Enhancement of sewage sludge dewaterability by fungal conditioning with Penicillium simplicissimum NJ12: From bench- to pilot-scale consecutive multi-batch investigations

Author(s):  
Neng Tao ◽  
Xiu Wu ◽  
Feng Zhang ◽  
Zilei Pi ◽  
Jiaqi Wen ◽  
...  

Abstract Bench- and pilot-scale successive multi-batch trials were conducted to investigate the performance and sustainability of fungal conditioning with Penicillium simplicissimum NJ12 for improving sludge dewatering. The dominant factors affecting the sludge dewaterability improvement by P. simplicissimum NJ12 were also identified. Fungal treatment with P. simplicissimum NJ12 at a volume fraction of 5% of the inoculum greatly improved the sludge dewaterability. This improvement was characterized by sharp decreases in the specific resistance to filtration from 1.97 × 1013 to 3.52 × 1011 m/kg and capillary suction time from 32 to 12 s within 3 days. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that a marked decrease (58.8%) in the protein content in slime extracellular polymeric substances and an increase in the zeta potential of the sludge (from − 35 to − 10 mV) were the most important factors that improved the dewaterability of sludge after fungal treatment. Consecutive processes of fungal treatment could be realized by recirculating the fungal-treated sludge with a recycling rate of 1:2 (Vbiotreated sludge/Vtotal sludge). The treatment effectiveness was maintained only over three successive cycles, but replenishment with fresh P. simplicissimum NJ12 would be provided periodically at set batch intervals. These findings demonstrate the possibility of P. simplicissimum NJ12-assisted fungal treatment for enhancing sludge dewatering.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Wang ◽  
Kankan Shang ◽  
Liangjun Da ◽  
Xingguo Liu ◽  
Yongjing Zhao ◽  
...  

This study investigated the synergetic effect of the combined calcium peroxide (CaO2) and microwave (MW) treatment on waste active sludge dewatering properties and organic contaminants’ removal. The optimal sludge dewaterability was obtained at CaO2 (20 mg/gVSS)/MW (70°C), and the capillary suction time decreased by 52% compared with raw sludge. Further investigation indicated that total extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), tightly bound EPS, total protein, and protein present in tightly bound EPS were closely correlated with sludge dewaterability. Tryptophan, aromatic protein–like substances and humic acid–like substances were the key compounds that affect sludge dewaterability. The charge neutralization and bridge effect of cation ions were strengthened when combined with MW irradiation. In addition, it was revealed that MW facilitated CaO2 to produce more hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals. This study confirmed CaO2/MW to be an effective way to improve sludge dewatering and remove organic pollutants from sludge.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2017 (3) ◽  
pp. 802-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingfang Zhang ◽  
Wenfeng Yang ◽  
Qiyong Yang ◽  
Tianfeng Wang ◽  
Shenliang Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Bioleaching, the addition of bacteria to geological materials, has been applied to sludge to remove metals and improve upon sludge dewaterability. This paper investigates the effect of using different quantities of inoculum (bacteria) during bioleaching on sludge dewaterability. The analysis was based on bioleaching experiments conducted in a 20 L bio-reactor using different quantities of inoculum (20%, 10%, 5%, 2%, 0%). Changes in pH, oxidation reduction potential (ORP), capillary suction time (CST), specific resistance to filtration (SRF) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were determined to gauge sludge dewatering. Results indicate that sludge dewaterability during the 2%, 10%, and 20% inoculum experiments declined through time. Decreased dewaterability is attributed to increases in the quantity of proteins and polysaccharides in slime EPS. Dewaterability improved during the 5% inoculum experiment, and reached a maximum when pH was 2.3. During this latter experiment, CST and SRF were reduced by 74% and 62%, respectively, in comparison to control conditions, while total EPS content decreased by 71%. The decrease in total EPS was primarily due to a decrease in proteins associated with tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS). Thus, changes in the amount of proteins in TB-EPS and sludge pH played a crucial role in sludge dewaterability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (12) ◽  
pp. 2585-2598
Author(s):  
Wenfeng Yang ◽  
Liyuan Zeng ◽  
Weihao Zhang ◽  
Qiyong Yang ◽  
Tianfeng Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Bioleaching, a technologically and economically feasible technology, is considered as the high efficiency method to improve dewaterability in sewage sludge. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different sludge concentrations on bioleaching dewaterability and understand the mechanism of the effect of bioleaching on sludge dewaterability. Variation in pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), capillary suction time (CST), specific resistance to filtration (SRF) and different fractions of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) including slime EPS (S-EPS), loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS), and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) were determined. Different sludge concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 g·L−1) were selected to investigate during bioleaching. Results indicated that sludge buffering capacity significantly inhibited bioleaching efficiency as sludge concentrations increased. Optimum enhancements in sludge dewaterability were observed during the 10 g·L−1 sludge concentration treatment, and reached a maximum when the pH was 2.11. The variation of different fractions of EPS revealed that the ratio of S-EPS/TB-EPS significantly affected sludge dewaterability. Principal component analysis and Pearson's correlation analysis both provided evidence that the higher TB-EPS followed by a very large reduction was positively correlated with sludge dewaterability. However, the increase of protein and DNA in S-EPS content was negatively correlated with sludge dewaterability.


