The Effects of Ocean Disposal of Sewage Sludge On the Relative Abundance of Benthic Megafauna

Disposal of sewage sludge in the New York Bight Apex (12-Mile Dump Site) ceased at the end of December 1987. Previous efforts to quantify the effects of sludge were hindered by the inability to obtain true replication. the cessation of dumping afforded the opportunity to apply the technique of replication in time, also known as a Before/After, Control/Impact design. Conditionally, this method allows one to separate treatment effects from the natural differences that confound many environmental impact studies. the Environmental Processes Division of the Northeast Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service sampled the benthic environment of the New York Bight Apex from June 1986 through September 1989 using a sample design based on the technique of replication in time.

Three dominant species (rock crab, Cancer irroratus; little skate; Raja erinacea; and winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus) and total demersal finfish, collected by otter trawl, showed no statistically significant response to the cessation of disposal. American lobster (Homarus americanus) increased in local abundance, but this result was possibly confounded by a change in fishing effort.     

Transport of Sewage Sludge in a Mixed Water Column

Abstract

Sewage sludge from four publicly-owned treatment works was sampled and characterized in terms of parameters affecting transport at the 106-mile deep ocean disposal site as part of the US Environmental Protection Agency's site monitoring programme. Samples from treatment plants in Passaic Valley, Rahway, and Elizabeth, New Jersey and New York City were characterized in terms of dynamic size distribution, suspended solids and density. the transport characteristics of sludge particles were measured using a 2 metre computer-interfaced laboratory settling column. Experiments were conducted at constant salinity (35 ppt) while varying hydrodynamic mixing, sludge type and concentration using a modified factorial experimental design. Hydrodynamic power dissipation was varied so that the vertical dispersion and rms fluid shear rate ranged between 0-6 cm²S^?1 and 0-30s^?1 respectively. Results indicate that at least 80% of suspended sludge particles will eventually settle under mixed conditions. the average settling velocities ranged between 0.05-4.05 × 10^-3 cm ^s-1. Shear rates above 15 s^?1 inhibited sludge settling due to aggregate breakup and boundary effects, but at a lower shear rate, differential settling and fluid shear were the dominant transport mechanisms. Sludge dilution (1/500-1/5000) had a limited effect on the settling rate. Results from this study can be used to calibrate particle transport models to determine the fate of sludge disposed at an ocean disposal site.     

The Monitoring of UK Sewage Sludge Disposal Sites

In recent years there has been an increase in the intensity and frequency of environmental monitoring surveys at UK sewage sludge disposal sites. These have been carried out by the regulatory authorities and by the licensees. in order to ensure maximum efficiency, a coordinated and harmonised programme of monitoring has been developed. the programme concentrates on sediment chemical and biological quality but also includes assessments of water and fish quality

In England and Wales the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is the regulatory authority and the Water Authorities are the licensees. the Ministry's first priority is the collection of samples for temporal trend analysis but in addition, infrequent surveys are made to check the status of the disposal site and surrounding areas. in the periods between status surveys, regular spatial surveys designed to define the area of impact are carried out by the Water Authorities.     

Fermentative hydrogen production from beet sugar factory wastewater treatment in a continuous stirred tank reactor using anaerobic mixed consortia

A low pH, ethanol-type fermentation process was evaluated for wastewater treatment and bio-hydrogen production from acidic beet sugar factory wastewater in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with an effective volume of 9.6 L by anaerobic mixed cultures in this present study. After inoculating with aerobic activated sludge and operating at organic loading rate (OLR) of 12 kgCOD?m^-3·d^-1, HRT of 8h, and temperature of 35°C for 28 days, the CSTR achieved stable ethanol-type fermentation. When OLR was further increased to 18 kgCOD?m^-3·d^-1 on the 53rd day, ethanol-type fermentation dominant microflora was enhanced. The liquid fermentation products, including volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and ethanol, stabilized at 1493 mg·L^-1 in the bioreactor. Effluent pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), and alkalinity ranged at 4.1–4.5, -250–(-290) mV, and 230–260 mgCaCO₃?L^-1. The specific hydrogen production rate of anaerobic activated sludge was 0.1 L?gMLVSS^-1·d^-1 and the COD removal efficiency was 45%. The experimental results showed that the CSTR system had good operation stability and microbial activity, which led to high substrate conversion rate and hydrogen production ability.     

