Differences in rheological and fractal properties of conditioned and raw sewage sludge

Rheological tests for raw and conditioned activated sludge(AS) or anaerobic digested sludge(ADS) show that power-law relationships can be used to describe the evolution of several rheological parameters,i.e.,limiting viscosity(η∞),yield stress(τy),cohesion energy of the sludge network(Ec),and storage modulus(G’),with total suspended solid(TSS) content in raw and conditioned sludge.A gel-like structure that behaves similar to weak-link flocs/aggregates was observed in AS and ADS.As derived from the double-logarithmic plots of G’-TSS content,the mass fractal dimensions of the raw and conditioned AS or ADS flocs/aggregates were 2.70 and 2.53 or 2.85 and 2.79,respectively.The rheological tests also indicate that both polymer conditioning and increased TSS content led to improved elastic behavior,cohesion energy,and yield stress of the sludge network,as well as expanded the corresponding linear viscoelastic range.The porosity of AS or ADS flocs/aggregates will be improved by polymer conditioning.     

Effect of solid contents on the controlled shear stress rheological properties of different types of sludge

Controlled shear stress (CSS) test was used to study the effect of solid contents on the corresponding rheological parameters for sludge. Three types of sludge with or without conditioning, including activated sludge (AS), anaerobic digested sludge (ADS), and water treatment residuals (WTRs), were collected for the CSS test. Results showed that the yield stress and the cohesion energy of the sludge networks were improved with increased total suspending solid (TSS) contents in most cases. For the conditioned AS/ADS and the raw WTRs, exponential law was observed in the relationships between cohesion energy of material networks or yield stress and the TSS contents, whereas for the conditioned WTRs, only exponential law dependence was found between the parameters of shear modulus or critical strain and the TSS contents.     

Reversibility of the structure and dewaterability of anaerobic digested sludge

The reversibility of the structure and dewaterability of broken anaerobic digested sludge(ADS)is important to ensure the efficiency of sludge treatment or management processes.This study investigated the effect of continuous strong shear(CSS)and multipulse shear(MPS)on the zeta potential,size(median size,d_(50)),mass fractal dimension(D_F),and capillary suction time(CST)of ADS aggregates.Moreover,the self-regrowth(SR)of broken ADS aggregates during slow mixing was also analyzed.The results show that raw ADS with d_(50) of 56.5μm was insensitive to CSS–SR or MPS–SR,though the size slightly decreased after the breakage phase.For conditioned ADS with d_(50) larger than 600μm,the breakage in small-scale surface erosion changed to large-scale fragmentation as the CSS strength increased.In most cases,after CSS or MPS,the broken ADS had a relatively more compact structure than before and d_(50) is at least 200μm.The CST of the broken fragments from optimally dosed ADS increased,whereas that corresponding to overdosed ADS decreased.MPS treatment resulted in larger and more compact broken ADS fragments with a lower CST value than CSS.During the subsequent slow mixing,the broken ADS aggregates did not recover their charge,size,and dewaterability to the initial values before breakage.In addition,less than 15%self-regrowth in terms of percentage of the regrowth factor was observed in broken ADS after CSS at average velocity gradient no less than 1905.6 sec~(-1).     

Analysis of floc morphology in a continuous-flow flocculation and sedimentation reactor

The floc morphology was investigated in a continuous-flow reactor, in order to understand the evolution of flocs in practical flocculation and sedimentation processes in water utilities. Kaolin-humic acid suspension was used as the test water, and polyaluminum chloride was chosen as the coagulant. An in-situ recognition system was applied to analyze the floc size, boundary fractal dimension, and eccentricity ratios. Particle numbers and turbidity were also determined in the sedimentation stage. At a coagulant dose of 1 mg/L as Al, the average floc size increased from 62 to 78 μm and the boundary fractal dimension was around 1.14, suggesting that flocs were compact and continuously grew during the entire flocculation process. However, with the dose increased to 5 mg/L, the average floc size decreased and stabilized at around 65 μm, with the fractal dimension of 1.20. It can be concluded that the excess coagulant doses resulted in the formation of chain-shaped, lower density, and more branched structure flocs, thereby restricting flocs' further growth in the subsequent flocculation. Floc morphology analysis suggested that charge neutralization dominated in the initial flocculation stage, then the bridge and sweep mechanisms were dominant in the subsequent flocculation. In addition, compared with the traditional inclined plate settler, a novel V-shaped plate settler introduced in this study had an advantage in small size floc(less than 5 μm) removal. The V-shaped region could promote aggregate restructuring and re-flocculation; therefore, the V-shaped plate settler provides an alternative method for sedimentation.     