2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (9) ◽  
pp. 1555-1560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fenxia Ye ◽  
Xinwen Liu ◽  
Ying Li

Anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge was conducted to gain insight into the mechanisms underlying change in sludge dewaterability during its anaerobic digestion. Unexpectedly, the results indicated that sludge dewatering properties measured by capillary suction time only deteriorated after 10 days of anaerobic digestion, after which dewaterability recovered and remained stable. The loosely bound extracellular polymeric substance (LB-EPS) content increased three-fold after 20 days of anaerobic digestion, and did not change significantly during the remaining 30 days. The tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) content reduced slightly after 20 days of anaerobic digestion, and stabilized during the last 30 days. Polysaccharides (PS) and proteins (PN) content in LB-EPS increased after 10 days of anaerobic digestion. However, PS and PN contents in TB-EPS decreased slightly. The relationship analysis showed that only LB-EPS correlated with dewaterability of the sludge during anaerobic digestion.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yali Liu ◽  
Xiaorong Kang ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
Zheng Wang ◽  
Zhaoqian Jing

The potential benefits and mechanisms of potassium ferrate pretreatment and calcium chloride addition on sludge dewaterability were investigated in this study. The capillary suction time (CST) was used to evaluate sludge dewaterability. Results indicated that potassium ferrate of 0.1 g/g total solids (TS) and calcium chloride of 0.4 g/g TS were optimal parameters, and corresponding CST reached 43.7 s. Soluble organics in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were determined by three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy, which was used to explain the mechanism of sludge dewaterability. The fluorescence intensities of protein-like and humic-like substances in EPS had a negative relationship with the CST. Scanning electron microscopy images indicated that calcium chloride neutralized the surface charge of particles, making the soluble protein-like substances agglomerate and form bigger flocs, consequently enhancing sludge dewaterability.


Author(s):  
Shaodong Guo ◽  
Long Zhou ◽  
Yuxin Huang ◽  
Xinghu Huang

Abstract The effects of thermally and Fe(II) activated potassium persulfate (PPS) on sludge dewatering performance were compared systematacially. Sludge dewaterability was monitored by measuring capillary suction time (CST) and sludge specific resistance to filtration (SRF), and the degradation effect was characterized by Chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The Change of extracellular polymer substance (EPS) including soluble, loosely bound and tightly bound EPS (S-EPS, LB-EPS and TB-EPS) with time and PPS dosage was monitored to discuss the oxidation efficiency of thermally and Fe(II) activated PPS. Sludge supernate were analyzed by three dimensional fluorescence excitation-emission spectrum (3D-EEM) to confirm the proteins transformation. The result showed that sludge dewaterability in terms of CST and SRF were enhanced with increasing PPS dosage and condition time of both two activated methods. While Fe(II) activated PPS could reduce sludge CST and SRF to preferred values at low PPS dosage and short condition time. Maenwhile, sludge degradation effect was also more obvious. Mechanically, sludge TB-EPS in proteins and polysaccharides converted to SB-EPS was more quickly with Fe(II) activated PPS. Besides, thermally activated PPS tended to oxidize the protein in the supernatant first.


