scholarly journals A Proposal for Recycling the World’s Unused Stockpiles of Treated Wastewater Sludge (Biosolids) in Fired-Clay Bricks

Buildings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbas Mohajerani ◽  
Aruna Ukwatta ◽  
Tristan Jeffrey-Bailey ◽  
Michael Swaney ◽  
Mohtashim Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Organic Content ◽  
Wastewater Sludge ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Sem Images ◽  
Clay Bricks ◽  
Leachate Analysis

Millions of tonnes of leftover biosolids are increasingly stockpiled every year around the globe. Biosolids are a product of the wastewater sludge treatment process. Stockpiles necessitate the use of large areas of increasingly valuable land. Biosolids have many beneficial uses and are currently utilised in agricultural and land rehabilitation applications. However, it is estimated that 30% of biosolids are unused and stockpiled. A second and seemingly unrelated environmental issue is the massive excavation of virgin soil for brick production. The annual production of 1500 billion bricks globally requires over 3.13 billion cubic metres of clay soil—equivalent to over 1000 soccer fields dug 440 m deep or to a depth greater than three times the height of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This paper investigates and proposes a practical solution for the utilisation of the world’s excess biosolids in fired–clay bricks. The physical, chemical and mechanical properties of fired–clay bricks incorporating 25%, 20%, 15% and 10% biosolids have been tested. Bricks were produced from three different biosolids samples collected at Melbourne’s Eastern Treatment Plant (ETP 22) and the Western Treatment Plant (WTP 10 & WTP 17–29). Compressive strength testing indicated results ranging between 35.5 MPa and 12.04 MPa for the biosolids-amended bricks. Leachate analysis was conducted on the bricks before and after firing, and the results demonstrate that between 43 and 99% of the heavy metals tested were immobilised inside the fired bricks compared to the heavy metals tested in the raw mixture. All leachate concentrations were found to be insignificant for the biosolids-incorporated bricks tested in this study. Biosolids can have significantly different chemical characteristics depending on the origin of the wastewater and the treatment procedure. Suitable leachate analysis should be undertaken on biosolids and test bricks before large-scale production is approved. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images illustrate that biosolids-amended bricks have a higher porosity than the control bricks, which corresponds to the lower thermal conductivity values recorded for biosolids-amended bricks. In addition, brick firing energy demands are estimated to decrease by up to 48.6% for bricks incorporating 25% WTP 17–29 biosolids due to the higher organic content of the mixture containing biosolids. The emissions study and comparative Life Cycle Assessment results show that the incorporation of biosolids into bricks is a positive and sustainable alternative approach with respect to all environmental impacts arising from the stockpiling of biosolids and brick manufacturing. Based on the results found in this comprehensive study, this paper proposes the inclusion of a minimum of 15% biosolids content into 15% of brick production in order to completely recycle all the approximately 5 million tonnes of annual leftover biosolids production in Australia, New Zealand, the EU, the USA and Canada. This is a practical and sustainable proposal for recycling all the leftover biosolids worldwide. Utilisation of only 15% of biosolids in brick production would reduce the carbon footprint of brick manufacturing whilst satisfying all the environmental and engineering requirements for bricks.

Effect of Wastewater on the Soil and Irrigation Process: A Laboratory Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athar Hussain ◽  
Manjeeta Priyadarshi ◽  
Saif Said ◽  
Suraj Negi
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Surface Water Resources ◽  
Industrial Sewage ◽  
Concentration Levels

Most of the industrial sewage effluents used for irrigation contains heavy metals which cause toxicity to crop plants as the soils are able to accumulate heavy metal for many years. The vegetables grown for the present study were irrigated with treated wastewater brought from a nearby full-scale sewage treatment plant at different compositions along with tap water as a control. The concentration levels of the Cd, Co, Cu, Mn and Zn in the soil were found to below the toxic limits as prescribed in literature. Daily Intake Metals (DIM) values suggest that the consumption of plants grown in treated wastewater and tap water is nearly free of risks, as the dietary intake limits of Cu, Fe, Zn and Mn. The Enrichment Factor for the treated wastewater irrigated soil was found in order Zn> Ni> Pb> Cr> Cu> Co> Mn> Cd. Thus, treated wastewater can be effectively used for irrigation. This will have twofold significant environmental advantages: (1) helpful to reduce the groundwater usage for irrigation and (2) helpful to reduce the stress on surface water resources.

scholarly journals Status quo report on wastewater treatment plant, receiving water's biocoenosis and quality as basis for evaluation of large-scale ozonation process

