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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 18, 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

Sludge reduction using aquatic worms under different aeration regimes.

Lu Cai¹, Ding Gao², Kan Wang¹

¹a Faculty of Architectural, Civil Engineering and Environment , Ningbo University , Ningbo , People's Republic of China.

Environmental Technology

|July 13, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Aquatic worms in wastewater treatment significantly reduce sludge by 60% at optimal aeration. This method enhances sludge reduction without increasing energy use or harming effluent quality.

Keywords:

Aeration aquatic worms dissolved oxygen sludge reduction wastewater treatment

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Area of Science:

Environmental Engineering
Wastewater Treatment Technologies
Aquatic Ecology

Background:

Sludge production is a major challenge in wastewater treatment.
Aquatic worms can aid in sludge reduction through predation.
Aeration levels critically influence the effectiveness of biological treatment processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of different aeration levels on in-situ sludge reduction by aquatic worms.
To determine the optimal aeration regime for maximizing sludge reduction in a wastewater treatment system.
To compare the performance of a conventional reactor with an aquatic worm reactor (WR).

Main Methods:

Experiments were conducted using aquatic worms in a wastewater treatment system under varying dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations.
Sludge reduction rates, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, ammonia nitrogen removal, and power consumption were monitored.
A comparative analysis was performed between a conventional reactor and the aquatic worm reactor (WR).

Main Results:

An optimal dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of 2.5 mg/L was identified for sludge reduction.
Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal remained stable at approximately 80% when DO exceeded 2.5 mg/L.
At 2.5 mg/L DO, the WR achieved 60.0% absolute sludge reduction and 45.7% relative sludge reduction with a worm growth rate of 0.150 d⁻¹.
Higher DO levels (5 mg/L) did not enhance sludge reduction and increased energy consumption.

Conclusions:

Aquatic worms effectively reduce sludge production in wastewater treatment systems.
An optimal aeration regime, specifically 2.5 mg/L DO, is crucial for maximizing sludge reduction efficiency.
The aquatic worm reactor (WR) offers a promising solution for sludge management, reducing sludge without compromising effluent quality or increasing energy demands.