Sewage Sludge Electro-Dewatering

Original sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) usually has a poor dewaterability. Conventionally, mechanical dewatering methods are used to increase the dry solids (DS) content of the sludge. However, sludge dewatering is an important economic factor in the operation of WWTPs, high water content in the final sludge cake is commonly related to an increase in transport and disposal costs. Electro‐dewatering could be a potential technique to reduce the water content of the final sludge cake, but the parameters affecting the performance of electro‐dewatering and the quality of the resulting sludge cake, as well as removed water, are not sufficiently well known. In this research, non‐pressure and pressure‐driven experiments were set up to investigate the effect of various parameters and experimental strategies on electro‐dewatering. Migration behaviour of organic compounds and metals was also studied. Application of electrical field significantly improved the dewatering performance in comparison to experiments without electric field. Electro‐dewatering increased the DS content of the sludge from 15% to 40 % in non‐pressure applications and from 8% to 41% in pressure‐driven applications. DS contents were significantly higher than typically obtained with mechanical dewatering techniques in wastewater treatment plant. The better performance of the pressure‐driven dewatering was associated to a higher current density at the beginning and higher electric field strength later on in the experiments. The applied voltage was one of the major parameters affecting dewatering time, water removal rate and DS content of the sludge cake. By decreasing the sludge loading rate, higher electrical field strength was established between the electrodes, which has a positive effect on an increase in DS content of the final sludge cake. However interrupted voltage application had anegative impact on dewatering in this study, probably because the off‐times were too long. Other factors affecting dewatering performance were associated to the original sludge characteristics and sludge conditioning. Anaerobic digestion of the sludge with high pH buffering capacity, polymer addition and freeze/thaw conditioning had a positive impact on dewatering. The impact of pH on electro‐dewatering was related to the surface charge of the particles measured as zeta‐potential. One of the differences between electro‐dewatering and mechanical dewatering technologies is that electro‐dewatering actively removes ionic compounds from the sludge. In this study, dissolution and migration of organic compounds (such as shortchain fatty acids), macro metals (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe) and trace metals (Ni, Mn, Zn, Cr) was investigated. The migration of the metals depended on the fractionation and electrical field strength. These compounds may have both negative and positive impacts on the reuse and recycling of the sludge and removed water. Based on the experimental results of this study, electro‐dewatering process can be optimized in terms of dewatering time, desired DS content, power consumption and chemical usage.

Devenir environnemental des antidépresseurs dans les rejets urbains par chromatographie liquide à haute performance couplée à la spectrométrie de masse en tandem