Effect of proteins, polysaccharides, and particle sizes on sludge dewaterability

Four batch experiments of hydrolysis and acidification were carried out to investigate the distributions of proteins (PN) and polysaccharides (PS) in the sludge, the PN/PS ratio, the particle sizes, and their relationship with sludge dewaterability (as determined by capillary suction time, CST). The sludge flocs were stratified through centrifugation- and ultrasound-based method into four fractions: (1) slime, (2) loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances (LB-EPS), (3) tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS), and (4) pellet. The results showed that PN was mainly partitioned in the pellet (80.7%) and TB-EPS (9.6%) fractions, while PS distributed evenly in the four fractions. During hydrolysis and acidification, PN was transferred from the pellet and TB-EPS fractions to the slime fraction, but PS had no significant transfer trends. The mean particle sizes of the sludge flocs decreased with hydrolysis and acidification. The pH had a more significant influence on the dewaterability of sludge flocs than temperature. Sludge dewaterability during hydrolysis and acidification processes greatly deteriorated from 9.7 s at raw sludge to 340–450 s under alkaline conditions. However, it was just slightly increased under acidic conditions. Further investigation suggested that CST was a ected by soluble PN, soluble PN/PS, and particle sizes of sludge flocs, but was a ected slightly by total PN, PS, or PN/PS in the whole sludge flocs and other fractions (except slime).     

Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on anaerobic digestion and its sludge dewaterability

To investigate the effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on anaerobic digestion and sludge dewaterability and further to probe into the influencing factors on sludge dewaterability, sludge flocs were stratified into four fractions: (1) slime; (2) loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances (LB-EPS); (3) tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS); and (4) EPS-free pellets. The results showed that ultrasonic pretreatment increased the anaerobic digestion efficiency by 7%–8%. Anaerobic digestion without ultrasonic pretreatment deteriorated the sludge dewaterability, with the capillary suction time (CST) increased from 1.42 to 47.3 (sec L)/g-TSS. The application of ultrasonic pretreatment firstly deteriorated the sludge dewaterability (normalized CST increased to 44.4 (sec L)/g-TSS), while subsequent anaerobic digestion offset this effect and ultimately decreased the normalized CST to 23.2 (sec L)/g-TSS. The dewaterability of unsonicated sludge correlated with protein (p = 0.003) and polysaccharide (p = 0.004) concentrations in the slime fraction, while that of sonicated sludge correlated with protein concentrations in the slime and LB-EPS fractions (p < 0.05). Fluorescent excitationemission matrix analysis showed that the fluorescence matters in the LB-EPS fraction significantly correlated with sludge dewaterability during anarobic digestion.     

Effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on sludge dewaterability and extracellular polymeric substances distribution in mesophilic anaerobic digestion

Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on sludge dewaterability was determined and the fate of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) matrix in mesophilic anaerobic digestion after ultrasonic pretreatment was studied. Characteristics of proteins (PN), polysaccharides (PS), excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular weight (MW) distribution of dissolved organic matters (DOM) in different EPS fractions were evaluated. The results showed that after ultrasonic pretreatment, the normalized capillary suction time (CST) decreased from 44.4 to 11.1 (sec·L)/g total suspended solids (TSS) during anaerobic digestion, indicating that sludge dewaterability was greatly improved. The normalized CST was significantly correlated with PN concentration (R2 = 0.92, p 0.01) and the PN/PS ratio (R2 = 0.84, p 0.01) in the loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) fraction. Meanwhile, the average MW of DOM in the LB- EPS and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) fractions also had a good correlation with the normalized CST (R2 0.66, p 0.01). According to EEM fluorescence spectroscopy, tryptophan-like substances intensities in the slime, LB-EPS and TB-EPS fractions were correlated with the normalized CST. The organic matters in the EPS matrix played an important role in influencing sludge dewaterability.     

Enhancing sewage sludge dewaterability by bioleaching approach with comparison to other physical and chemical conditioning methods

