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Anaerobic treatability of liquid residue from wet oxidation of sewage sludge

  • Effective management of sewage sludge
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Abstract

Wet Oxidation (WO) of sewage sludge is a chemical oxidation of sludge at high temperatures and pressures by means of an oxygen-containing gas. The liquid stream originated by WO is easily biodegradable, and therefore, the recirculation to the biological Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) may be a feasible solution. However, the WO effluent has a residual organic and nitrogen content so that its treatment may be required when the receiving WWTP has no surplus treatment capacity left. The aim of this research was the assessment of the anaerobic treatability of the WO liquid residue, in order to reduce the organic load to be recirculated to the WWTP, simultaneously promoting energy recovery. For this purpose, the liquid residue obtained during full scale WO tests on two different types of sludge was submitted to anaerobic digestion in a continuous flow pilot reactor (V = 5 L). Furthermore, batch tests were carried out in order to evaluate possible inhibition factors. Experimental results showed that, after the start-up/acclimation period (~130 days), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal efficiency was stably around 60 % for about 120 days, despite the change in operating conditions. In the last phase of the experimental activity, COD removal reached 70 % under the following treatment conditions: Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) = 20 days, Volumetric Organic Loading Rate (VOLR) = 0.868 kg COD/m3/day, Organic Loading Rate per Volatile Suspended Solids (OLRvss) = 0.078 kg COD/kg VSS/day, temperature (T) = 36.5 °C, pH = 8. Energy balance calculation demonstrated anaerobic treatment sustainability.

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Acknowledgments

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development, and demonstration under grant agreement No. 265156. Authors are grateful to the graduating students Maria Giulia Gaibotti, Diego Fisogni, and Luca Massolini for their valuable support during the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, via Branze 43, 25123, Brescia, Italy

    Giorgio Bertanza, Laura Menoni & Sabrina Zanaboni

  2. 3V GREEN EAGLE S.p.A., Piazza Libertà 10, 24121, Bergamo, Italy

    Raniero Galessi & Roberta Salvetti

  3. Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, via Branze 38, 25123, Brescia, Italy

    Roberta Pedrazzani

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  1. Giorgio Bertanza
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  2. Raniero Galessi
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  3. Laura Menoni
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  4. Roberta Pedrazzani
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  5. Roberta Salvetti
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  6. Sabrina Zanaboni
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Correspondence to Giorgio Bertanza.

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Responsible editor: Gerald Thouand

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Bertanza, G., Galessi, R., Menoni, L. et al. Anaerobic treatability of liquid residue from wet oxidation of sewage sludge. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 7317–7326 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3303-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3303-z

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