is something that is currently done manually with significant associated health risks. Therefore various mechanised technologies have been developed to facilitate pit emptying, with the majority using a vacuum system to remove material from the top of the pit. However, this results in the gradual accumulation of unpumpable sludge in the pit, which eventually fills the latrine and forces it to be abandoned. This study has developed a method for fluidising unpumpable pit latrine sludge, based on laboratory experiments using a harmless synthetic sludge. Such a sludge consisting of clay and compost was developed to replicate the physical characteristics of pit latrine sludges characterised in Botswana during the 1980s. Undrained shear strength and density are identified as the critical parameters in controlling pumpability and a method of sludge characterisation based on these parameters is reported. In a series of fluidisation tests using a one fifth scale pit emptying device the reduction in sludge shear strength was found to be caused by i) dilution, which increases water content, and ii) remoulding, which involves mechanical agitation to break down the structure of the material. The tests demonstrated that even the strongest of sludges could be rendered “pumpable” by sufficient dilution. Additionally, air injection alone produced a three-fold decrease in strength of consolidated samples as a result of remoulding at constant water content. The implications for sludge treatment and disposal are discussed, and the classification of sludges according to the equipment required to remove them from the latrine is proposed. Possible field tests to estimate sludge density and shear strength are suggested. The feasibility of using low cost vacuum cleaners to replace expensive vane pumps is demonstrated. This offers great potential for the development of affordable pit emptying technologies that can remove significantly stronger sludges than current devices through fluidising the wastes at the bottom of the pit before emptying

The effects of bacterial leaching on metal partitioning in sewage sludge

The partitioning of Mn, Al, Zn, Cu and Ti ions in municipal sewage sludge was investigated before and after bioleaching processes effectuated by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. Oxidation reduction potential increase and pH decrease were obtained as a result of bacterial activity. A less pronounced and constant decrease was obtained with A. ferrooxidans, whereas A. thiooxidans presented a lag phase before a steep pH decrease. Metal solubilization was accomplished in experimental systems supplemented with energy source, Fe2+ for A. ferrooxidans and S-0 for A. thiooxidans. Solubilization efficiency differed for each metal except for Al, and was relatively similar for either organism. Metal partitioning was conducted using five-step sequential extraction procedure before and after the bioleaching. The results indicated that Zn and Mn ions were mostly associated with the organic fraction, whereas Cu, Al and Ti ions with the sulphide/ residue fraction. The bioleaching process caused prompt solubilization of metals mostly associated with the more labile fractions (exchangeable, adsorbed and organically bound metals), whereas those associated to the less labile ones (EDTA and sulphide/residue fractions) were exchanged towards more labile fractions.

Biological leaching of Mn, Al, Zn, Cu and Ti in an anaerobic sewage sludge effectuated by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and its effect on metal partitioning

The chemical fractionation and bioleaching of Mn, At, Zn, Cu and Ti in municipal sewage sludge were investigated using Thiobacillus ferrooxidans as leaching microorganism. As a result of the bacterial activity, ORP increase and pH reduction were observed. Metal solubilization was accomplished only in experimental systems supplemented with energy source (Fe(II)). The solubilization efficiency approached similar to80% for Mn and Zn, 24% for Cu, 10% for At and 0.2% for Ti. The chemical fractionation of Mn, At, Zn, Cu and Ti was investigated using a five-step sequential extraction procedure employing KNO3. KF, Na4P2O7, EDTA and HNO3. The results show that the bioleaching process affected the partitioning of Mn and Zn, increasing its percentage of elution in the KNO3 fraction while reducing it in the KF, Na4P2O7 and EDTA fractions. No significant effect was detected on the partitioning of Cu and Al. However, quantitatively the metals Mn, Zn, Cu and At were extracted with higher efficiency after the bacterial activity. Titanium was unaffected by the bioleaching process in both qualitative and quantitative aspects. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of sewage sludge on the soil bacterial communities by DNA microarray analysis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Assessment of anaerobic sewage sludge quality for agricultural application after metal bioleaching

