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Deep dewatering process of sludge by chemical conditioning and its potential influence on wastewater treatment plants

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Abstract

FeCl3, quick lime, and cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) were used for excess sludge conditioning from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and the dewatering performance by different chemical conditioners was investigated. Experimental results showed that FeCl3 could make small and concentrated sludge particles. Furthermore, new mineral phase structures for building a dewatering framework were obtained by the addition of quick lime, and the coagulation capacity was enhanced by the formation of colloid hydroxyl polymer, which was induced due to the alkaline environment. In addition, the floc particle size significantly increased after the CPAM dosage. The bound water could be released with the stripping of tightly bound extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). Therefore, the dewatering performance and efficiencies were improved and subsequently the hypothetical sludge deep dewatering process was depicted in accordance with the variation of EPS. However, high-strength refractory organics in sludge filtrates caused by quick lime pyrolysis could lead to the unstable operation of the WWTP, because the relatively high concentrations of organic compounds with benzene were dominant in sludge dewatering filtrates.

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Funding

This study received financial support from the Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment (2013ZX07315-003, 2017ZX07202-001), the Jiangsu Provincial Policy Guidance Program (No. BY205019-27), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. JUSRP51512).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China

    Shuo Wang, Yin Zhu, Yangkun Yang & Ji Li

  2. Jiangsu College of Water Treatment Technology and Material Collaborative Innovation Center, Suzhou, 215009, China

    Shuo Wang & Ji Li

  3. State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin, 300387, China

    Cong Ma

  4. Ministry Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China

    Guocheng Du

Authors
  1. Shuo Wang
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  2. Cong Ma
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  3. Yin Zhu
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  4. Yangkun Yang
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  5. Guocheng Du
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  6. Ji Li
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Cong Ma or Ji Li.

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Responsible editor: Bingcai Pan

Highlights

1. Both sludge water and organic content significantly decreased by chemical conditioning.

2. The alkaline environment enhanced the conversion of TB-EPS to SMP and LB-EPS.

3. The bound water was simultaneously released with the loss of TB-EPS.

4. The ratio of organic compounds with benzene series from filtrate was as high as 58.56%.

5. Hypothesis of sludge dewatering process by chemical conditioners was depicted.

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Wang, S., Ma, C., Zhu, Y. et al. Deep dewatering process of sludge by chemical conditioning and its potential influence on wastewater treatment plants. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 33838–33846 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2351-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2351-1

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