Enhancing Biosludge Dewaterability with Hemoglobin from Waste Blood as a Bioflocculant

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Biochemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Synthetic polymers are standard for biosludge dewatering.
• Biosludge treatment requires efficient water removal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate methylated hemoglobin (MeHb) as a biosludge dewatering agent.
• To compare MeHb with regular hemoglobin (Hb) and synthetic polymers.

Main Methods:

• Biosludge conditioning with Hb and MeHb.
• Measurement of dry solids content.
• Zeta potential analysis.
• Particle size distribution analysis.

Main Results:

• Regular Hb showed no effect on dewatering.
• MeHb increased dry solids from 10.2% to 15.0%.
• MeHb reduced negative surface charge from -34.3 mV to -19.0 mV.
• Particle size distribution remained unchanged.

Conclusions:

• MeHb significantly improves biosludge dewatering efficiency.
• Charge neutralization is the primary mechanism for MeHb's effectiveness.
• MeHb offers a sustainable alternative to synthetic polymers for biosludge treatment.