The effects of metal bioleaching on nutrient solubilization, especially nitrogen and phosphorous, from anaerobically-digested sewage sludge were investigated in this work. The assessment of the sanitary quality of the anaerobic sludge after bioleaching was also carried out by enumerating indicator (total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci) and total heterotrophic bacteria. The experiments of bioleaching were performed using indigenous sulphur-oxidizing bacteria (Thiobacillus spp.) as inoculum and samples of anaerobically-digested sludge. Nitrogen and phosphorous solubilization from sewage sludge was assessed by measuring, respectively, the concentration of Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen, ammonia, nitrate/nitrite, and soluble and total phosphorous before and after the bioleaching assays. At the end of the experiment, after 4 days of incubation (final pH of 1.4), the following metal solubilization yields were obtained: zinc, 91%; nickel, 87%; copper, 79%; lead, 52%; and chromium, 42%. As a result of sludge acidification, the viable counts of selected indicator bacteria were decreased to below the detection limit (4 × 103 cfu 100 ml-1), followed by an increase in the mineral fraction of nitrogen (from 6 to 10%) and in the soluble fraction of phosphorous (from 15 to 30%). Although some loss of sludge nutrients can occur during solid-liquid separation following bioleaching, its beneficial effects as metal removal and reduction of pathogenic bacteria are sufficient to consider the potential of this treatment before sludge disposal onto agricultural fields.

Evaluation of biochemical and redox parameters in rats fed with corn grown in soil amended with urban sewage sludge

The increased production of urban sewage sludge requires alternative methods for final disposal. A very promising choice is the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer in agriculture, since it is rich in organic matter, macro and micronutrients. However, urban sewage sludge may contain toxic substances that may cause deleterious effects on the biota, water and soil, and consequently on humans. There is a lack of studies evaluating how safe the consumption of food cultivated in soils containing urban sewage sludge is. Thus, the aim of this paper was to evaluate biochemical and redox parameters in rats fed with corn produced in a soil treated with urban sewage sludge for a long term. For these experiments, maize plants were grown in soil amended with sewage sludge (rates of 5, 10 and 20. t/ha) or not (control). Four different diets were prepared with the corn grains produced in the field experiment, and rats were fed with these diets for 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Biochemical parameters (glucose, total cholesterol and fractions, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase) as well the redox state biomarkers such as reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase, glutathione peroxidase and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) were assessed. Our results show no differences in the biomarkers over 1 or 2 weeks. However, at 4 weeks BuChE activity was inhibited in rats fed with corn grown in soil amended with sewage sludge (5, 10 and 20. t/ha), while MDA levels increased. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to corn cultivated in the highest amount per hectare of sewage sludge (8 and 12 weeks) was associated with an increase in MDA levels and a decrease in GSH levels, respectively. Our findings add new evidence of the risks of consuming food grown with urban sewage sludge. However, considering that the amount and type of toxic substances present in urban sewage sludge varies considerably among different sampling areas, further studies are needed to evaluate sludge samples collected from different sources and/or undergoing different types of treatment. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

A potential application of sludge-based catalysts for the anaerobic bio-decolorization of tartrazine dye.

Two highly efficient (K2CO3/sludge carbon and ZnCl2/sludge carbon) solids were prepared by chemical addition following carbonization at 800 °C and were tested for anaerobic reduction of tartrazine dye in a continuous upflow packed-bed biological reactor, and their performance was compared to that of commercial activated carbon (CAC). The chemical and structural information of the solids was subjected to various characterizations in order to understand the mechanism for anaerobic decolorization, and efficiency for SBCZN800 and SBCPC800 materials was 87% and 74%, respectively, at a short space time (τ) of 2.0 min. A first-order kinetic model fitted the experimental points and kinetic constants of 0.40, 0.92 and 1.46 min(-1) were obtained for SBCZN800, SBCPC800 and CAC, respectively. The experimental results revealed that performance of solids in the anaerobic reduction of tartrazine dye can depend on several factors including chemical agents, carbonization, microbial population, chemical groups and surface chemistry. The Langmuir and Freundlich models are successfully described in the batch adsorption data. Based on these observations, a cost-effective sludge-based catalyst can be produced from harmful sewage sludge for the treatment of industrial effluents.

Bench-scale evaluation of the activated sludge process for treatment of a high -strength chemical plant wastewater

