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Management of sewage sludge by composting using fermented water hyacinth

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Abstract

The goal of the present research work was to assess the management of sewage sludge (SS) by composting using fermented water hyacinth (WHferm) as an amendment. The water hyacinth was fermented, and a higher production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) (782.67 mg L−1) and soluble organic carbon (CSOL) (4788.34 mg L−1) was obtained using a particle size of 7 mm compared to 50 mm. For composting, four treatments (10 kg fresh weight each) were evaluated: treatment A (100 % SS + 0 % WHferm), treatment B (75 % SS + 25 % WHferm), treatment C (50 % SS + 50 % WHferm), and treatment D (25 % SS + 75 % WHferm). The WHferm added to SS, especially in treatments C (50 %) and D (75 %), increased the initial contents of organic matter (OM), organic carbon (CORG), CSOL, the C/N ratio, and the germination index (GI). The heavy metal content (HMC) (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) at the beginning was below the maximum allowed by USEPA regulations. All of the samples were free of Salmonella sp. from the beginning. The reduction of the CORG, CSOL, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), and C/N ratio indicated the degradation of the OM by day 198. The treatments with WHferm (B, C, and D) yielded higher values of electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, and GI than SS at day 198. No significant differences were observed in GI among the treatments with WHferm. The fecal coliforms were eliminated (<3 MPN g−1) and the helminths were reduced to ≤5 eggs/2 g during the process. The competition for nutrients and the presence of suppressive fungi of the genera Penicillium, Rhizopus, Paecilomyces (penicillin producers), and Fusariella isolated from the compost may have promoted the elimination of pathogens since no thermophile temperatures were obtained. WHferm as an amendment in the composting of SS improved the characteristics of the final product, especially when it was used in proportions of 25 and 50 %. An excellent product was obtained in terms of HMC, and the product was B class in terms of pathogens.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financed by Fundación Educación Superior-Empresa (FESE) (Project: 3379/2013E), by Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM) (Projects: 3120/2011 and 3449/2013CHT), and by Instituto de Ecología (The Ecology Institute) (Project: 2003010/282).

We acknowledge funding for doctoral studies from the following scholarships: Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) (328457) and Programa de Mejoramiento del Profesorado (PROMEP) (Universidad Veracruzana-489). The authors would like to express a special appreciation to Ph.D. Cristina Burrola Aguilar for her support during the work at the microbiology laboratory at Centro de Investigaciones y Recursos Bióticos (CIRB), of UAEM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering, Centro Interamericano de Recursos del Agua (CIRA), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM), Cerro de Coatepec s/n. CU, Toluca, 50130, Edo, Mexico

    A. F. Tello-Andrade & M. C. Jiménez-Moleón

  2. Faculty of Civil Engineering-Xalapa, Universidad Veracruzana (UV), Calle de la Pérgola s/n. Zona Universitaria, Xalapa, 91090, Veracruz, Mexico

    A. F. Tello-Andrade

  3. Biotechnological Management of Resources Network, Instituto de Ecología, Carretera Antigua a Coatepec No. 351 El Haya, Xalapa, 91070, Veracruz, Mexico

    G. Sánchez-Galván

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  1. A. F. Tello-Andrade
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Tello-Andrade, A.F., Jiménez-Moleón, M.C. & Sánchez-Galván, G. Management of sewage sludge by composting using fermented water hyacinth. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 14781–14792 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4683-4

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