Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Use of gamma-irradiation pretreatment for enhancement of anaerobic digestibility of sewage sludge

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering in China Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effects of γ-irradiation pretreatment on anaerobic digestibility of sewage sludge was investigated in this paper. Parameters like solid components, soluble components, and biogas production of anaerobic digestion experiment for sewage sludge were measured. The values of these parameters were compared before and after γ-irradiation pretreatment. Total solid (TS), volatile solid (VS), suspended solid (SS), volatile suspended solid (VSS), and average floc size of samples decreased after γ-irradiation treatment. Besides, floc size distribution of sewage sludge shifted from 80–100 μm to 0–40 μm after γ-irradiation treatment at the doses from 0 to 30 kGy, which indicated the disintegration of sewage sludge. Moreover, microbe cells of sewage sludge were ruptured by γ-irradiation treatment, which resulted in the release of cytoplasm and increase of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD). Both sludge disintegration and microbe cells rupture enhanced the subsequent anaerobic digestion process, which was demonstrated by the increase of accumulated biogas production. Compared with digesters fed with none irradiated sludge, the accumulated biogas production increased 44, 98, and 178 mL for digesters fed sludge irradiated at 2.48, 6.51, and 11.24 kGy, respectively. The results indicated that γ-irradiation pretreatment could effectively enhance anaerobic digestibility of sewage sludge, and correspondingly, could accelerate hydrolysis process, shorten sludge retention time of sludge anaerobic digestion process.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lin J G, Chang C N, Chang S C. Enhancement of anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge by alkaline solubilization. Bioresource Technology, 1997, 62: 85–90

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Eastman J A, Ferguson J F. Solubilization of particulate organic carbon during the acid phrase of anaerobic digestion. Journal WPCF, 1981, 53(3): 352–365

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Neyens E, Baeyens J. A review of thermal sludge pre-treatment processes to improve dewaterability. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2003, 98(1–3): 51–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Navia R, Soto M, Vidal G. Alkaline pretreatment of kraft mill sludge to improve its anaerobic digestion. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2002, 69(6): 869–876

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Tiehm A, Nickel K, Zellhorn M. Ultrasonic waste activated sludge disintegration for improving anaerobic stabilization. Water Research, 2001, 35(8): 2003–2009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Weemaes M, Grootaerd H, Simoens F. Anaerobic digestion of ozonized biosolids. Water Research, 2000, 34(8): 2330–2336

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Shin K S, Kang H. Electron beam pretreatment of sewage sludge before anaerobic digestion. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 2003, 109(1–3): 227–239

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Camacho P, Deleris S, Geaugey V. A comparative study between mechanical, thermal and oxidative disintegration techniques of waste activated sludge. Water Science and Technology, 2002, 46(10): 79–87

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Mustapha S, Forster C F. Examination into the gamma irradiation of activated sludge. Enzyme and Microbial Technology., 1985, 7: 179–181

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Rawat K P, Sharma A, Rao S M. Microbiological and physicochemical analysis of radiation disinfected municipal sewage. Water Research, 1998, 32(3): 737–740

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Trouqué S. L, Forster C F. The use of ultrasound and γ-irradiation as pre-treatments for the anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge at mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures Bioresource Technology, 2002, 84: 113–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. He Y L. Anaerobic Treatment of Wastewater. Beijing, China: China Light Industry Press, 1998: 536–538 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Mu Y Y. Mechanism and effect of γ-irradiation pretreatment on anaerobic digestibility of sludge. Dissertation for the Master’s Degree. Nanjing, China: Nanjing University, 2005: 23–24 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China

    Shoujun Yuan

  2. State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Zheng Zheng, Xin Yu & Yongfu Zhao

  3. Zhongan Zhihuan Technology Assessment Center, Beijing, 100022, China

    Yanyan Mu

Authors
  1. Shoujun Yuan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zheng Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yanyan Mu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xin Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yongfu Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shoujun Yuan.

Additional information

__________

Translated from Techniques and Equipment for Environmental Pollution Control, 2006, 7(8): 36–39 [译自: 环境污染治理技术与设备]

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yuan, S., Zheng, Z., Mu, Y. et al. Use of gamma-irradiation pretreatment for enhancement of anaerobic digestibility of sewage sludge. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. China 2, 247–250 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-008-0041-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-008-0041-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation