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Advanced nutrient removal and external sludge reduction: Demonstration in a pilot-scale sequencing batch reactor
Shenhua Yang1,2, Haibin Chang1, Yongzhen Peng1
1National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China.
Summary
Adding fermented sludge products to wastewater treatment enhanced nutrient removal and reduced sludge, saving costs. This cost-effective method improved nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies significantly.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Wastewater Treatment Technologies
- Microbial Ecology
Background:
- Improving nutrient removal in sewage treatment is crucial for environmental protection.
- Utilizing excess sludge fermentation products offers a cost-effective approach.
- Demonstrating the practical application of fermented sludge products in wastewater treatment is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effectiveness of adding excess sludge fermentation products to Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBRs) for enhanced nutrient removal.
- To evaluate the impact of fermented sludge on excess sludge reduction.
- To analyze the microbial community changes and economic feasibility of this method.
Main Methods:
- Fermenting excess sludge for 10 days to produce fermentation products.
- Adding fermented sludge products to SBRs at a 1:15 sewage ratio.
- Monitoring nutrient levels, sludge reduction rates, and microbial communities using high-throughput sequencing.
Main Results:
- Achieved a nitrite accumulation ratio of 34.7% in the SBR.
- Reduced average effluent total nitrogen to 7.3 mg/L and phosphorus to 0.5 mg/L (86.7% and 95.5% removal efficiencies).
- Increased excess sludge reduction ratio to 42.5% and demonstrated cost savings of $0.011/m³.
Conclusions:
- Fermented sludge addition is an effective strategy for enhancing nutrient removal and reducing excess sludge in SBR systems.
- Microbial community shifts, including increased endogenous denitrifiers and polyphosphate-accumulating organisms, drive treatment improvements.
- This method presents a viable, cost-effective solution for advanced wastewater treatment.
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