Les troubles reliés à la dépression, l’épuisement professionnel et l’anxiété sont de plus en plus répandus dans notre société moderne. La consommation croissante d’antidépresseurs dans les différents pays du monde est responsable de la récente détection de résidus à l’état de traces dans les rejets urbains municipaux. Ainsi, ces substances dites « émergentes » qui possèdent une activité pharmacologique destinée à la régulation de certains neurotransmetteurs dans le cerveau suscitent maintenant de nombreuses inquiétudes de la part de la communauté scientifique. L’objectif principal de ce projet de doctorat a été de mieux comprendre le devenir de plusieurs classes d’antidépresseurs présents dans diverses matrices environnementales (i.e. eaux de surfaces, eaux usées, boues de traitement, tissus biologiques) en développant de nouvelles méthodes analytiques fiables capables de les détecter, quantifier et confirmer par chromatographie liquide à haute performance couplée à la spectrométrie de masse en tandem (LC-QqQMS, LC-QqToFMS). Une première étude complétée à la station d’épuration de la ville de Montréal a permis de confirmer la présence de six antidépresseurs et quatre métabolites N-desmethyl dans les affluents (2 - 330 ng L-1). Pour ce traitement primaire (physico-chimique), de faibles taux d’enlèvement (≤ 15%) ont été obtenus. Des concentrations d’antidépresseurs atteignant près de 100 ng L-1 ont également été détectées dans le fleuve St-Laurent à 0.5 km du point de rejet de la station d’épuration. Une seconde étude menée à la même station a permis l’extraction sélective d’antidépresseurs dans trois tissus (i.e. foie, cerveau et filet) de truites mouchetées juvéniles exposées à différentes concentrations d’effluent dilué traité et non-traité à l’ozone. Un certain potentiel de bioaccumulation dans les tissus (0.08-10 ng g-1) a été observé pour les spécimens exposés à l’effluent non-traité (20% v/v) avec distribution majoritaire dans le foie et le cerveau. Une intéressante corrélation a été établie entre les concentrations de trois antidépresseurs dans le cerveau et l’activité d’un biomarqueur d’exposition (i.e. pompe N/K ATPase impliquée dans la régulation de la sérotonine) mesurée à partir de synaptosomes de truites exposées aux effluents. Une investigation de l’efficacité de plusieurs stations d’épuration canadiennes opérant différents types de traitements a permis de constater que les traitements secondaires (biologiques) étaient plus performants que ceux primaires (physico-chimiques) pour enlever les antidépresseurs (taux moyen d’enlèvement : 30%). Les teneurs les plus élevées dans les boues traitées (biosolides) ont été obtenues avec le citalopram (1033 ng g-1), la venlafaxine (833 ng g-1) et l’amitriptyline (78 ng g-1). Des coefficients de sorption expérimentaux (Kd) calculés pour chacun des antidépresseurs ont permis d’estimer une grande sorption des composés sertraline, desméthylsertraline, paroxetine et fluoxetine sur les solides (log Kd > 4). Finalement, un excellent taux d’enlèvement moyen de 88% a été obtenu après ozonation (5 mg L-1) d’un effluent primaire. Toutefois, la caractérisation de nouveaux sous-produits N-oxyde (venlafaxine, desmethylvenlafaxine) par spectrométrie de masse à haute résolution (LC-QqToFMS) dans l’effluent traité à l’ozone a mis en lumière la possibilité de formation de multiples composés polaires de toxicité inconnue.

The importance of precision in sampling sludges, biowastes and treated soils in a regulatory framework

As part of the European Commission (EC)'s revision of the Sewage Sludge Directive and the development of a Biowaste Directive, there was recognition of the difficulty of comparing data from Member States (MSs) because of differences in sampling and analytical procedures. The 'HORIZONTAL' initiative, funded by the EC and MSs, seeks to address these differences in approach and to produce standardised procedures in the form of CEN standards. This article is a preliminary investigation into aspects of the sampling of biosolids, composts and soils to which there is a history of biosolid application. The article provides information on the measurement uncertainty associated with sampling from heaps, large bags and pipes and soils in the landscape under a limited set of conditions, using sampling approaches in space and time and sample numbers based on procedures widely used in the relevant industries and when sampling similar materials. These preliminary results suggest that considerably more information is required before the appropriate sample design, optimum number of samples, number of samples comprising a composite, and temporal and spatial frequency of sampling might be recommended to achieve consistent results of a high level of precision and confidence. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential uptake, partitioning and transfer of Cd and Zn in the soil-pea plant-aphid system

The biomagnification of trace metals during transfer from contaminated soil to higher trophic levels may potentially result in the exposure of predatory arthropods to toxic concentrations of these elements. This study examined the transfer of Cd and Zn in a soil−plant−arthropod system grown in series of field plots that had received two annual applications of municipal biosolids with elevated levels of Cd and Zn. Results showed that biosolids amendment significantly increased the concentration of Cd in the soil and the shoots of pea plants and the concentration of Zn in the soil, pea roots, shoots, and pods. In addition, the ratio of Cd to Zn concentration showed that Zn was preferentially transferred compared to Cd through all parts of the system. As a consequence, Zn was biomagnified by the system whereas Cd was biominimized. Cd and Zn are considered to exhibit similar behaviors in biological systems. However, the Cd/Zn ratios demonstrated that in this system, Cd is much less labile in the root−shoot−pod and shoot−aphid pathways than Zn.

