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Domestic wastewater biosolids accumulation by liquid state bioconversion process for rapid composting
A Fakhru'l-Razi1, Md Zahangir Alam, Azni Idris
1Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor DE.
Summary
Fungal treatment using Aspergillus niger and Penicillium corylophilum effectively bioconverted domestic wastewater sludge, significantly reducing pollutants and enhancing biosolids quality. This method accelerates sludge treatment and improves protein content.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Microbiology
- Biotechnology
- Wastewater Treatment
Background:
- Domestic wastewater biosolids pose disposal challenges.
- Microbial bioconversion offers a sustainable treatment approach.
- Fungal cultures can enhance sludge dewatering and pollutant removal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the bioconversion of high-strength domestic wastewater biosolids using a mixed fungal culture.
- To evaluate the impact of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium corylophilum on sludge properties and pollutant reduction.
- To optimize the liquid state bioconversion (LSB) process for enhanced biosolids production.
Main Methods:
- Laboratory-scale bioconversion of domestic wastewater sludge (4% w/w TSS) using mixed fungal culture.
- Monitoring of key parameters including chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), and specific resistance to filtration (SRF).
- Analysis of fungal biomass enrichment and protein content in the treated sludge cake.
Main Results:
- Maximum production of dry sludge cake enriched with fungal biomass (85.66 g/kg) and protein (25.23 g/kg) after 8 days.
- Significant reduction in COD (92%) and TSS (98.8%) in the supernatant of treated sludge.
- Achieved lower specific resistance to filtration (SRF) of 1.08 x 10(12) m/kg after 6 days of fermentation.
- pH influence on the bioconversion process was also investigated.
Conclusions:
- Mixed fungal culture of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium corylophilum effectively accelerates the bioconversion of domestic wastewater biosolids.
- The treatment significantly reduces pollutants (COD, TSS) and improves sludge dewaterability (SRF).
- Enhanced biosolids exhibit higher fungal biomass and protein content, indicating potential for value-added applications.