Challenge of urban sewage disposal in a karst region: Mérida, Yucátan, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, E. C.; Villasuso, M.

2013-05-01

Four hydrogeologic factors influence urban sewage management on the northern Yucátan (Mexico) Peninsula: 1) lack of rivers capable of transporting and/or oxidizing sewage, 2) near-surface flat-lying, porous, permeable limestone and dolomite with shallow layers of variable permeability but without major subsurface aquitards, 3) rapid groundwater transmission, penetration of seawater inland beneath a fresh water lens, and a flat water table only a few meters below land surface and controlled by sea level, 4) near absence of soil cover. Mérida, Yucátan (population approaching one million, approximately the world's 450th most populous city) has no central sewage system. The water table beneath the city is consistently only 7-9 m below land surface, and the 40 m-thick fresh water lens, which is the sole source of municipal, industrial, and agricultural water, directly overlies a marine intrusion of modified seawater composition. The old city has an estimated 130,000 drains feeding untreated household waste directly into the permeable karst aquifer. Numerous storm drains send street runoff directly to the aquifer. In addition, industries, hotels, and some subdivisions have unmonitored injection wells that pump untreated wastewater into the underlying saline intrusion. Some injection wells have flow problems possibly because of low aquifer permeability within the saline intrusion. Deep injection is also problematic because density contrast with saline intrusion water can produce a gravity imbalance, and high sulfate water can react with organic waste to produce H2S. Some city water supply wells are reportedly affected by inflation of the water table beneath the city, by local upconing of saline water, and by nitrate contamination. Paradoxically, Mérida with an abundant, easily contaminated source of fresh water, lacks streams to transport sewage off-site, and thus shares some water supply/sewage treatment problems with cities in arid regions. Recently, compact

Quantification of human-associated fecal indicators reveal sewage from urban watersheds as a source of pollution to Lake Michigan

Science.gov (United States)

Olds, Hayley T.; Dila, Deborah K.; Bootsma, Melinda J.; Corsi, Steven; McLellan, Sandra L.

2016-01-01

Sewage contamination of urban waterways from sewer overflows and failing infrastructure is a major environmental and public health concern. Fecal coliforms (FC) are commonly employed as fecal indicator bacteria, but do not distinguish between human and non-human sources of fecal contamination. Human Bacteroides and humanLachnospiraceae, two genetic markers for human-associated indicator bacteria, were used to identify sewage signals in two urban rivers and the estuary that drains to Lake Michigan. Grab samples were collected from the rivers throughout 2012 and 2013 and hourly samples were collected in the estuary across the hydrograph during summer 2013. Human Bacteroides and human Lachnospiraceae were highly correlated with each other in river samples (Pearson’s r = 0.86), with average concentrations at most sites elevated during wet weather. These human indicators were found during baseflow, indicating that sewage contamination is chronic in these waterways. FC are used for determining total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) in management plans; however, FC concentrations alone failed to prioritize river reaches with potential health risks. While 84% of samples with >1000 CFU/100 ml FC had sewage contamination, 52% of samples with moderate (200–1000 CFU/100 ml) and 46% of samples with low (events and was highest during an event with a short duration of intense rain. This work demonstrates urban areas have unrecognized sewage inputs that may not be adequately prioritized for remediation by the TMDL process. Further analysis using these approaches could determine relationships between land use, storm characteristics, and other factors that drive sewage contamination in urban waterways.

7 CFR 1780.63 - Sewage treatment and bulk water sales contracts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Sewage treatment and bulk water sales contracts. 1780..., Designing, Bidding, Contracting, Constructing and Inspections § 1780.63 Sewage treatment and bulk water sales contracts. Owners entering into agreements with private or public parties to treat sewage or...

Radiation treatment of sewage effluent, (2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawai, Teruko; Sekiguchi, Masayuki; Sawai, Takeshi; Shimokawa, Toshinari; Tanabe, Hiroko

1991-01-01

The water demand of the past several years has increased rapidly. Recycling of municipal waste water is an effective mean of coping with the water shortage in Tokyo. We studied the radiation treatment method of further purification of the effluent from sewage treatment plants. By gamma irradiation the refractory organic substances in the effluent were decomposed and the COD values decreased with increasing dose. The high molecular weight components in the effluent were degraded to lower molecular weight substances and were decomposed finally to carbon dioxide. In this paper we studied on the fading color and the reducing of order of sewage effluent. (author)

Sanitary and bacteriological aspects of sewage treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Filipkowska, Zofia

