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Impact of ultrasonic treatment on dewaterability of sludge during Fenton oxidation

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Abstract

Fenton oxidation was compared with Fenton oxidation coupled with ultrasonication (Fenton + US) for sludge dewatering. Different Fenton reagent (H2O2, Fe2+) concentrations, pH, and reaction times were studied in different systems on the basis of the specific resistance to filtration (SRF) and capillary suction time (CST). It was found that Fenton + US can significantly reduce Fe2+ and H2O2 dosages and reaction times. After ultrasonication of the system at pH 3, with an ultrasonic frequency of 25 kHz and a sound energy density of 100 W/L, the Fe2+, H2O2 dosage, and reaction time were reduced by 66.7, 75.0, and 75.0 %, respectively, when compared with Fenton oxidation at the same dewaterability of sludge. The microstructure of sludge and hydroxyl radical (·OH) density in Fenton oxidation and Fenton + US was further examined. Fenton + US produced more · OH in a sludge system than did individual Fenton oxidation. The concentration of · OH in Fenton + US fell from 79.2 to 6 mg/L over 3.5 h, while the concentration of · OH in Fenton oxidation fell from 59.6 to 1 mg/L over 2 h, thus destroying the microstructure of sludge more effectively. Sludge treated using Fenton + US for 30 min showed a much thinner and looser microstructure.

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Acknowledgments

The work was financially supported by the National Water Pollution Control and Management Scientific Special Item of China (Project no. 2012ZX07301-001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environment, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China

    Jianguo Jiang, Changxiu Gong, Sicong Tian, Shihui Yang & Yujing Zhang

  2. Key Laboratory for Solid Waste Management and Environment Safety, Ministry of Education of China, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China

    Jianguo Jiang

  3. Collaborative Innovation Center for Regional Environmental Quality, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Jianguo Jiang

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  1. Jianguo Jiang
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  2. Changxiu Gong
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  3. Sicong Tian
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  4. Shihui Yang
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Correspondence to Jianguo Jiang.

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Jiang, J., Gong, C., Tian, S. et al. Impact of ultrasonic treatment on dewaterability of sludge during Fenton oxidation. Environ Monit Assess 186, 8081–8088 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3988-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3988-y

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