SLUDGE MANAGEMENT

In biological wastewater treatment plants ,

Carbon
dioxide
Organic matter
in ww

New sludge What to do

with this ?

mere transfer of pollution : water phase Solid phase

P Tan, ChE
Sludge management highly required for aerobic wwt systems
Typical solids content of sludge
Sludge source Specific Solids concentration
gravity (%)
Primary settler 1.02 27

Activated sludge 1.01 0.5 1.5

Trickling filter 1.03 15

Aerated lagoon 1.01 15

wastewater sludge a mixture of organic and inorganic solids in water

P Tan, ChE
 Processes in sludge management

sludge

- to reduce the water in primary and secondary sludges

thickening - done using gravity settlers (or clarifiers) or sometimes DAF

- to alter the characteristics of sludge so it can be returned to the

stabilization environment with a minimum of environmental and health risks
- accomplished by anaerobic digestion (sometimes, with addition of lime
to raise the pH and with heat treatment to sterilize the sludge

dewatering drying the solids ultimate disposal

- done by applying the sludge to sand drying beds or by using
mechanical dewatering equipment (e.g. filter presses)

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Ultimate disposal methods for wastewater sludges

- Incineration
- Landfilling
- Land application
- Sale and distribution
- Ocean disposal

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 Thickeners
(clarifiers)

P Tan, ChE
Dept.
 Mechanical Dewatering Equipment (Belt Filter
Press)

P Tan, ChE
P Tan, ChE
 ANAEROBIC TREATMENT OF WASTEWATER

anaerobic process
consists of a series of microbiological processes that convert
organic compounds to methane.

Over-all
Organic matter CH4 + CO2 + H2 + NH3 + H2S + cell growth
equation :
 Process Microbiology

Group 1: Hydrolytic Bacteria

complex organic molecules soluble monomer

molecules
relatively slow & can be limiting !

Group 2: Fermentative Acidogenic Bacteria

monomers organic acids, alcohols &

ketones
fast growing group !

generation time = a few hours

 Group 3: Acetogenic
Bacteria
organic acids, alcohols & ketones acetate, H2 & CO2

CH3CH2OH + H2O CH3COOH + 2H2

grows
ethanol acetic acid
faster than
the methane-
forming group ! CH3CH2COOH + 2H2O CH3COOH + CO2 + 3H2

propionic acetic acid

acid

CH3CH2CH2COOH + 2H2O 2CH3COOH + 2H2

butyric acetic acid
acid
Group 4: Methanogenic Bacteria

Hydrogenotrophic
methanogens:
CO2 + 4H2 CH4 + 2H2O
methane

Acetotrophic
methanogens:
CH3COOH CH4 + 2H2O
methane

grow very slowly !

generation time = a few days

Advantages of Anaerobic Treatment

Requires no oxygen, thus, low treatment

costs
Produces lower amount of
sludge (3-20 times less than aerobic process)
low nutrient requirement
low disposal costs
excess sludge is quite
stable

Suitable for high-strength industrial wastes

Applicable at temperatures from 10 to 65 oC

Produces useful gas, methane

Disadvantages of Anaerobic Treatment

Start-up of the process requires long

period

High sulfate concentrations can cause odor

problems

Anaerobic treatment is a pre-treatment

method
Anaerobic Digester
 Anaerobic Digesters

Two main strategies developed

1. Biomass Recycle (Anaerobic Contact)

analogous to aerobic activated sludge systems

biomass washed out of the system is separated and

returned to the digester

separate SRT from HRT - biomass retention time

becomes longer
 BIOGAS

INFLUENT

EFFLUENT

SLUDGE RECYCLE

Anaerobic contact digester

Two Main Types of Retained-Biomass Digesters

1. Fixed-Film Systems

2. Granular Sludge-based Systems

Anaerobic filter/fixed film systems

strategy is to provide an inert surface for bacterial

adhesion (biofilm formation)
Granular Sludge-based Systems

- Biomass self-aggregates into dense,

well-settling granules. Thus, it is retained
within the digester even during upflow operation (not washed out)

- e.g. UASB reactor, most commonly applied worldwide

- Very high biomass density in the reactor, thus, allowing very high
organic loading rates

- Optimal spatial organisation of different trophic groups within the

granules.
Well-settling
nature
of granules allows
them to be
retained
in the reactor
Scanning electron micrograph of mesophilic sludge granule
at low magnification (Sekiguchi et al., 1999).
Integration of anaerobic treatment in
the WWTF
Levels/degree of wastewater treatment :
secondar tertiary
primary
y treatmen
treatmen
treatmen t
t
t

anaerobic aerobic
treatment treatment

OR
anaerobi
c Natural
treatmen treatment
t
 AQUATIC TREATMENT SYSTEMS
AND WETLANDS

Plant functions in aquatic treatment systems

Plant parts Functions
Roots and/or stems in 1. uptake pollutants.
water column 2. provide surfaces on which bacteria grow.
3. act as media for filtration and adsorption of solids

Stems and/or leaves 1. attenuate sunlight; thus can prevent

at or above water algae growth.
surface 2. reduce effects of wind on water.
3. reduce transfer of gases and heat between
atmosphere and water.
4. transport oxygen from leaves to roots
Reedbed Systems

Free water surface

reedbed (FWS)

cattails
Subsurface reedbed
(SF)
Constructed
wetlands
 Parameter Subsurface Flow Free Water Surface
(SF) (FWS)

Water flow rate 12 mL/min 30 mL/min

Residence time 5 days 2 days

Bed depth 25 cm 21 cm

Free water depth 5.7 cm 9 cm

Bed slope (inclination) 2.41 % 0%

Bed materials (substrate) Soil (silk loam) & pebble Soil (silk loam) only

pebble layer :
porosity = 41.22 % ;
Bed Porosity and K value n.a.
K = 9.1 cm2/cm/sec
overall porosity = 14 %

Initial number of plants 35 80