Wuxi Qijing Machinery Technology Co., Ltd.
The residue that accumulates in sewage treatment plants is called sludge (or biosolids). Sewage sludge is the solid, semisolid, or slurry residual material that is produced as a by-product of wastewater treatment processes. This residue is commonly classified as primary and secondary sludge. Primary sludge is generated from chemical precipitation, sedimentation, and other primary processes, whereas secondary sludge is the activated waste biomass resulting from biological treatments. Some sewage plants also receive septage or septic tank solids from household on-site wastewater treatment systems. Quite often the sludges are combined together for further treatment and disposal.
Treatment and disposal of sewage sludge are major factors in the design and operation of all wastewater treatment plants. Two basic goals of treating sludge before final disposal are to reduce its volume and to stabilize the organic materials. Stabilized sludge does not have an offensive odour and can be handled without causing a nuisance or health hazard. Smaller sludge volume reduces the costs of pumping and storage.
Treatment of sewage sludge may include a combination of thickening, digestion, and dewatering processes.
Thickening is usually the first step in sludge treatment because it is impractical to handle thin sludge, a slurry of solids suspended in water. Thickening is usually accomplished in a tank called a gravity thickener. A thickener can reduce the total volume of sludge to less than half the original volume. An alternative to gravity thickening is dissolved-air flotation. In this method, air bubbles carry the solids to the surface, where a layer of thickened sludge forms.
Sludge digestion is a biological process in which organic solids are decomposed into stable substances. Digestion reduces the total mass of solids, destroys pathogens, and makes it easier to dewater or dry the sludge. Digested sludge is inoffensive, having the appearance and characteristics of a rich potting soil.
Most large sewage treatment plants use a two-stage digestion system in which organics are metabolized by bacteria anaerobically (in the absence of oxygen). In the first stage, the sludge, thickened to a dry solids (DS) content of about 5 percent, is heated and mixed in a closed tank for several days. Acid-forming bacteria hydrolyze large molecules such as proteins and lipids, breaking them into smaller water-soluble molecules, and then ferment those smaller molecules into various fatty acids. The sludge then flows into a second tank, where the dissolved matter is converted by other bacteria into biogas, a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane. Methane is combustible and is used as a fuel to heat the first digestion tank as well as to generate electricity for the plant.
Anaerobic digestion is very sensitive to temperature, acidity, and other factors. It requires careful monitoring and control. In some cases, the sludge is inoculated with extra hydrolytic enzymes at the beginning of the first digestion stage in order to supplement the action of the bacteria. It has been found that this enzymatic treatment can destroy more unwanted pathogens in the sludge and also can result in the generation of more biogas in the second stage of digestion.
Another enhancement of the traditional two-stage anaerobic digestion process is thermal hydrolysis, or the breaking down of the large molecules by heat. This is done in a separate step before digestion. In a typical case, the process begins with a sludge that has been dewatered to a DS content of some 15 percent. The sludge is mixed with steam in a pulper, and this hot homogenized mixture is fed to a reactor, where it is held under pressure at approximately 165 °C (about 330 °F) for about 30 minutes. At that point, with the hydrolytic reactions complete, some of the steam is bled off (to be fed to the pulper), and the sludge, still under some pressure, is released suddenly into a [flash tank," where the sudded drop in pressure bursts the cell walls of much of the solid matter. The hydrolyzed sludge is cooled, diluted slightly with water, and then sent directly to the second stage of anaerobic digestion.
Sludge digestion may also take place aerobically-that is, in the presence of oxygen. The sludge is vigorously aerated in an open tank for about 20 days. Methane gas is not formed in this process. Although aerobic systems are easier to operate than anaerobic systems, they usually cost more to operate because of the power needed for aeration. Aerobic digestion is often combined with small extended aeration or contact stabilization systems.
Aerobic and conventional anaerobic digestion convert about half of the organic sludge solids to liquids and gases. Thermal hydrolysis followed by anaerobic digestion can convert some 60 to 70 percent of the solid matter to liquids and gases. Not only is the volume of solids produced smaller than in conventional digestion, but the greater production of biogas can make some wastewater treatment plants self-sufficient in energy.
Digested sewage sludge is usually dewatered before disposal. Dewatered sludge still contains a significant amount of water-often as much as 70 percent-but, even with that moisture content, sludge no longer behaves as a liquid and can be handled as a solid material. Sludge-drying beds provide the simplest method of dewatering. A digested sludge slurry is spread on an open bed of sand and allowed to remain until dry. Drying takes place by a combination of evaporation and gravity drainage through the sand. A piping network built under the sand collects the water, which is pumped back to the head of the plant. After about six weeks of drying, the sludge cake, as it is called, may have a solids content of about 40 percent. It can then be removed from the sand with a pitchfork or a front-end loader. In order to reduce drying time in wet or cold weather, a glass enclosure may be built over the sand beds. Since a good deal of land area is needed for drying beds, this method of dewatering is commonly used in rural or suburban towns rather than in densely populated cities.
Alternatives to sludge-drying beds include the rotary drum vacuum filter, the centrifuge, and the belt filter press. These mechanical systems require less space than do sludge-drying beds, and they offer a greater degree of operational control. However, they usually have to be preceded by a step called sludge conditioning, in which chemicals are added to the liquid sludge to coagulate solids and improve drainability.
The final destination of treated sewage sludge usually is the land. Dewatered sludge can be buried underground in a sanitary landfill. It also may be spread on agricultural land in order to make use of its value as a soil conditioner and fertilizer. Since sludge may contain toxic industrial chemicals, it is not spread on land where crops are grown for human consumption.
Where a suitable site for land disposal is not available, as in urban areas, sludge may be incinerated. Incineration completely evaporates the moisture and converts the organic solids into inert ash. The ash must be disposed of, but the reduced volume makes disposal more economical. Air pollution control is a very important consideration when sewage sludge is incinerated. Appropriate air-cleaning devices such as scrubbers and filters must be used.
Dumping sludge in the ocean, once an economical disposal method for many coastal communities, is no longer considered a viable option. It is now prohibited in the China and many other coastal countries.
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