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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Measuring Biomethane Potential of Food Scrap Waste Anaerobically Co-Digested with Waste-Activated Sludge Using Respirometry
Published on: April 26, 2024
Carbon source recovery from waste activated sludge by alkaline hydrolysis and gamma-ray irradiation for biological
Tak-Hyun Kim1, Youn-Ku Nam, Chulhwan Park
1Radiation Research Division for Industry and Environment, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup 580-185, Republic of Korea. tkhk@kaeri.re.kr
Abstract:
The recovery of an organic carbon source from a waste activated sludge by using alkaline hydrolysis and radiation treatment was studied, and the feasibility of the solubilized sludge carbon source for a biological denitrification was also investigated. The effects of an alkaline treatment and gamma-ray irradiation on a biodegradability enhancement of the sludge were also studied. A modified continuous bioreactor for a denitrification (MLE reactor) was operated by using a synthetic wastewater for 47 days. Alkaline treatment of pH 10 and gamma-ray irradiation of 20 kGy were found to be the optimum carbon source recovery conditions. COD removal of 84% and T-N removal of 51% could be obtained by using the solubilized sludge carbon source through the MLE denitrification process. It can be concluded that the carbon source recovered from the waste activated sludge was successfully employed as an alternative carbon source for a biological denitrification.
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