Soil phosphorus dynamics and phytoavailability from sewage sludge at different stages in a treatment stream

The effect of different stages of sewage sludge treatment on phosphorus (P) dynamics in amended soils was determined using samples of undigested liquid (UL), anaerobically digested liquid (AD) and dewatered anaerobically digested (DC) sludge. Sludges were taken from three points in the same treatment stream and applied to a sandy loam soil in field-based mesocosms at 4, 8 and 16t ha−1 dry solids. Mesocosms were sown with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. Melle), and the sward was harvested after 35 and 70 days to determine yield and foliar P concentration. Soils were also sampled during this period to measure P transformations and the activities of acid phosphomonoesterase and phosphodiesterase. Data show that the AD amended soils had the greatest plant-available and foliar P content up to the second harvest, but the UL amended soils had the greatest enzyme activity. Characterisation of control and 16t ha−1 soils and sludge using solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy after NaOH–EDTA extraction revealed that P was predominantly in the inorganic pool in all three sludge samples, with the highest proportion (of the total extracted P) as inorganic P in the anaerobically digested liquid sludge. After sludge incorporation, P was immobilised to organic species. The majority of organic P was in monoester-P forms, while the remainder of organic P (diester P and phosphonate P) was more susceptible to transformations through time and showed variation with sludge type. These results show that application of sewage sludge at rates as low as 4t ha−1 can have a significant nutritional benefit to ryegrass over an initial 35-day growth and subsequent 35-day re-growth periods. Differences in P transformation, and hence nutritional benefit, between sludge types were evident throughout the experiment. Thus, differences in sludge treatment process alter the edaphic mineralisation characteristics of biosolids derived from the same source material.

Organic contaminant content and physico-chemical characteristics of waste materials recycled in agriculture

A range of wastes representative of materials currently applied, or with future potential to be applied, to agricultural land in the UK as fertilisers and soil improvers or used as animal bedding in livestock production, were investigated. In addition to full physico-chemical characterization, the materials were analysed for a suite of priority organic contaminants. In general, contaminants were present at relatively low concentrations. For example, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls in biosolids and compost-like-outputs (CLOs) were, in most cases, between 5-50 times lower than proposed and implemented European limit values for biosolids or composts applied to agricultural land. However, the technical basis for these limits may need to be re-evaluated. Polybrominated, and mixed halogenated, dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans are not currently considered in risk assessments of dioxins and dioxin-like chemicals, but were detected in the biosolids and compost-like-outputs and their potential contribution to the overall toxic equivalency will be assessed. Other, ‘emerging’ contaminants such as perfluoralkyl compounds (PFCs) and organophosphate flame retardants were detected in several of the waste materials, and their potential significance is discussed. The study is part of a wider research programme that will provide evidence to improve confidence in the use of waste-derived materials in agriculture and establish guidelines to protect the food chain where necessary.

Efeito do sombreamento e do substrato sobre a germinação e o crescimento de plântulas de Acacia mangium e Acacia mearnsii

The speed and uniform germination of seeds, followed by the prompt seedling emergence, are highly desirable characteristics in seedling production. Studies aiming to enable the use of organic waste such as sewage sludge and pine bark in the supply chain represent a current demand. The aim of this study was to identify conditions of shading and substrate which are more favorable to the process of seed germination and seedling growth of Acacia mangium and Acacia mearnsii. After overcoming dormancy in hot water, the seeds were sown in three substrates: substrate plantmax commercial forest (control), pine bark and pine bark mixed with biosolids (1:1). The tubes were placed in a tree nursery under three shading conditions: 50%, 30% and 0% (full sun). The evaluated parameters were: speed and germination percentage (daily until 30 days) and shoot length of seedlings (weekly from 75 to 150 days). The experiment was a completely randomized design with treatments in a factorial 3 x 3 and the results were submitted to regression analysis. The highest germination was obtained in the sowing of Acacia mangium in pine bark at 30% shading and commercial substrate at 30 and 50% shading for Acacia mearnsii in pine bark under 50% shading or commercial substrate in full sun. For both species, seedlings grew faster and reached larger size in the final substrate of pine bark with biosolids and in any condition of shading (30 e 50 %) and full sun, anticipating the production of seedlings.