2003-01-01

A study into the removal of contamination load and indicator bacteria was carried out in 1992-1996 in the mechanical, biological and chemical waste-water treatment plant WTP in Lezany, in the County of Reszel, in the Province of Warmia and Mazury in Poland. The results of chemical analyses found a high efficiency of removal of carbon compounds, COD (90%) and BOD (98%), in the process of purification of household sewage. In addition, a high effectiveness of total nitrogen, on average 71%, and unsatisfactory removal of ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus compounds were found. The results of microbiological analyses confirmed the high efficiency of removal of indicator bacteria in the process of sewage treatment from 94 to 97%. In the sewage after the final phase of purification in stabilization ponds, the following pathogenic bacteria were identified with the use of the EPL 21tests: Escherichia coli, Enterobacter agglomerans, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter georgoriae, Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella pnemoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella ozaenae, Ervinia herbicola, Edwardsiella tarda, Serratia odoriefra, Serratia marcescens, Providencia alcalifaciens, Hafnia alvei, Yersina pestis, Yersina pseudotuberculosis, Yersinia fredericksenii, Salmonella spp., Shigella dysenteriae, Aeromons hydrophila, Pseudomonas aerulginosa. The obtained results show that although the sewage purification system is efficient and reduces the contamination load to the level required by the regulations (Ministry of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry from 20 September 1991) and removes a great percentage of indicator bacteria, the purified sewage may be a source of pathogenic bacteria in inland waters.

Wastes to Resources: Appropriate Technologies for Sewage Treatment and Conversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Stephen P.

Appropriate technology options for sewage management systems are explained in this four-chapter report. The use of appropriate technologies is advocated for its health, environmental, and economic benefits. Chapter 1 presents background information on sewage treatment in the United States and the key issues facing municipal sewage managers.…

Preparation of lightweight concretes with sewage sludge ash and their properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hwa Young

2010-01-01

Sewage sludge results from the accumulation of solids from the unit processes of chemical coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation during wastewater treatment. Rapid urbanization in many areas of the world has resulted in a drastic increase of sewage sludge. More than two million tons of sewage sludge resulted from the treatment of urban sewage is produced annually in Korea. The majority of sewage sludge is disposed of conventionally by the landfill or ocean disposal method, both of which create severe environmental pollution. However, increasingly stringent environmental regulations and scarcity of landfill sites have posed disposal problems of sludge. Incineration is a viable alternative providing a means of sludge stabilization resulting in a reduced volume of sterile, odorless and practically inert residue. Accordingly, the development of environment friendly treatment technique of SSA (sewage sludge ash) inevitably produced during incineration of sewage sludge may be urgently required. For this aim, an attempt to manufacture the lightweight concrete has been made using sewage sludge ash and the physical properties have been determined in terms of specific gravity, compressive strength and thermal conductivity. As a result, the density of specimen prepared with SSA was ranged from 0.6 to 1.4g/ cm 3 and the compressive strength was ranged from 20 to 40kg/ cm 2 . As far as the thermal conductivity of specimen was concerned, it was ranged from 0.3 to 0.6 W/ mK depending on material composition which was far less than that of concrete. It was concluded that the lightweight concretes prepared with SSA could be applicable to building or construction materials such as insulation board and sound absorption material. (author)

Continuous COD measurement in sewage receipts at sewage treatment plants; Kontinuierliche CSB-Messung im Klaeranlagenzulauf

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pirsing, A. [Siemens AG, Anlagentechnik/Wasserwirtschaft (ATD TD ISA 6), Karlsruhe (Germany)

1997-11-01

Neural networks are a new instrument in process automation. Contrary to conventional methods, they can dispense with theoretical models. This independence from mathematical models is one of their most important advantages. The article describes how typical sewage parameters can be measured on-line by means of neural networks. On-line measurement of parameters of pollution, for instance COD in sewage, permits new automatic control strategies for the operation of a sewage treatment plant, aiming at the reduction of pollutant freights with simultaneous minimization of operating cost. (orig./SR)

Possible Applications of Hardening Slurries with Fly Ash from Thermal Treatment of Municipal Sewage Sludge in Environmental Protection Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Falacinski, Paweł; Szarek, Łukasz

2016-06-01

In Poland, in recent years, there has been a rapid accumulation of sewage sludge - a by-product in the treatment of urban wastewater. This has come about as a result of infrastructure renewal, specifically, the construction of modern sewage treatment plants. The more stringent regulations and strategic goals adopted for modern sewage management have necessitated the application of modern engineering methodology for the disposal of sewage sludge. One approach is incineration. As a consequence, the amount of fly ash resulting from the thermal treatment of municipal sewage sludge has grown significantly. Hence, intensive work is in progress for environmentally safe management of this type of waste. The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the possibility of using the fly ash that results from municipal sewage sludge thermal treatment (SSTT) as an additive to hardening slurries. This type of hardening slurry with various types of additives, e.g. coal combustion products, is used in the construction of cut-off walls in hydraulic structures. The article presents the technological and functional parameters of hardening slurries with an addition of fly ash obtained by SSTT. Moreover, the usefulness of these slurries is analysed on the basis of their basic properties, i.e. density, contractual viscosity, water separation, structural strength, volumetric density, hydraulic conductivity, compressive and tensile strength. The mandated requirements for slurries employed in the construction of cut-off walls in flood embankments are listed as a usefulness criteria. The article presents the potential uses of fly ash from SSTT in hardening slurry technology. It also suggests directions for further research to fully identify other potential uses of this by-product in this field.

