Conventional primary settling is a physical process of solid-liquid separation, normally presenting low removal efficiencies. Improvement of this separation process would result in energetic advantages: lower aeration requirements and higher biogas production form primary and secondary sludges. Secondary sludge has been proposed as a potential agent promoting an increase in primary separation efficiency. Few processes have been proposed, based on the cultivation of sludge under special conditions. However, one can speculate that regular sludge may have a similar effect. The aim of this research was to study that possibility. Sludges from different activated sludge reactors were tested. Results showed that COD removals were up to 55%, 2 times higher than that for simple settling. Under that condition, COD balances showed that aeration requirements would reduce 40%, and biogas production from primary and secondary sludges would increase 50%. It is inferred then that the application of activated sludge as an external agent represents an interesting alternative that have the potential to significantly improve energetic efficiency of sewage treatment plants.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.01.030 | DOI Listing |
Environ Technol
January 2025
Chengdu Center, China Geological Survey (Geosciences Innovation Center of Southwest China), Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
The acid mine drainage (AMD) is characterized by its highly acidic nature and elevated concentrations of metal ions, thereby exerting significant impacts on both human health and the environment. This study employed a dispersed alkaline substrate (DAS) consisting of thermal activation magnesite and pine shavings for the treatment of AMD. The investigation focused on determining the optimal thermal activation conditions of magnesite, evaluating the effectiveness of the DAS in regulating acidity and removing metal ions from AMD, identifying critical factors influencing treatment efficiency, and conducting toxicity assessment on the effluent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater Res X
May 2025
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China.
Widespread polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET MPs) have played unintended role in nitrous oxide (NO) turnovers (i.e., production and consumption) at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater Res X
May 2025
National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China.
Although the treatment of sludge with free nitrous acid can effectively recover short chain fatty acids, the feasibility of sequential nitrite reduction and methane recovery without acidic pH adjustment is still scarcely studied. Therefore, this study aimed to provide insights into the effect of nitrite at different levels on nitrite reduction and methane production. The results showed that the nitrite concentrations of 100, 200, 400 and 800 mg/L were completely reduced in 1, 2, 2 and 4 days, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLangmuir
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, 0028, Pretoria, South Africa.
The release of common medications and illegal drugs into the environment could be potentially harmful to the ecosystem and hamper the behavior and growth of plants and animals. These pollutants gain access to water through sewage and factory discharges and have been found to exceed safety limits in water bodies. Therefore, there is an urgent need for improved wastewater purification systems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Phytoremediation
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
Soil heavy metal contamination and sludge disposal have become globally environmental issues problems of great concern. Utilizing sludge pyrolysis to produce biochar for remediating heavy metal-contaminated soil is an effective strategy to solve these two environmental problems. In this study, municipal sewage sludge and papermaking sludge were used as feedstock to prepare co-pyrolyzed biochar, which was then applied to reduce the toxicity of Cd in soil.
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