Biostabilization of sewage sludge in the Antarctic

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 216-217
Author(s):  
Carlos Banchón ◽  
Tamara Borodulina ◽  
Paola Posligua ◽  
Miguel Gualoto
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Atmospheric Pollution ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Human Waste ◽  
Fuel Spills ◽  
The Antarctic

Antarctica is no longer a pristine environment due to atmospheric pollution, fuel spills, inadequate waste management and wastewater discharges from anthropogenic activities (Harris 1998, Stark et al. 2015). Approximately 37% of the permanent stations and 69% of the summer stations lack any form of sewage treatment (Gröndahl et al. 2009). The characteristics of wastewater from stations are also of concern because they are a complex mix of contaminants containing human waste, cosmetics, viruses, dyes, detergents, medications, chemicals from laboratories and even microplastics (Bhardwaj et al. 2018). In Antarctica, treatment plants discharge treated water into the sea and then sludge is packed and sealed into drums for later shipment to Chile. Nevertheless, sewage sludge (c. 59–88% organic matter) could become a biosolid instead of being a waste if correctly stabilized. The Ecuadorian Antarctic station ‘Pedro Vicente Maldonado’ produced c. 200 kg of sewage sludge during expeditions in 2017 and 2018. Thus, the aim of the present study was to biostabilize sewage sludge using two methods (one thermal and one biological) at the Ecuadorian Antarctic station. As a result, the stabilization of sewage sludge produced a biosolid that was easier and more cost effective to transport, avoiding odour problems.

In-vessel co-composting – a rapid resource recovery option for septage treatment in Indian cities

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 688-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anu Rachel Thomas ◽  
Martin Kranert ◽  
Ligy Philip
Keyword(s):  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Organic Load ◽  
Human Waste ◽  
Design Load ◽  
Solids Content ◽  
Chennai City ◽  
Indian Cities

Abstract Septage management is a challenging task across India as more than 44% of the population depends on septic tanks for human waste management. Septage collected from Chennai city, India, was found to be rich in nutrients even though the total solids content (<2%) and C/N are low. The current practice of septage disposal in Chennai city is co-treatment in existing sewage treatment plants. The main drawback of this method is that treatment efficiency could deteriorate if the organic load increased much beyond the design load of the treatment plant and would result in poor treated-water quality. In this context, the present study focused on the potential of in-vessel co-composting as a sustainable treatment option. In order to enhance the co-composting process, suitable co-substrates were identified for making the process efficient and cost-effective. The area under the temperature profile during composting was used as an assessment tool for the identification of the proper mix. Addition of mixed organic waste and coir pith waste (bulking agent) to the dewatered septage gave the highest area among the different combinations. Different waste combinations were investigated in order to assess the suitability for field scale application.

Future proof decentralised sludge recycling Elodry-pro®

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 840-848
Author(s):  
B. Geraats ◽  
M. Parnowska ◽  
L. Kox
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Modular Design ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Nox Formation

Abstract At Linz-Unkel (Germany) sewage treatment plant the first full scale state-of-art EloDry-Pro® plant for sewage sludge has been constructed, consisting of the PYREG® reactor and the EloDry® belt dryer. The system is characterised by small footprint, flexibility, modular design and efficient energy management. The sludge dried using an EloDry® belt dryer undergoes staged combustion using the PYREG® module at around 6,500°C. This reduces the sludge to a fraction of its original volume while disinfecting it and removing micro-pollutants such as pharmaceutical residues. The residual ash, which has a high percentage of plant-available phosphorus, is then supplied to the fertiliser industry as a recycled raw material. The working principle of EloDry-Pro® installation, including heat flows of the system, is presented. The paper describes Pyreg®'s advanced emission control systems, preventing NOx formation and removing harmful substances such as mercury and sulphur. The EloDry-Pro® technology is an innovative and cost-effective approach to decentralised thermal recycling of sewage sludge. Both sewage sludge volumes and transportation costs are reduced by up to 90%, therefore making it a low carbon cost-effective alternative to the transportation of sludge and allowing local sludge processing at plants under 100 k population.

scholarly journals Characterization of an Industrial Sewage Sludge and Its Evaluation for Land Application

