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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor

Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor

Published on: October 15, 2015

Implementation of an excess sludge reduction step in an activated sludge process.

Chul-Hwi Park¹, Yoon-Sun Bae, Gee-Bong Han

¹Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A, Toxic/Hazardous Substances & Environmental Engineering

|April 15, 2010

Summary

This study enhanced activated sludge wastewater treatment by adding an excess sludge digesting reactor (ESDR). The modified process significantly reduced total suspended solids (TSS) and sludge volume, improving overall efficiency.

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Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge

Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge

Published on: September 26, 2016

Area of Science:

Environmental Engineering
Microbiology
Wastewater Treatment

Background:

Activated sludge processes generate significant excess sludge.
Effective sludge reduction is crucial for sustainable wastewater treatment.
Current methods for sludge reduction have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the efficacy of an excess sludge digesting reactor (ESDR) for reducing sludge in activated sludge systems.
To evaluate the impact of thermophilic microbial inoculation on sludge solubilization.
To assess the effect of the modified process on sludge settling characteristics and effluent quality.

Main Methods:

Coupling an ESDR to the sludge return line of an activated sludge system.
Operating the ESDR under thermophilic aerobic conditions.
Comparing a reference ESDR (without thermophiles) to a test ESDR (with thermophiles).
Measuring total suspended solids (TSS) reduction and sludge solubilization ratios (beta values).
Analyzing sludge volume index (SVI) and effluent water quality.

Main Results:

The test ESDR with thermophilic microbial inoculation achieved a 32.09% decrease in TSS, compared to 13.76% in the reference ESDR.
Microbial enhancement resulted in an 18.33% greater solubilization of sludge over 48 hours.
Excess sludge reduction ratios reached up to 68.97% with optimized sludge recirculation.
Sludge volume index (SVI) improved from 68.4 to 57.0, indicating better settling.
Effluent water quality met national legislative requirements.

Conclusions:

Incorporating an ESDR with thermophilic aerobic digestion is an effective strategy for significant excess sludge reduction in activated sludge processes.
The modification enhances sludge solubilization without negatively impacting sludge settling properties or effluent quality.
This approach offers a promising solution for improving the sustainability and efficiency of wastewater treatment plants.