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Improvement of Thermal Dehydration and Agronomic Properties of Products Obtained by Combining Sewage Sludge with Industrial Residues

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Abstract

Sewage sludge (SS) formed in wastewater treatment plants can contain organic matter and nutrients in concentrations that are valuable for amending poor soil. This work aims to compare the performance of six residues not only as drying adjuvants of SS but also as improvers agents in agronomic properties of the final product. According to criteria in line with circular economy and industrial ecology, the selected adjuvants were weathered coal fly ash (CFA), bottom biomass ash (BBA), green liquor dregs (GLD), lime mud (LM), eggshell (ES), and rice husk (RH). The main physicochemical properties of these materials were determined. Then, small cylinders with and without 0.15 g adjuvant/g SSwet basis were shaped at room temperature and dried at 130 ºC in a moisture analyzer to evaluate the drying kinetics. The profiles were modeled, and the main parameters determined. Furthermore, several relevant parameters for agronomic applications of the final products were determined, such as pathogen contamination, acid neutralization capacity (ANC), and oxygen uptake rate (OUR). Adding BBA to SS (named as SS_BBA product) promoted the highest diffusion coefficient (2.55·10−7 m2/s) and drying rate (41.6 g H2O/kg min). On the other hand, SS_ES showed a positive impact in almost all agronomic parameters, with an ANC of 0.166 g CaCO3/g, OUR of 10.18 mmol O2/kg organic matter h, and germination index of 29.1%. In general, the results indicate that several residues can be used to improve not only sludge drying but also the final properties of the product for soil applications.

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Funding

This work was developed under the project ‘Dry2Value–Estudo e desenvolvimento de um Sistema de secagem para valorização de lamas. Project consortium with HRV e BioSmart Soluções Ambientais. POCI-01-0247-FEDER-033662. Funded by Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER)—Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIEPQPF, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Rua Sílvio Lima, Pólo II – Pinhal de Marrocos, 3030-790, Coimbra, Portugal

    Andreia F. Santos, Luciano A. Gomes & Margarida J. Quina

  2. IFB - Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Brasília, IFB, Campus Ceilândia Brasília - Federal District, Brasília, Brazil

    Luciano A. Gomes

  3. Association for the Development of Industrial Aerodynamics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3030-790, Coimbra, Portugal

    José C. Góis

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  1. Andreia F. Santos
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  2. Luciano A. Gomes
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  4. Margarida J. Quina
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Correspondence to Andreia F. Santos.

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Santos, A.F., Gomes, L.A., Góis, J.C. et al. Improvement of Thermal Dehydration and Agronomic Properties of Products Obtained by Combining Sewage Sludge with Industrial Residues. Waste Biomass Valor 12, 5087–5097 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-021-01371-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-021-01371-8

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