外源渗透保护剂对活性污泥耐盐能力的影响

高盐分是导致很多工业废水生物处理效率下降的主要因素之一。探讨在生物处理系统中添加渗透保护剂提高活性污泥耐盐能力的可行性。结果表明:添加海藻糖、谷氨酸、甜菜碱和钾离子能提供有效的渗透保护作用,减轻盐分对污泥降解活性的抑制,其中以甜菜碱的渗透保护效果最好。对于未经盐分驯化的非耐盐污泥,当NaCl质量分数为3%时,添加20 mg/L的甜菜碱可使其耗氧速率从9.5 mg/h提高到29.5 mg/h;对于经过盐分驯化的耐盐污泥,当NaCl质量分数为6%时,添加50 mg/L的甜菜碱可使其耗氧速率从10.5 mg/h提高到24.9 mg/h。当生物处理系统受到瞬时盐分冲击时,活性污泥中的微生物细胞可以快速吸收添加的甜菜碱而平衡外界渗透压,从而缩短活性污泥对高盐环境的适应期,减轻盐分对活性污泥的毒害。     

气浮-复合好氧反应器-BAF处理屠宰废水

活禽屠宰及禽肉加工生产废水有机物和悬浮颗粒物含量较高,可生化性较好。采用气浮-复合好氧反应器-BAF组合工艺处理该废水,运行结果表明:该工艺处理效果稳定,出水水质中COD、BOD5、SS、动植物油、NH3-N的平均浓度分别为50,11,30,10和2 mg/L,水质达到GB 13457—1992《肉类加工工业水污染物排放标准》(禽类屠宰加工)中的一级排放标准。     

TCP的污泥减量效果及其对出水水质的长期影响

向倒置A2/O中试系统中投加2,4,5-三氯苯酚(TCP),研究TCP对污泥的减量效果及进入处理系统后对系统出水水质长期影响。研究结果表明:与参照组相比,加药组投加TCP 2 mg/L时,污泥减量达62.5%,出水TN比参照组平均高0.8 mg/L,137 d后出水TP超过0.5 mg/L。TCP对污泥的减量效果好,需要加除磷药剂进行辅助除磷。     

以缓释肥的形式回收污泥溶解液中磷的研究

以聚合硫酸铁(PFS)为絮凝剂,单宁酸为助凝剂回收污泥溶解液中的磷。研究结果表明:在铁盐投加量为160mg/L,pH为8,单宁酸投加量为10 mg/L条件下,磷酸盐的回收率可达到97.0%。单宁酸促进了混凝沉淀物中磷的释放,表明利用该方法回收磷作为缓释肥的可行性。将沉淀物作为缓释磷肥施用于土壤中能够明显促进黑麦草的生长。     

废水处理系统中生物聚集体胞外多聚物研究进展

胞外多聚物(Extracellular polymeric substances,EPS)是废水生物处理系统中生物聚集体(包括絮体污泥、生物膜、颗粒污泥等)的重要组成部分,直接包裹于微生物细胞壁外,其理化性质及所处的特殊位置决定了它在生物聚集体中的重要作用.综述了EPS对废水生物处理系统污泥沉降性能、脱水性以及膜生物反应器膜污染影响的相关研究,分析认为EPS组成与结构特性改变污泥表面电位、疏水性等,进而影响污泥沉降与脱水性能、膜污染程度;以好氧颗粒污泥为典型的生物聚集体代表,总结了EPS组分含量与分布对颗粒污泥的形成与结构稳定性的影响,并在EPS提取方法标准化、现代理化技术与分子生物学技术综合分析等方面进行了展望,进一步的研究有望揭示生物絮凝体形成过程EPS的产生与调控机制.     

A new polystyrene-latex-based and EPS-containing synthetic sludge

Since the living microorganisms in activated sludge continuously change, it is difficult to conduct controlled experiments and achieve reproducible results for evaluating sludge characteristics. Synthetic sludge, as a chemical surrogate to activated sludge, could be used to investigate the sludge physicochemical properties, and it is desirable to prepare synthetic sludge with similar structure and properties to real activated sludge to explore the flocculation and settlement processes in activated sludge systems. In this work, a high-strength synthetic sludge was prepared with functional polystyrene latex particles as the framework and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to modify its surface. The flocculation and settling characteristics of the microspheres and the prepared synthetic sludge were tested. Compared with other three functional polystyrene latex microspheres, the synthetic sludge prepared with EPS-modified polystyrene latex microspheres showed good settling characteristics and a significantly higher strength. They could be used for studying the physicochemical properties of activated sludge.