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Enhancing sludge dewatering efficiency through bioleaching facilitated by increasing reactive oxygen species
Ting Li1, Jiawei Yang1, Yujun Zhou2
1College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Water Research
|January 21, 2023
Summary
Adding hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to iron-oxidizing bacteria bioleaching significantly enhances sludge dewaterability and drastically reduces treatment time by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). This method improves sludge conditioning efficiently.
Area of Science:
- Environmental biotechnology
- Water treatment engineering
Background:
- Bioleaching using iron-oxidizing bacteria is a cost-effective sludge dewatering method.
- Longer bioleaching times (two days) limit daily treatment capacity.
- Iron (II) oxidation generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) with high oxidizing potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate ROS generation in Fe2+-rich bioleaching systems for sludge extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) decomposition.
- To assess the impact of increased ROS on sludge dewaterability and bioleaching treatment time.
Main Methods:
- Sludge bioleaching treatment with the addition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to enhance ROS production.
- Evaluation of sludge dewaterability using specific resistance to filtration (SRF) and capillary suction time (CST).
- Analysis of ROS oxidation and Fe3+ flocculation as mechanisms for dewatering improvement.
Main Results:
- The BS+H2O2 process significantly improved sludge dewaterability, with SRF and CST reductions of 90.3% and 80.9%, respectively, after only 30 minutes.
- This treatment dramatically decreased bioleaching time compared to conventional methods.
- ROS oxidation and Fe3+ flocculation were identified as key mechanisms contributing to enhanced dewaterability.
Conclusions:
- Introducing H2O2 to bioleaching effectively increases ROS, leading to superior sludge dewatering efficiency and reduced treatment duration.
- This approach offers a promising, cost-efficient strategy for improving sludge dewatering processes.