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 27-34
Author(s):  
Mohsen Mohammadi Galangash ◽  
◽  
Mostafa Mahdavianpour ◽  
Samira Ghafouri Safa ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Organic Contaminants ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Nutrient Contents ◽  
Microbial Contaminants ◽  
Industrial Sewage ◽  
Industrial Sewage Sludge

Background: Sewage treatment leads to the production of large amount of sludge, containing organic matter and nutrients and considering requirements for recycling could be used as fertilizer. The sludge may also contain various pollutants that pose serious harm to human health and the environment. This study aimed at characterizing the industrial sewage sludge and evaluating its capability as fertilizer with no or a minor pretreatment. Methods: The sludge’s organic matter and nutrient contents, heavy metals, organic and microbial contaminants were determined and compared to literature data and international guidelines. Results: The organic matter, nutrients, phosphorous, and exchangeable potassium contents of the sludge samples were significantly high as follows: 33.6 ± 2.85 %, 6.29 ± 0.16 %, 1.41± 0.01 % and 1.236 g/kg, respectively. The concentration of heavy metals was 94.3 ± 59.5 mg/kg. The concentration of heavy metals, organic contaminants, such as PCBs, BTEX, and PAHs, and microbial contents (coliforms & E. coli) were lower than those reported by other studies. Toluene concentration was high. Conclusions: All characteristics of the sludge samples, except for the toluene and microbial contaminations, were acceptable for its use as land fertilizer. Both toluene and microbial contaminants can be removed, using thermal conditioning as a pretreatment.

scholarly journals Heavy metals availability and soil fertility after land application of sewage sludge on dystroferric Red Latosol

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 512-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Santos Moreira ◽  
Ronaldo Luiz Mincato ◽  
Breno Régis Santos
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Urban Sewage ◽  
Randomized Design ◽  
Red Latosol ◽  
Insoluble Compounds

Sewage sludge is the solid residue obtained from urban sewage treatment plants. It is possible to use the sludge in a sustainable way as fertilizer and as soil conditioner due to its high levels of organic matter and nutrients. Besides pathogens and volatile organic compounds, the residue may also contain heavy metals which may accumulate and contaminate crops and the food chain. The aim of this study was evaluates the changes in the fertility of dystrophic Red Latosol and in the availability of heavy metals following application of sewage sludge. It was assessed whether organic matter supplied to the soil as large amounts of sewage sludge would decrease availability of heavy metals in the soil due to of insoluble compounds formation. From this, an experiment was carried out in polyethylene pots using lettuce plant for test. Sewage sludge were applied to the soil in concentrations equivalent to 60, 120 and 180 t ha-1, and a control without sludge, in four replicates, in a completely randomized design. The results show that sewage sludge led to an increase of organic matter contents, of the cation exchange capacity (CEC) and of nutrients found in the soil. It also improved plant growth up to a concentration of 120 t ha-1. Availability of heavy metals, however, was reduced in sludge concentrations starting with 120 t ha-1.

scholarly journals Renewable energy from biogas generated by sewage sludge – relationship between sludge volume and power generated

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Suzana Ramli ◽  
Aminuddin Mohd Baki ◽  
Muhamad Azmi Ayub ◽  
Suhaimi Abdul Talib ◽  
Ramlah Mohd Tajuddin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Anaerobic Digesters ◽  
Decomposition Of Organic Matter ◽  
Main Components ◽  
The Cost

Biogas is a product of decomposition of organic matter during the process of anaerobic digestion (AD). The main components are methane and carbon dioxide. The methane content in the biogas enables it to be used as fuel which can be converted to heat and electricity. The biogas generated by the anaerobic digesters has the potential to be redirected from the flaring facilities to renewable energy (RE) facilities. The biogas may then be used to generate electricity, which in turn can operate the sewage treatment plant (STP) itself. However, feedbacks from the sewerage industry indicated that heavy investments are needed for any RE initiatives on biogas generated by sewage sludge. In order to find the cost effective way of generating energy from biogas, fundamental relationships are necessary to enable development of prototype in the future. Thus, this paper presents a study to establish the relationship between the volume of sludge and the amount of power and energy that can be generated.

scholarly journals Application of Internal Carbon Source from Sewage Sludge: A Vital Measure to Improve Nitrogen Removal Efficiency of Low C/N Wastewater

