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Surface topographic characteristics of suspended particulates in reclaimed wastewater and effects on clogging in labyrinth drip irrigation emitters

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Abstract

Drip irrigation is the most effective and reliable method for reclaimed wastewater irrigation. Emitter clogging is the major problem for extending the drip irrigation technology. The existence of suspended particulates in irrigation water is the main reason for the emitter clogging. However, the reclaimed wastewater quality is extremely complex, and there is a series of physical, chemical, and biological reactions between suspended particulates and other materials contained such as microorganisms, which make the characteristics of suspended particulates in reclaimed wastewater complicated. In this paper, two types of widely used wastewaters treated with fluidized-bed reactor (FBR) and biological aerated filter (BAF) processes respectively were selected. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) technology and fractal theory were used to quantitatively describe the characteristics of the surface topography of suspended particulates. The results showed that the suspended particulates in two reclaimed wastewater were flocculent and porous. The pore system mainly consisted of solid suspended particulates, and most areas between the particulates were filled with microbes and extracellular polymers (EPS). The complex structure of biofilms was formed. That the biofilms grew and detached in irrigation system and deposited continuously at the inlet and outlet of labyrinth path was the major reason for the emitter clogging. The surface topography of suspended particulates in both reclaimed wastewaters showed fractal and multifractal characteristics, and the fractal dimension could not characterize the local and microsingularity of particulates but multifractal dimension could. The uniformity of the distribution of sediment pores increased with the size. Comparatively, the uniformity of suspended particulates in reclaimed wastewater treated by FBR was lower. With operation of reclaimed wastewater irrigation system, the average discharge of emitters decreased continuously with obvious fluctuations. The clogging degree of emitters was low during the first 256 h, and the clogging degree of the two types of reclaimed water was similar. But then, the degree of clogging increased greatly, and the FBR treatment on the emitters discharge were more obvious than BAF. It was closely related to the growth, detachments and sediment of biofilms in the irrigation system. Hence, using the reclaimed wastewater treated by BAF for drip irrigation is more suitable.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the financial support from the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (PCSIRT) (No. IRT0657), the National Natural Science Fund of China (NSFC) (No. 50379053, 50779068). We thank Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences for the providing of SEM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Agricultural Water Research in China, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China

    Yun Kai Li, Yao Ze Liu, Gui Bing Li, Hai Sheng Liu, Shu Mei Ren, Da Zhuang Yan & Pei Ling Yang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100085, Beijing, China

    Yun Kai Li

  3. Beijing Hydroelectric Investigation and Design Institute, 100024, Beijing, China

    Gui Bing Li

  4. International College at Beijing, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China

    Ting Wu Xu

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  1. Yun Kai Li
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  2. Yao Ze Liu
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  3. Gui Bing Li
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  4. Ting Wu Xu
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  5. Hai Sheng Liu
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  6. Shu Mei Ren
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  7. Da Zhuang Yan
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  8. Pei Ling Yang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yun Kai Li or Pei Ling Yang.

Additional information

Communicated by T. Trooien.

Y. K. Li, Y. Z. Liu, G. B. Li and T. W. Xu equally contributed to this paper.

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Li, Y.K., Liu, Y.Z., Li, G.B. et al. Surface topographic characteristics of suspended particulates in reclaimed wastewater and effects on clogging in labyrinth drip irrigation emitters. Irrig Sci 30, 43–56 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-010-0257-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-010-0257-x

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