Atributos físicos de Latossolos adubados durante cinco anos com biossólido

A utilização do biossólido para fins agrícolas tem sido uma alternativa viável para resíduos de origem domiciliar e industrial. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da aplicação de biossólido nos atributos físicos de Latossolo Vermelho distrófico, textura média (LVd), e Latossolo Vermelho eutroférrico argiloso (LVef). Utilizaram-se as doses, acumuladas em 5 anos, de 0,0, 25,0, 47,5 e 50,0 Mg ha-1 de matéria seca de biossólido, incorporadas até 0,1 m com grade. As amostras deformadas foram coletadas no quinto ano, após a colheita do milho, nas camadas de 0,0-0,1, de 0,1-0,2 e de 0,2-0,3 m para determinação da composição granulométrica e matéria orgânica. As amostras indeformadas coletadas com cilindros metálicos de 0,030 m de altura e 0,048 m de diâmetro, também no quinto ano, foram utilizadas para determinação da densidade, porosidade e retenção de água no solo. A macroporosidade foi superior a partir de 47,5 Mg ha-1 e 50,0 Mg ha-1 de biossólido, no LVd e LVef, respectivamente, e a densidade do solo foi inferior na dose de 50,0 Mg ha-1 no LVd de textura média, na camada de 0,0-0,1 m. A aplicação de 50,0 Mg ha-1 de biossólido não alterou a porosidade total, a microporosidade e a retenção de água nos dois solos. O efeito da aplicação do biossólido depende do tipo de solo e da quantidade aplicada.

Nickel in soil and maize plants grown on an oxisol treated over a long time with sewage sludge

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

Bário, cádmio, cromo e chumbo em plantas de milho e em latossolo após onze aplicações anuais de lodo de esgoto

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

Acúmulo e disponibilidade de cromo, cádmio e chumbo em solos tratados com lodo de esgoto por onze anos consecutivos

The sewage sludge used for agricultural purposes provides many benefits to soil, but it contain harmful elements to environment, that infers in a great attention on its use. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of successive applications of sewage sludge on heavy metals accumulation (cadmium, chromium and lead) in samples of soils and corn plants, as well as evaluate the chemicals extractants efficiency in estimate the phyto disponibility of those elements. The experiment was conducted in randomized blocks design in the 2007/08 season, with 4 treatments (0, 5, 10 and 20 Mg ha-1 of sewage sludge) and 5 replicates. It was evaluated: the quantities available of Cd, Cr and Pb in soil by Melich-1, Melich-3 and DTPA extractants; the quantities extracted by corn plants; and the correlation between the disposition and quantities of those metals on whole plants, diagnosis leaves and corn grains. The application of sewage sludge for eleven consecutive years has not showed increase in total quantity nor availability of Cr, Cd and Pb in the evaluated soils. The extractor Melich-1 was the only one that showed significant correlation for availability of Cd, Cr and Pb in soil and corn plants. The correlation of metal availability in soil x leaf diagnosis was significant only for Pb with the Melich-3 and DTPA extractants

Lodo de esgoto na recuperação de áreas degradadas: efeito nas características físicas do solo

A recuperação de áreas degradadas é um processo lento e requer a adição de resíduos orgânicos como condicionador das propriedades físicas do solo. O lodo de esgoto apresenta elevados teores de matéria orgânica (MO) e nutrientes e, portanto, tem alto potencial para utilização nessas áreas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar o efeito da adição de lodo de esgoto na recuperação das características físicas de um solo degradado (Neossolo Quartzarênico) plantado com espécies nativas da Mata Atlântica, na Fazenda Entre-Rios, pertencente à Cia. Suzano Bahia Sul de Papel e Celulose, na região de Itatinga-SP. O experimento foi conduzido em blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por seis doses de lodo de esgoto (0, 2,5, 5, 10, 15 e 20 t ha-1), mais um que recebeu a adubação química. A aplicação de lodo de esgoto, para recuperação de áreas degradadas, aumentou os agregados do solo conforme o aumento das doses de lodo, até 12 meses após sua aplicação. As porosidades (macro, micro e total) do solo foram aumentadas com as maiores doses de lodo de esgoto até seis meses após sua aplicação; apenas a microporosidade foi aumentada até 12 meses após a aplicação. Houve aumento da umidade do solo em função do aumento das doses de lodo no solo até seis meses após a aplicação.