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 2338
Author(s):  
Huacai Wang ◽  
Cancan Jiang ◽  
Xu Wang ◽  
Shengjun Xu ◽  
Xuliang Zhuang
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Carbon Source ◽  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Nitrogen Removal ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Operating Cost ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus

Biological nitrogen removal from wastewater is widely used all over the world on account of high efficiency and relatively low cost. However, nitrogen removal efficiency is not optimized when the organic matter has inadequate effect for the lack of a sufficient carbon source in influent. Although addition of an external carbon source (e.g., methanol and acetic acid) could solve the insufficient carbon source problem, it raises the operating cost of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). On the other hand, large amounts of sludge are produced during biological sewage treatment, which contain high concentrations of organic matter. This paper reviews the emerging technologies to obtain an internal organic carbon resource from sewage sludge and their application on improving nitrogen removal of low carbon/nitrogen wastewater of WWTPs. These are methods that could solve the insufficient carbon problem and excess sludge crisis simultaneously. The recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus from treated sludge before recycling as an internal carbon source should also be emphasized, and the energy and time consumed to treat sludge should be reduced in practical application.

Treatment and disposal of domestic sewage sludge and nightsoil sludge for Bangkok

1996 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 209-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Stoll ◽  
K. Parameswaran
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Agricultural Use ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
Environmentally Sound ◽  
Treatment And Disposal

In the recent past, treatment and disposal of sewage sludge has become an expensive and environmentally sensitive problem in western countries. It is becoming a growing problem worldwide with its focus on the megacities in the newly developed countries, since sludge production will continue to increase as new sewage treatment plants are built and environmental quality standards become more stringent. With some traditional disposal routes coming under pressure, the challenge facing the wastewater treatment authorities is to find cost-effective and environmentally sound solutions whilst responding to increasing public awareness. This paper describes the development of a plan for integrated management of municipal sludges (sewage sludge, nightsoil/septage sludge) which has high security for medium-and long-term sludge utilization and disposal as the goal. It concludes that incineration and agricultural use should be implemented and operated in parallel as first priority options.

Sludge minimization by disintegration at different wastewater treatment plants

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luchien Luning ◽  
Paul Roeleveld ◽  
Victor W.M. Claessen
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Biological Degradation ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Sludge Minimization

In recent years new technologies have been developed to improve the biological degradation of sewage sludge by anaerobic digestion. The paper describes the results of a demonstration of ultrasonic disintegration on the Dutch Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Land van Cuijk. The effect on the degradation of organic matter is presented, together with the effect on the dewatering characteristics. Recommendations are presented for establishing research conditions in which the effect of sludge disintegration can be determined in a more direct way that is less sensitive to changing conditions in the operation of the WWTP. These recommendations have been implemented in the ongoing research in the Netherlands supported by the National Institute for wastewater research (STOWA).

Towards an Affordable Human Waste Management Programme for the Poor – A Report on Bangladesh

1986 ◽  
Vol 18 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 33-40
Author(s):  
K. M. Minnatullah
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Management Programme ◽  
Oral Disease ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Human Waste

Nearly 80% of all illness in Bangladesh is related to water and sanitation. The combined rate of enteric diseases in Bangladesh is the highest in the world. 30% of all the deaths of children under 5 are due to diarrhoea, claiming more than 200,000 lives annually. Environmentally sound human waste management, along with personal hygiene awareness, are of critical importance to the prevention of faecal-oral disease transmission. present rural sanitation coverage is about 3%. A national target has been set to ensure that 13% of the rural poor will be covered under the human waste management programme by 1990, the end of the U.N. Water Decade. This however, contrasts with the similar target of 77% for the rural water supply programme, which received higher resource allocation and priority for a much longer period. This lack of correlation between water and sanitation has highly reduced the positive health impact of these developments. An affordable human waste management programme for the rural people, where 87% of the total population lives under conditions of the greatest poverty and underdevelopment, urgently needs serious and realistic consideration in the context of the limited resource prospects for future years. This report addresses the above issues and describes the commendable momentum that has been gained through the continuous efforts of national planners and policy makers. It is hoped that this might in the near future, through the rural human waste management programme, produce the long desired continual reduction of faecal-oral disease transmission.

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