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Hydrated Oil Shale Ash Mitigates Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Horizontal Subsurface Flow Filters for Wastewater Treatment

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Abstract

Previous pilot-scale studies have shown outstanding levels of efficiency in phosphorus removal by using hydrated oil shale ash (HOSA) sediments in horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) filters with low greenhouse gas emissions. However, no long-term full-scale experiment has been conducted using this material. From September 2013 to December 2015, two HSSF filters with different hydraulic loading regimes (NH1 with a stable loading regime and NH2 with a fluctuating regime), used to treat municipal wastewater, were analysed to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes and to develop a treatment system with minimised GHG emissions. The fluxes of CO2, CH4 and N2O, as well as their emission factors were significantly lower when compared with studies where regular filter materials (sand, gravel, etc.) are in use. The fluctuating loading regime significantly increased CO2 and N2O fluxes (median values of −3.3 and 2.6 mg CO2−C m−2 h−1, and 5.7 and 8.6 μg N2O−N m−2 h−1 for NH1 and NH2 regimes, respectively), whereas no impact could be seen on CH4 emissions (median 93.3 and 95.6 μg CH4−C m−2 h−1, for NH1 and NH2, respectively). All GHG emissions were strongly affected by the chemical composition of the water entering into the system. The water purification efficiency of the system was satisfactory for most water quality parameters and excellent for phosphorus. Thus, the HOSA-filled filters have a good potential for municipal wastewater treatment with low GHG emission.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Estonia (grant SF0180127s08), the Estonian Research Council (grant IUT2-16); and the EU through the European Regional Development Fund (The R&D programme of environmental protection and technology (KESTA), Centre of Excellence ENVIRON and Centre of Excellence EcolChange).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    Kuno Kasak, Marika Truu, Jaak Truu, Margit Kõiv-Vainik, Mikk Espenberg & Ülo Mander

  2. Estonian Fund for Nature, Lai 29, 51410, Tartu, Estonia

    Kuno Kasak

  3. Department of Geology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Ravila 14a, 50411, Tartu, Estonia

    Riho Mõtlep, Margit Kõiv-Vainik, Päärn Paiste & Kalle Kirsimäe

  4. Hydrosystem and Bioprocesses Research Unit, National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture (Irstea), 1 rue Pierre-Gilles de Gennes CS 10030, 92761, Antony Cedex, France

    Ülo Mander

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  1. Kuno Kasak
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Kasak, K., Mõtlep, R., Truu, M. et al. Hydrated Oil Shale Ash Mitigates Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Horizontal Subsurface Flow Filters for Wastewater Treatment. Water Air Soil Pollut 227, 320 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-016-3007-8

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