2017 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Brückner ◽  
K. Kirchner ◽  
Y. Müller ◽  
S. Schiwy ◽  
K. Klaer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plant ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Ozonation Process ◽  
Receiving Water

Abstract The project DemO3AC (demonstration of large-scale wastewater ozonation at the Aachen-Soers wastewater treatment plant, Germany) of the Eifel-Rur Waterboard contains the construction of a large-scale ozonation plant for advanced treatment of the entire 25 million m³/yr of wastewater passing through its largest wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In dry periods, up to 70% of the receiving water consists of treated wastewater. Thus, it is expected that effects of ozonation on downstream water biocoenosis will become observable. Extensive monitoring of receiving water and the WWTP shows a severe pollution with micropollutants (already prior to WWTP inlet). (Eco-)Toxicological investigations showed increased toxicity at the inlet of the WWTP for all assays. However, endocrine-disrupting potential was also present at other sampling points at the WWTP and in the river and could not be eliminated sufficiently by the WWTP. Total cell counts at the WWTP are slightly below average. Investigations of antibiotic resistances show no increase after the WWTP outlet in the river. However, cells carrying antibiotic-resistant genes seem to be more stress resistant in general. Comparing investigations after implementation of ozonation should lead to an approximation of the correlation between micropollutants and water quality/biocoenosis and the effects that ozonation has on this matter.

scholarly journals Estimation of the Concentration of Some Heavy Metals in Groundwater in Rutba City

2021 ◽  
Vol 904 (1) ◽  
pp. 012009
Author(s):  
A W Abd Byty ◽  
M A Gharbi ◽  
A H Assaf
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Metal Ions ◽  
Heavy Metal Ions ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Toxic Metal ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Guideline Values

Abstract Toxic metal pollutants in groundwater should be identified to prevent future health risks. In this paper, the presence of heavy metals in groundwater in the western region of Iraq was investigated. The heavy metals concentrations, including Ni2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Pb2+, Cr3+, Cd2+, As3+ and Hg2+ were explored in twenty selected aquifers near Rutba City and the results were presented as spatial distribution maps. Findings indicate that contamination with the investigated heavy metal ions possesses a serious threat to the study area’s groundwater quality when compared to WHO and IEPA guideline values. Thus, a new approach to remove or adsorb heavy metal ions can be developed for large-scale production and the safe use of these aquifers water. Results revealed that the highest concentrations in mg/L1 of 2.312 in w19, 1.098 in w2, 5.78 in w17, 0.292 in w9, 3.349 in w5, 0.32 in w13, 0.074 in w11 and 5.622 in w1 for Zn2+, Cr3+, As3+, Pb2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Cd2+ and Hg2+ were recorded, respectively.

Can the Calcined Weathered Stones be Employed as Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries?

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 223-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keqiang Ding ◽  
Binjuan Wei ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Chenxue Li ◽  
Xiaomi Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lithium Ion Batteries ◽  
Discharge Capacity ◽  
Anode Materials ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
Lithium Ion ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Sem Images ◽  
Large Scale Production ◽  
Main Components

A novel finding, that the calcined weathered stones (denoted as CWS) can be employed as the anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), is reported for the first time in this work. Under the air conditions, the weathered stones were respectively calcined at 400ºC (sample a), 600ºC (sample b) and 800ºC (sample c) for 2 h, with an intention to examine the influence of the calcination temperature on the physicochemical properties of the resultant materials. XRD results indicated that the main components of all the final products were SiO2. And the SEM images demonstrated that all the as-prepared samples were irregular and larger particles with no evident crystal structure. The results of the electrochemical measurements revealed that the initial discharge capacity of sample b was about 104 mAh g-1 at the current density of 100 mA g-1, which was remarkably larger than that of the employed pure SiO2 (50 mAh g-1). Interestingly, after 20 cycles, the discharge capacity of sample b was still maintained as high as 70 mAh g-1, along with a capacity retention rate of about 70%. Although the discharge capacity reported here was lower as compared to the currently reported anode materials, this novel finding was very meaningful to the large scale production of anode materials, mainly due to the rather lower cost and abundant resources as well as the simple preparation process.

