Anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and FOG with sewage sludge – realising its potential in Ireland

The severe environmental pollution in many countries is caused by indiscriminate discharge of large quantities of food waste (FW), fat oil and grease (FOG) and sewage sludge (SS) to the environment. There are many possible treatment routes, but anaerobic digestion (AD) is now well accepted for treating several kinds of organic wastes. But AD of FW alone presents some operational challenges because of substrates and variability. Anaerobic co-digestion of two or more substrates is better than single substrate digestion. This can use a plant’s unused capacity, in line with the trend to renewable energy. Co-digestion technology, although well established in many European countries, is still in its infancy in Ireland. There are problems with different regulatory arrangements. They should be resolved. The paper reviews anaerobic co-digestion technology is reviewed, with special focus on possible application in Ireland.     

Reduction of chlorophenols and sludge management from paper industry wastewater using electrocoagulation process

ABSTRACT

In this study, electrocoagulation (EC) was used to determine the optimum conditions on the basis of maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color removal. At the optimum conditions chlorophenols (CPs), biological oxygen demand and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined. The biodegradability of wastewater was increased significantly with 63% COD, 98% color, 61% TOC and overall 65.51% reductions in CPs. Further, the electro-coagulated sludge was characterized by using different analytical techniques to assist the physicochemical and elemental phases, to find-out better management option, reusability for plant growth and safe disposal. Additionally, aluminum content (70.62%) was successfully recovered from sludge.     

Reduction of waste biosolids by RAS-ozonation: Model validation and sensitivity analysis for biosolids reduction and nitrification

Biosolids reduction model by return activated sludge ozonation was validated by simulating nitrification data compiled from our pilot-scale and the literature studies. Then, a global sensitivity analysis (GSA) was performed to identify influential and non-influential parameters for biosolids reduction efficiency, change in specific nitrification activity (SNA), and alteration to expected nitrification stability. In general, the model outputs were sensitive to operational and ozone reaction parameters, but not to biochemical parameters. For operational parameters, mainly temperature and initial solids retention time (SRT) influenced all model outputs. For biosolids reduction, increase in the degradability of the influent COD decreased the reduction efficiency. For SNA, the changes were highly dependent on the influent TKN/COD ratio. Our findings also imply that the stability of the nitrification process in ozonated systems should be enhanced at constant MLVSS for warm temperatures, but could be reduced at temperatures below 12 °C and aerated SRTs below 10 days.     

PAM-粉煤灰体系在煤泥水絮凝沉降过程中的作用及机理

以煤泥水COD、SS、动电位、污泥比阻为切入点,分析了煤泥水的特点及难以絮凝沉降的原因,并研究了PAM-粉煤灰体系在混凝沉降作用中的机理。研究结果表明:PAM-粉煤灰法在最优条件下,清水分离率47%、沉降速度0.357 mm/s;上清液:pH=7.35,SS=55.57 mg/L,COD=37.72 mg/L;污泥比阻为0.062×10^15 m/kg,满足煤泥水循环标准。     

高盐高有机制药废水污泥电渗透高干脱水

为研究高盐高有机制药废水污泥的电渗透脱水效果，深入认识化学污泥的电脱水过程，本文采用电渗透高干脱水技术对经抽滤脱水的高盐高有机制药废水化学污泥进行深度脱水，考察了泥饼初始pH的改变对污泥电渗透高干脱水过程中阴阳极污泥的含水率、电流、电导率、pH、zeta电位与能耗的影响，验证了对高盐高有机制药废水污泥实行电渗透高干脱水的可行性，解析了化学污泥电渗透脱水过程的机制。结果表明，泥饼pH为2、3、4时，zeta电位为正值，电渗流反向流动，无法脱水；pH增至5时，zeta电位为负值，电渗流从阴极脱除，污泥含水率从53.2%降至44.8%，脱水效果最好；但pH增至6时，脱水量有所降低。污泥电导率随pH的增加而降低。pH为5时初始电流最大。脱水15min时，即污泥含水率降至45.5%时，能源利用率最高。     

用于制备膨体颗粒调剖剂的含油污泥除油技术研究

利用含油污泥制备膨体颗粒调剖剂用于调剖堵水是一种新的污泥资源化技术，研究了含油污泥的预处理方法，尤其是除油技术。分别使用热水酸洗、热水酸洗／除油剂对污泥进行了除油试验，并以干泥含油率为指标考察了pH值、水与泥质量比、除油剂用量对除油效果的影响。试验结果表明，在水与泥质量比为2．0、pH值为6．0、45℃条件下，用矿化水热水酸洗可使干泥含油率从31．5％降至19．4％。同样条件下，除油剂用量为40．0mg／L时，热水酸洗／除油剂处理能使干泥含油率进一步降至11．2％。聚合试验结果表明，经热水酸洗／除油剂处理后的污泥能够聚合得到胶块强度高、膨胀倍数高的膨体颗粒调剖剂。     

Pilot Plant Study of Simultaneous Sewage Sludge Digestion and Metal Leaching

This research is related to a preindustrial pilot scale study of the performance of the simultaneous sewage sludge digestion and metal leaching (SSDML) process for decontamination and stabilization of sewage sludge. Ten batch tests were carried out in two 4?m3 bioreactors under various conditions of operation. Results indicated that the addition of 1.0 to 1.5?g?S0/L, which is the equivalent of approximately 30 to 50?kg?S0 per tons dry sludge, is sufficient to obtain conditions of acidity (pH<2.5) and oxido-reduction potential greater than 500 mV necessary for an effective solubilization of toxic metals. The final average of metal solubilization in the output sludge during the SSDML process varied in the following ranges: 25–78% Cd, 9–32% Cr, 48–100% Cu, 77–99% Mn, 15–53% Ni, 12–47% Pb, and 66–100% Zn. The N, P, and K contents were also preserved in the decontaminated sludge. Moreover, the use of low concentrations of elemental sulfur makes it possible to obtain decontaminated sludge with a low total sulfur content (1.4–1.5% S) compatible with agricultural use. The suspended solids removal calculated for the SSDML process was slightly lower, (2.5±0.4)% volatile suspended solids per day, than those reached using standard aerobic digestion. Finally, the SSDML process was found to be effective in removing bad odors and in the destruction (99–100%) of indicator bacteria.