The sewage sludge conditioning process is critical to improve the sludge dewaterability prior to mechanical dewatering. Traditionally, sludge is conditioned by physical or chemical approaches, mostly with the addition of inorganic or organic chemicals. Here we report that bioleaching, an efficient and economical microbial method for the removal of sludge-borne heavy metals, also plays a significant role in enhancing sludge dewaterability. The effects of bioleaching and physical or chemical approaches on sludge dewaterability were compared. The conditioning result of bioleaching by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans on sludge dewatering was investigated and compared with the effects of hydrothermal (121℃ for 2 hr), microwave (1050 W for 50 sec), ultrasonic (250 W for 2 min), and chemical conditioning (24% ferric chloride and 68% calcium oxide; dry basis). The results show that the specific resistance to filtration (SRF) or capillary suction time (CST) of sludge is decreased by 93.1% or 74.1%, respectively, after fresh sludge is conditioned by bioleaching, which is similar to chemical conditioning treatment with ferric chloride and calcium oxide but much more effective than other conditioning approaches including hydrothermal, microwave, and ultrasonic conditioning. Furthermore, after sludge dewatering, bioleached sludge filtrate contains the lowest concentrations of chroma (18 times), COD (542 mg/L), total N (TN, 300 mg/L), NH₄⁺-N (208 mg/L), and total P (TP, 2 mg/L) while the hydrothermal process resulted in the highest concentration of chroma (660 times), COD (18,155 mg/L), TN (472 mg/L), NH₄⁺-N (381 mg/L), and TP (191 mg/L) among these selected conditioning methods. Moreover, unlike chemical conditioning, sludge bioleaching does not result in a significant reduction of organic matter, TN, and TP in the resulting dewatered sludge cake. Therefore, considering sludge dewaterability and the chemical properties of sludge filtrate and resulting dewatered sludge cakes, bioleaching has potential as an approach for improving sludge dewaterability and reducing the cost of subsequent reutilization or disposal of dewatered sludge.     

Exploitation of Fenton and Fenton-like reagents as alternative conditioners for alum sludge conditioning

The use of Fenton’s reagent (Fe2+/H2O2) and Fenton-like reagents containing transition metals of Cu(II), Zn(II), Co(II), and Mn(II) for an alum sludge conditioning to improve its dewaterability was investigated. The results obtained were compared with those obtained from conditioning the same alum sludge using cationic and anionic polymers. Experimental results show that Fenton’s reagent was the best among the Fenton and Fenton-like reagents for the alum sludge conditioning. A considerable e ectiveness of capillary suction time (CST) reduction e ciency of 47% can be achieved under test conditions of Fe2+/H2O2 = 20/125 mg/g DS (dry solid) and pH 6.0. The observation of floc-like particles after Fenton’s reagent conditioning of alum sludge suggested that the mechanism of Fenton’s reagent conditioning was di erent from that of polymer conditioning. In spite of the lower e ciency in the CST reduction of Fenton’s reagent in alum sludge conditioning compared to that of polymer conditioning, Fenton’s reagent o ers a more environmentally safe option. This study provided an example of proactive treatment engineering, which is aimed at seeking a safe alternative to the use of polymers in sludge conditioning towards achieving a more sustainable sludge management strategy.     

Relationship between physicochemical properties and dewaterability of hydrothermal sludge derived from different source

Sewage sludge (SS) and deinking sludge (DS) were used to comparatively study the hydrothermal dewatering of sludge with different components. For a better overview, an insight into the relationship between physicochemical properties and dewaterability of hydrothermal sludge was provided. Results found that not all kinds of sludge were suitably conditioned by hydrothermal treatment (HT) in term of the elevation of dewaterability. Higher hydrothermal temperature tended to enhance the dewaterability of SS rather than DS, which was supported by the variation of their physicochemical properties (including water distribution, bonding energy, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), particles size, acid functional groups and zeta potential in this study). In addition, the changes in surface morphology suggested that the reverse effect of HT on sludge dewaterability was mainly due to their dewatering behavior. For SS, the destruction of EPS structure leaded to the release of bound water, thereby strengthening sludge dewatering. Conversely, “Bridging effect” generated by lignocellulose in DS was beneficial for sludge dewatering; however, the increasing hydrothermal temperature degraded part of lignocellulose and weakened “bridging effect”, finally resulting in worse dewaterability of DS.     

Physical characteristics of conditioned anaerobic digested sludge - A fractal,transient and dynamic rheological viewpoint

The changes in the physical characteristics of unconditioned and conditioned anaerobic digested sludge (ADS) biosolids,such as capillary suction time (CST),yield stress,average size and fractal dimensions,were investigated through a CST test,transient and dynamic rheological test and image analysis.The results showed that the optimum polymer dose range was observed when CST or its reciprocal value was employed as an indicator.There were good correlations between the yield stresses determined from both a controlled shear stress test and a strain amplitude sweep test.The yield stress and storage modulus (G') increased as the polymer dose increased in most cases.A frequency sweep test revealed that polymer conditioning could extend the frequency sweep ranges for their elastic behaviors over viscous behaviors as well as the gel-like structure in the linear viscoelastic range.These results implied that more deformation energy was stored in this rigid structure,and that elastic behavior became increasingly dominant with the addition of the polymer in most cases.In addition,both the average sizes and two-dimensional fractal dimensions for conditioned ADS biosolids presented a similar up-climax-down variation trend as the polymer doses increased,whereas the critical polymer doses at the highest average sizes or two-dimensional fractal dimensions,were different.Correlation analysis revealed that the conditioned ADS dewaterability was not correlated with the yield stresses,while the average sizes or the two-dimensional fractal dimensions for conditioned ADS biosolids could be taken as the indication parameters for ADS dewaterability.     