MICROCLEAR: GREEN TECHNOLOGY FOR TREATING AND RECYCLING OF COLOURED WASTEWATER

2015 ◽  
Vol 77 (31) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaharah Ibrahim ◽  
Adibah Yahya ◽  
Azmi Aris ◽  
Ifnu Hakim ◽  
Mohd Ariff Taib ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Textile Industry ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Textile Wastewater ◽  
Good Alternative ◽  
Pilot Scale ◽  
Green Technology ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Continuous Growth ◽  
Set Up

The continuous growth and demand for our textiles and textile products have resulted in the generation of highly polluted and coloured wastewater emanating from the textile industries. These are detrimental to the environment and pose health threats to the human population if not properly treated. The treatment of colour is a great challenge over the last decades and until now, there is no single and economical treatment process.  As effective treatment plant is generally expensive and unaffordable; a good alternative and timely solution is the utilisation of specialised group of microbes called Microclear. These microorganisms have the abilities to decolourise and transform coloured compounds into simpler and non-hazardous compounds without the use of chemicals. Intensive fundamental studies and also the application of the Microclear at the bench and pilot scale (sequential 1000 L and 2000 L) reactors to treat real wastewater were carried out. The microbes can also be applied directly into the existing treatment plant or ponding systems without the use of a commercial reactor. . Under the UTM-MTDC symbiosis program, Microclear Sdn. Bhd. was set up and work is in progress for large scale production of microbes to treat real textile wastewater in a demo plant of 150,000 L capacity located at the textile industry.

scholarly journals Qualitative Evaluation of Potential Impacts of Effluent of Genaveh Hospital Wastewater Treatment Plant on Soil and Plants

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (SE) ◽  
pp. 251-258
Author(s):  
Abdoljalil Mohammadi ◽  
Esmaeil Kouhgardi ◽  
Tirdad Maghsoudloo
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plant ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Sodium Absorption ◽  
Hospital Wastewater ◽  
Hospital Effluent

Increasing population growth, improve living standards and industrial development are factors which increase water consumption and waste production. Therefore, the use of treated wastewater in agriculture to overcome the problems of water scarcity, particularly in areas with water shortages, is important. In this study in addition to assessing the performance analysis of Genaveh hospital  wastewater treatment plant, The quality of the output of effluent of wastewater treatment plant  for use in agriculture based on Ayers water quality guidelines were assessed and its potential adverse effects on soil and plants were evaluated. In this study within six months physical and chemical parameters such as pH, EC, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, nitrate, bicarbonate, TDS and heavy metals (iron, manganese, nickel, cadmium, cobalt, lead and zinc) in the output effluent were determined according to standard methods. According to the obtained results, the use of hospital effluent Genaveh in agriculture in term of concentration of sodium in terms of SAR, bicarbonate, chloride, Adsorbed sodium absorption ratio encountered with low to moderate limitation of electrical conductivity. Severe limitations in terms of nitrate nitrogen and heavy metals concentrations in the range are determined. In general results of this study indicate that to reuse the Genaveh hospital effluent in agriculture continuous monitoring of the output of effluent of wastewater treatment plant to meet environmental standards is essential.

scholarly journals From laboratory experiment to large scale application: case studies of the phytoremediation of chemical agents of agents of the sludge fields at Kharkiv wastewater treatment plant, Ukraine

2007 ◽  
pp. 227-237
Author(s):  
Nataliia Suchkova ◽  
Yuri Vergeles
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Heavy Metal Accumulation ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽  
In Situ Experiments

The contamination of the sewage sludge fields of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by heavy metals, hydrocarbons or other pollutants is a major environmental problem. Sludge can retain up to 96% of all the metals entering the WWTPs in sewage, therefore, when it is disposed to land, heavy metals will be accumulated in the soil. Effects of heavy metal accumulation are long lasting and even permanent. Phytotoxicity is the main problem, although metals can be transferred directly to man via vegetables and other crops or indirectly via animals, primarily cattle, eating herbage (zootoxic). The common metals in sludge are Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cr, and Cd which are generally the most toxic metal found in high concentration.Conventional treatment techniques of contaminated territory suffer from serious shortcomings which limit their applicability and efficiency. These include high cost and maintenance requirements, the need to transfer the contamination from one medium to another, and the extended duration of the operation. Alternatives to these treatments lie in in­situ phytoremediation. Plants are among the most tolerant organisms to pollution, which emphasizes their utility for the detoxification or degradation of pollutants. The concept of phytoremediation was inspired by the discovery of hyper-accumulators, most of which belong to the botanical families Brassicaceae, Poaceae, Papilionaceae, Caryophyllaceae, and Asteraceae, which provide most of the candidates for heavy metal phytoremediation. Two other families are important - the Salicaceae with the genera Salix and Populus, which are effective against a range of pollutants; and the Betaceae which contribute species effective against salt ions and small (few rings) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Some Asteraceae species have been shown to be good phytoremediants of radionuclide pollution [ I ].This paper summarizes the results obtained from laboratory, as well as from in-situ experiments (sludge fields at Kharkiv's WWTP, total area is approx. 126 ha) which focused on phytoremediation methodologies for the removal of heavy metals from sewage sludge.