BioResources ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 2326-2345
Author(s):  
Xin Zhang ◽  
Guolin Tong ◽  
Yiheng Zhou ◽  
Guoyi Li ◽  
Hui Zhang

The paper sludge conditioning effects of waste polyester textile fibers as skeleton builders combined with ferric chloride (FeCl3) were evaluated and the sludge dewatering mechanism was explored. The catalytic effect of Fe-rich sludge biochar (Fe-SB) on enhancing sludge dewaterability was evaluated. Results showed the combined fiber-FeCl3 conditioning significantly promoted the sludge dewaterability compared with conditioner alone, leading to a 77.5% decrease in specific filtration resistance and a 68.9% increase in net yield. The decrease of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) contents showed that the EPS were difficult to extract and sludge floc strength was enhanced as a result of chemical reactions such as complexation processes and charge neutralization. Hence, the enhancement of sludge dewaterability was primarily due to the sludge cake with a porous and incompressible structure formed by fiber and FeCl3, and the rigidity structure of fiber. Moreover, the Fe-SB prepared by fiber-FeCl3 conditioning sludge could effectively activate persulfate to enhance the sludge dewaterability, with water content of dewatered sludge decreasing by 14.6%. The Fe-SB had dual functions of the heterogeneous catalyst of persulfate and skeleton builder. This study presents a sludge recycling method that combined physicochemical conditioning and sludge biochar materials prepared by pyrolysis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 1189-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinghui Zhang ◽  
Hong Yang ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Yang Wen ◽  
Xingmin Fu ◽  
...  

Abstract Anaerobic digestion with thermal hydrolysis pretreatment (THP), also called advanced anaerobic digestion (AAD), is a mainstream technology for sludge treatment. AAD changes sludge, it can degrade extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), release EPS from the sludge, and alter the particle size distribution. We synthesized PFS–PDMDAAC from the inorganic coagulant polyferric sulfate (PFS) and the organic coagulant polymer polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride (PDMDAAC) in various PFS:PDMDAAC weight ratios. We investigated the effects of PFS–PDMDAAC pretreatment on AAD sludge dewaterability, and developed an explanation for them. Capillary suction time (CST) was used as a measure of sludge dewaterability. Dissolved organic matter, the three-dimensional excitation emission matrix, particle size (d0.5), zeta potential, and sludge microstructure were observed in order to explain changes in sludge dewaterability that resulted from different compositions and dosages of coagulants. Treatment with PFS alone gave no significant improvement in sludge dewaterability. PDMDAAC used alone greatly improved sludge dewaterability. Synthesized PFS–PDMDAAC which had a relatively high proportion of PDMDAAC by weight performed similarly to PDMDAAC. PFS–PDMDAAC synthesized in the ratio (PDF:PDMDAAC) 1:5 by weight provided good dewaterability. The dosage can be reduced by 16.7% of the dosage for conditioning by PDMDAAC alone.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pan Hu ◽  
Shaohang Shen ◽  
Hu Yang

AbstractTwo series of binary graft cationic starch-based flocculants (CS-DMCs and CS-DMLs) with different hydrophilicity and charge density (CD) were prepared by graft copolymerization of acrylamide with 2-(Methacryloyloxy)-N,N,N-trimethylethanaminium chloride and methacrylic acid 2-(benzyldimethylaminio) ethyl chloride, respectively, on the starch (St) backbone. The sludge dewatering performance of CS-DMCs and CS-DMLs were evaluated and compared based on the changes in filter cake moisture content (FCMC), specific resistance of filtration (SRF), fractions and components of extracellular polymeric substances, and various physiochemical characteristics of sludge flocs and cakes. Increase in CD of the St-based flocculants caused improved sludge dewaterability. Under the similar CD, CS-DML with relatively high hydrophobicity exhibited lower FCMC and SRF, larger and denser sludge flocs, and better permeability of sludge cakes than CS-DMCs due to the synergistic effects of charge neutralization, bridging flocculation and hydrophobic association. Furthermore, a second-order polynomial model on the basis of phenomenological theory was successfully applied to quantitatively evaluate the influences of the two important structural factors of these St-based flocculants, i.e., hydrophobicity and CD, on the sludge dewaterability. The structure–activity relationship of the St-based flocculants in sludge dewatering was obtained according to the theoretic simulation. The dewatering mechanisms was discussed in depth on the basis of the experimental and simulated results; besides, the FCMC and optimal dose can be predicted by the established structure–activity relationship. This current work offered a novel and valuable way to exploit and design of low-cost and high-performance graft natural polymeric flocculants applied in efficient conditioning of sludge.


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