A bench-scale treatability study was conducted on a high-strength wastewater from a chemical plant to develop an alternative for the existing waste stabilization pond treatment system. The objective of this study was to determine the treatability of the wastewater by the activated sludge process and, if treatable, to determine appropriate operating conditions, and to evaluate the degradability of bis(2-chloroethyl)ether (Chlorex) and benzene in the activated sludge system. Four 4-L Plexi-glass, complete mixing, continuous flow activated sludge reactors were operated in parallel under different operating conditions over a 6-month period. The operating conditions examined were hydraulic retention time (HRT), sludge retention time (SRT), nutrient supplement, and Chlorex/benzene spikes. Generally the activated sludge system treating high-strength wastewater was stable under large variations of organic loading and operating conditions. At an HRT of 2 days, more than 90% removal efficiency with good sludge settleability was achieved when the organic loading was less than 0.4 g BOD$\sb5$/g MLVSS/d or 0.8 g COD/g MLVSS/d. At least 20 days of SRT was required to maintain steady operation. Phosphorus addition enhanced the performance of the system especially during stressed operation. On the average, removals of benzene and Chlorex were 73-86% and 37-65%, respectively. In addition, the low-strength wastewater was treatable by activated sludge process, showing more than 90% BOD removal at a HRT of 0.5 days. In general, the sludge had poor settling characteristics. The aerated lagoon process treating high-strength wastewater also provided significant organic reduction, but did not produce an acceptable effluent concentration. ^

Sewage sludge gasification. Dolomite performance under different operating conditions

Gasification is a technology that can replace traditional management alternatives used up to date to deal with this waste (landfilling, composting and incineration) and which fulfils the social, environmental and legislative requirements. The main products of sewage sludge gasification are permanent gases (useful to generate energy or to be used as raw material in chemical synthesis processes), liquids (tars) and char. One of the main problems to be solved in gasification is tar production. Tars are organic impurities which can condense at relatively high temperatures making impossible to use the produced gases for most applications. This work deals with the effect of some primary tar removal processes (performed inside the gasifier) on sewage sludge gasification products. For this purpose, analysis of the gas composition, tar production, cold gas efficiency and carbon conversion were carried out. The tests were performed with air in a laboratory scale plant consisting mainly of a bubbling bed gasifier. No catalyzed and catalyzed (10% wt of dolomite in the bed and in the feeding) tests were carried out at different temperatures (750ºC, 800ºC and 850ºC) in order to know the effect of these parameters in the gasification products. As far as tars were concerned, qualitative and quantitative tar composition was determined. In all tests the Equivalence Ratio (ER) was kept at 0.3. Temperature is one of the most influential variables in sewage sludge gasification. Higher temperatures favoured hydrogen and CO production while CO2 content decreased, which might be partially explained by the effect of the cracking, Boudouard and CO2 reforming reactions. At 850ºC, cold gas efficiency and carbon conversion reached 49% and 76%, respectively. The presence of dolomite as catalyst increased the production of H2 reaching contents of 15.5% by volume at 850 °C. Similar behaviour was found for CO whereas CO2 and CnHm (light hydrocarbons) production decreased. In the presence of dolomite, a tar reduction of up to 51% was reached in comparison with no catalyzed tests, as well as improvements on cold gas efficiency and carbon conversion. Several assays were developed in order to test catalyst performance under more rough gasification conditions. For this purpose, the throughput value (TR), defined as kg sludge “as received” fed to the gasifier per hour and per m2 of cross sectional area of the gasifier, was modified. Specifically, the TR values used were 110 (reference value), 215 and 322 kg/h·m2. When TR increased, the H2, CO and CH4 production decreased while the CO2 and the CnHm production increased. Tar production increased drastically with TR during no catalysed tests what is related to the lower residence time of the gas inside the reactor. Nevertheless, even at TR=322 kg/h·m2, tar production decreased by nearly 50% with in-bed use of dolomite in comparison with no catalyzed assays under the same operating conditions. Regarding relative tar composition, there was an increase in benzene and naphthalene content when temperature increased while the content of the rest of compounds decreased. The dolomite seemed to be effective all over the range of molecular weight studied showing tar removal efficiencies between 35-55% in most cases. High values of the TR caused a significant increase in tar production but a slight effect on tar composition.

Thermogravimetric monitoring of oil refinery sludge

The present work has two dimensions: analytical and environmental. On the one hand we proved that thermogravimetric analysis can be used to perform fast characterization of oil refinery sludge. To this end, thermogravimetric curves were deconvoluted by using autocatalytic kinetics to take into account acceleratory phases in a thermal degradation performed in oxygen-containing atmosphere or at high heating rates. Based on thermogravimetric results, oil refinery sludge was modeled in terms of various fractions (pseudo-components) which degrade as major oil cuts. On the other hand, as an alternative to landfill, we have seen that Soxhlet extraction allows recovery almost half of the weight of sludge as a mixture of hydrocarbons, similar to gas–oil, which burns without residue. This ensures both, waste inerting and significant reduction in sludge volume.