scholarly journals Determination of the Bacterial Compositions in the Bio-Drying Process of Sewage Sludge from Wastewater

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Ikenna Ubah ◽  
Ogwueleka Tochukwu Chibueze ◽  
C. I Ofeoshi
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Free Water ◽  
Staining Technique ◽  
Organic Content ◽  
Wastewater Sludge ◽  
Water Evaporation ◽  
Drying Process ◽  
Plate Technique

Abstract The aim of this study is to determine the bacterial compositions during the bio-drying process of sewage sludge. Bio-dried products and sewage sludge were randomly collected from the Wupa wastewater/sludge treatment plant in Idu Industrial area Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. A mixture of sewage sludge and sawdust that were bio–dried and cured before this experiment were composition of the bio–dried product. The bacterial communities were analyzed in the laboratory using Pour Plate Technique to examine the total bacterial present in the sewage sludge bio-drying material (SSBM) and the bacterial were later isolated using other techniques like Oxidase test, Catalase test, Grams Staining technique and Spread Plate Technique. Evaporation of free water and water formation was determined by humidity gauge and moisture-oven drying method. From the results obtained, Acinetobacter was the most abundant bacterial during the initial and final thermophilic phases (43% and 37%) respectively. Bacillus was the most abundant amid the cooling stage (53%). The water evaporation and water generation rate were credited to the degradation of organic content of the SSBM and heat produced by bacterial activities. From this study, there is a clear indication that the bacterial density grades that increase the temperature of the SSBM during the bio–drying process reshaped the bacterial communities.

scholarly journals Analysis of Treated Wastewater Produced from Al-Lajoun Wastewater Treatment Plant, Jordan

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (s1) ◽  
pp. S287-S303
Author(s):  
Waleed Manasreh ◽  
Atef S. Alzaydien ◽  
Malahmeh .M
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Total Organic Carbon ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
The Impact

Assessment of treated wastewater produced from Al-Lajoun collection tanks of the wastewater treatment plant in Karak province was carried out in term of physical properties, its major ionic composition, heavy metals and general organic content, for both wastewater influent and effluent. Sampling was done in two periods during (2005-2006) summer season and during winter season to detect the impact of climate on treated wastewater quality. Soil samples were collected from Al-Lajoun valley where the treated wastewater drained, to determine the heavy metal and total organic carbon concentrations at same time. The study showed that the treated wastewater was low in its heavy metals contents during both winter and summer seasons, which was attributed to high pH value enhancing their precipitations. Some of the major ions such as Cl-, Na+, HCO33-, Mg2+in addition to biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand were higher than the recommended Jordanian guidelines for drained water in valleys. The treated wastewater contained some organic compounds of toxic type such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Results showed that the soil was low in its heavy metal contents and total organic carbon with distance from the discharging pond, which attributed to the adsorption of heavy metals, total organic carbon and sedimentation of suspended particulates. From this study it was concluded that the treated wastewater must be used in situ for production of animal fodder and prohibit its contact with the surface and groundwater resources of the area specially Al-Mujeb dam where it is collected.

Biosorption of Heavy Metals

2018 ◽  
pp. 270-281
Author(s):  
Neelesh Babu ◽  
Vinay Mohan Pathak ◽  
Akash ◽  
Navneet
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Industrial Waste ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Large Scale Production

Large-scale production of commodities for mankind by industries did huge damage to the environment. Industrial waste contains lots of toxic materials including heavy metals were drained to water bodies like river, lakes, ponds, etc. These effluents drastically ruin water quality as well as the soil fertility. Type of industry and its raw material decides quantity and quality of the emerged wastes including both biodegradable as well as non-biodegradable. Among non-biodegradable wastes, copper, chromium, nickel, cadmium, etc. are widespread contaminants of soil, water, and these are most common heavy metals. Several heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, and lead are highly poisonous and fatal to human as well as animals. Several plants as well as microbes respond to heavy metals by diverse biological processes like biosorption to their cell wall and entrapment in their capsule, oxidation and reduction, precipitation, complexation, etc. These responses may help significantly in the remediation of heavy metals from the contaminated sites.

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