活性污泥的理化性质与絮凝调理投药量的关系

采用烧杯试验研究了活性污泥理化性质与絮凝调理投药量的关系,分析了活性污泥离心上清液黏度及其中胶体的Zeta电位和表面电荷密度、污泥絮体的粒度、分形维数和强度等理化性质指标随调理絮凝剂(CPAM,CZ-8698)投药量的变化规律,探讨了这些指标在确定絮凝调理最佳投药量方面的差异.结果表明,CZ-8698的投药量对污泥的脱水性能和理化性质均可产生明显的影响,基于毛细吸水时间(CST)、污泥比阻(SRF)确定的活性污泥絮凝调理的最佳投药量范围为4.28～7.13g.kg-1,对应的CST与SRF值分别为(12.62±1.39)s、0.56×1012m.kg-1.在此最佳投药量区间,污泥离心上清液中胶体的Zeta电位与表面电荷密度均由负值变为正值,污泥絮体的分形维数分别为1.09(一维)和1.51(二维),其表面不规则程度最低、结构较为密实;污泥絮体的粒径随着絮凝剂投药量的增加持续增大到mm尺度,但其强度在投药量高于4.60 g.kg-1以后逐渐趋于稳定.此外,当絮凝剂投药量低于上述最佳范围时,污泥离心上清液的黏度已经达到了最小值(1.24±0.04)mPa.s.     

A~2/O工艺中好氧污泥絮体的分形结构与理化特征分析

采用图像法和沉降柱法分别研究了A2/O工艺中好氧污泥絮体的形貌、粒度分布、低维分形维数和沉降速率、有效密度、空隙率以及质量分形维数,并尝试探讨了上述相关性质与这些污泥宏观操作性质(沉降、压缩、脱水和稳定性)相关的各种理化指标以及胞外高分子物质(EPS)的含量之间的变化关系.结果表明,污泥絮体呈现不规则的形貌,表面具有空隙.其有效密度一般随着其粒径的增加而降低,而空隙率和沉降速率却呈现与有效密度相反的变化趋势,这些均表明了污泥絮体的分形结构的存在.2次所采集的污泥絮体的中位直径分别为248.81、332.86μm,有效密度的平均值分别为0.0040、0.0072g·cm-3,自由沉降速率的平均值分别为2.67、4.79mm·s-1,空隙率的平均值分别为0.94、0.89,一维分形维数分别为1.03、1.19,二维分形维数分别为1.64、1.84,采用基于Logan经验公式的有效密度-最大直径的双对数关系确定的质量分形维数分别为1.74、2.29.尽管第2次所采集的污泥絮体较为密实,但其表面粗糙程度却比第1次的低.此外,研究中发现絮凝能力较高或负电荷较高的A2/O好氧污泥絮体具有高的SVI和ZSV值;分形维数较低...     

电化学处理改善剩余污泥脱水性能

以毛细吸水时间（CST）作为衡量污泥脱水性能的指标,采用铱/二氧化钌电极板为阳极、钛/二氧化钌网状极板为阴极,对剩余污泥进行电化学处理,考察了电压、处理时间等因素对剩余污泥脱水性能的影响.结果表明,电压对污泥脱水性能影响较大,当电压为30V、极板间距为4cm、搅拌速率为100r.min-1、处理30min条件下污泥调理...     

采用Ti/PbO2阳极氧化进行污泥预处理的研究

提高市政污泥脱水性能是当前污泥预处理中的热点和难点.本文以毛细吸水时间(CST)作为衡量污泥预处理中脱水性能的指标,选用钛/二氧化铅网状极板为阴、阳电极,研究了电解电压、极板间距、电解质种类及电解质投加量等因素对电化学预处理市政污泥的影响.结果表明,电压对污泥脱水性能影响较大,在电压为20 V、极板间距为2 cm、电解质为0.6 g Na Cl的条件下,电化学处理市政污泥20 min效果最佳,污泥的CST下降率在90%以上.进一步探究表明,电解过程中污泥菌胶团结构首先被破坏,释放大量结合水,且菌胶团内的蛋白质和多聚糖释放到上清液中,二者浓度先升高;随后二者部分氧化分解,浓度降低,从而有效提高市政污泥脱水性能.