Abstract
The influence of the recycling of washing agents on the removal efficiency of Cu and Zn from sewage sludge was investigated. In the recycling test, the washing agents (H3PO4, HNO3, H2SO4, citric and oxalic acids, Fenton-like reagent, and saponin) were recycled after each removal cycle and then stirred with unwashed sludge again for six cycles. When the washing agents were recycled, the Cu removal efficiency of all the washing agents, except HNO3 and saponin, was reduced. Similarly, the Zn removal efficiency of all washing agents was also diminished. The decrease in removal efficiency when recycling washing agents indicates that the capacity of the washing agents to remove Cu and Zn from the sludge was limited. During the recycling test, Cu and Zn concentrations in the sludge were compared to organic fertilizer standards in Korea and other countries. Even after recycling the washing agents six times, Cu and Zn concentrations were not only in accordance with criteria of Korea, but those other nations, depending on the washing agent. Therefore, depending on the washing agent, recycling the washing agent tested in this study six times is feasible, not only in Korea, but also in other countries. Only citric acid did not meet the minimum Korean fertilizer criteria for the sum of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and K. This was because citric acid eliminated relatively more nutrients. This study can help determine whether the agents can be recycled to lower metal concentrations along with potential nutrient loss.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2019R111A3A0106242412). I thank Ms. Yun Kyung Shim for improving the manuscript, and Ms. Hyun Joo Park for helping with the experiment. I also express my gratitude to professor Seung-Mok Lee for providing a place to experiment and some materials.
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This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2019R111A3A0106242412).
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Shim, M.J. Recycling of washing agents for heavy metal removal from digested sewage sludge. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 20, 11809–11820 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-04757-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-04757-4