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Sewage sludge disintegration by electrocoagulation.
1a Engineering Faculty, Department of Environmental Engineering, Cumhuriyet University , Sivas , Turkey.
International Journal of Environmental Health Research
|December 6, 2018
Summary
Electrocoagulation (EC) effectively disintegrates wastewater sludge, reducing sludge production and enhancing stabilization. This study optimized EC conditions, achieving an 84.23% disintegration degree with a low operating cost.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Water Treatment Technologies
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Wastewater treatment plants generate significant sludge volumes, necessitating efficient stabilization and reduction methods.
- Sludge stabilization is crucial for reducing pathogen content and improving dewaterability.
- Current sludge treatment methods face challenges in efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of electrocoagulation (EC) as a sludge disintegration technique.
- To optimize EC parameters for maximum sludge disintegration and stabilization.
- To evaluate the economic feasibility of EC for sludge treatment.
Main Methods:
- Sludge samples from an urban wastewater treatment plant were treated using a monopolar electrocoagulation reactor with iron electrodes.
- The effects of reaction time, pH, and current density on sludge disintegration degree (DD) were systematically studied.
- Sludge disintegration was characterized using parameters like soluble chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, total organic carbon, and rheological properties.
Main Results:
- Optimal electrocoagulation conditions were determined as pH 7, 30 minutes reaction time, and 150 A/m² current density.
- Under optimal conditions, a sludge disintegration degree of 84.23% was achieved, with soluble chemical oxygen demand reaching 675.2 mg/L.
- The electrocoagulation process followed a second-order kinetic model, and the estimated operating cost was 0.078 €/m³.
Conclusions:
- Electrocoagulation is a highly effective technique for wastewater sludge disintegration.
- The optimized EC process significantly enhances sludge stabilization and reduces sludge volume.
- EC offers a cost-effective and efficient solution for improving sludge management in wastewater treatment.
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