Sewage sludge levels on the development and nutrition of sunflower plants

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of substituting chemical nitrogen (N) fertilization for equivalent N levels from sewage sludge of Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP) on sunflower plant development. Nutrient levels in physiologically mature leaves and seeds, besides nutrient exportation during a 130-day assay, were also assessed. The experiment was carried out in 100 m(2) permanent plots at Sao Manuel Farm, which belongs to School of Agronomical Sciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Botncatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. The farm is located in the municipality of Sao Manuel, São Paulo State. Experimental design was in randomized blocks including 5 treatments and 5 replicates. Treatments were: T1 - chemical N fertilization according to the recommendation for the culture; T2 - 50% N from sewage sludge and 50% N from chemical fertilization; T3 - 100% N from sewage sludge; T4 - 150% N from sewage sludge; T5 - 200% N from sewage sludge. For all treatments, equal amounts of P and K fertilization were applied. Treatments differed for plant height from 21 to 64 days, stern diameter from 28 to 57 days, and leaf number from 21 to 38 days. Seed nutrient levels slightly varied; however, the quantities of exported N, P, Mg, Fe and Zn varied as sewage sludge levels increased.

Atributos físicos e químicos de substratos compostos por biossólidos e casca de arroz carbonizada

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar os atributos físicos e químicos de substratos com diferentes doses de biossólido (BIO) e de casca de arroz carbonizada (CAC), com vistas em obter um meio de crescimento adequado para o desenvolvimento de mudas. Desta forma, utilizando biossólido proveniente da SABESP, estação de Franca (SP), estabeleceu-se um ensaio com os seguintes tratamentos (proporções BIO/CAC): 100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, 50/50, 40/60, 30/70, 20/80, 10/90 e 0/100, os quais foram comparados ao substrato comercial Multiplant®. Foram realizadas análises para determinação dos atributos físicos, como: densidade aparente do substrato, macro e microporosidade, porosidade total, capacidade máxima de retenção de água, e dos atributos químicos dos substratos, como: teores totais de macro e micronutrientes, pH, relação C/N e condutividade elétrica. Com a elevação da dose de BIO no substrato houve aumento da densidade e do percentual de microporos e, conseqüentemente, da capacidade de retenção de água. O BIO apresentou teores razoáveis de nutrientes com destaque para N e P, mas baixos teores de K. Não foram detectados teores de metais pesados superiores aos limites estabelecidos pela Legislação Brasileira no biossólido usado. Comparando-se os valores considerados adequados para o desenvolvimento de mudas encontrados na literatura com os obtidos neste trabalho, encaixaram-se na faixa adequada os substratos cujas doses de biossólido variaram de 30 a 60 %. Nenhum substrato testado, incluindo o do tratamento com substrato comercial, apresentou valores ideais em todas as propriedades estudadas.

Crescimento e fixação biológica do nitrogênio em soja cultivada com doses de lodo de esgoto compostado

The use of sewage sludge is a highly promising practice for the development of sustainable agricultural systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate doses of sewage sludge composted with and without Rhizobium inoculation in leaf N content, nodule number, nodule dry weight and plant during flowering. The experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of the Department of Soil Science and Natural Resources College of Agricultural Sciences of Botucatu, using as substrate used in vessels of 30 liters a Red Yelow Latosol sandy texture with experimental design adopted was randomized blocks constituted for 10 treatments and five doses of composted sewage sludge (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 t ha(-1)) with or without inoculation Bradyrhizobium japonic with three replications. There was an increase in the number and dry weight of nodules and shoot dry mass of soybeans due to the increase of the dose of sludge up to a dose of 20 t ha(-1) and after this dose there was a decrease of these parameters. At a dose of 10 t ha(-1) sludge compost inoculated seeds showed higher for foliar concentrations of N and number of nodules compared with uninoculated seeds. At a dose of 30 t ha(-1) inoculated seeds were higher compared to uninoculated in all parameters.