Urban stormwater - greywater management system for sustainable urban water management at sub-watershed level

Science.gov (United States)

Singh Arora, Amarpreet

2017-11-01

Urban water management involves urban water supply (import, treatment and distribution of water), urban wastewater management (collection, treatment and disposal of urban sewage) and urban storm water management. Declining groundwater tables, polluted and declining sources of water, water scarcity in urban areas, unsatisfactory urban water supply and sanitation situation, pollution of receiving water bodies (including the ground water), and urban floods have become the concerns and issues of sustainable urban water management. This paper proposes a model for urban stormwater and sewage management which addresses these concerns and issues of sustainable urban water management. This model proposes segregation of the sewage into black water and greywater, and urban sub-watershed level stormwater-greywater management systems. During dry weather this system will be handling only the greywater and making the latter available as reclaimed water for reuse in place of the fresh water supply. During wet weather, the system will be taking care of (collection and treatment) both the storm water and the greywater, and the excess of the treated water will be disposed off through groundwater recharging. Application of this model in the Patiala city, Punjab, INDIA for selected urban sub-watersheds has been tried. Information and background data required for the conceptualization and design of the sub-watershed level urban stormwater-greywater management system was collected and the system has been designed for one of the sub-watersheds in the Patiala city. In this paper, the model for sustainable urban water management and the design of the Sub-watershed level Urban Stormwater-Greywater Management System are described.

Biological analysis of endocrine disrupting compounds in Tunisian sewage treatment plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minif, W.; Dagnino, S.; Pillon, A.; Escande, A.; Fenet, E.; Gomez, E.; Casellas, C.; Duchesne, M. J.; Cavailles, V.

2009-01-01

The endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are frequently found in sewage treatment plant (STPs) works. Natural and synthetic hormones have been identified as the major contributors to the estrogenic activity in sewage. Dosing and identification of EDCs are certainly of great interest and can lead to the improvement of chemicals treatments. With reporter cell lines developed in the laboratory and allowing the detection of nuclear receptor activities, we characterized the endocrine disrupting profile of water, particulate matter and sludge from three Tunisian sewage, treatment plants (STPs). (Author)

Biological analysis of endocrine disrupting compounds in Tunisian sewage treatment plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minif, W.; Dagnino, S.; Pillon, A.; Escande, A.; Fenet, E.; Gomez, E.; Casellas, C.; Duchesne, M. J.; Cavailles, V.

2009-07-01

The endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are frequently found in sewage treatment plant (STPs) works. Natural and synthetic hormones have been identified as the major contributors to the estrogenic activity in sewage. Dosing and identification of EDCs are certainly of great interest and can lead to the improvement of chemicals treatments. With reporter cell lines developed in the laboratory and allowing the detection of nuclear receptor activities, we characterized the endocrine disrupting profile of water, particulate matter and sludge from three Tunisian sewage, treatment plants (STPs). (Author)

Vivianite as an important iron phosphate precipitate in sewage treatment plants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wilfert, P.K.; Mandalidis, A.; Dugulan, A.I.; Goubitz, K.; Korving, L; Temmink, H; Witkamp, G.J.; van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M.

2016-01-01

Iron is an important element for modern sewage treatment, inter alia to remove phosphorus from sewage. However, phosphorus recovery from iron phosphorus containing sewage sludge, without incineration, is not yet economical. We believe, increasing the knowledge about iron-phosphorus speciation in

Evaluation of energy consumption during aerobic sewage sludge treatment in dairy wastewater treatment plant.

Science.gov (United States)

Dąbrowski, Wojciech; Żyłka, Radosław; Malinowski, Paweł

2017-02-01

The subject of the research conducted in an operating dairy wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was to examine electric energy consumption during sewage sludge treatment. The excess sewage sludge was aerobically stabilized and dewatered with a screw press. Organic matter varied from 48% to 56% in sludge after stabilization and dewatering. It proves that sludge was properly stabilized and it was possible to apply it as a fertilizer. Measurement factors for electric energy consumption for mechanically dewatered sewage sludge were determined, which ranged between 0.94 and 1.5 kWhm -3 with the average value at 1.17 kWhm -3 . The shares of devices used for sludge dewatering and aerobic stabilization in the total energy consumption of the plant were also established, which were 3% and 25% respectively. A model of energy consumption during sewage sludge treatment was estimated according to experimental data. Two models were applied: linear regression for dewatering process and segmented linear regression for aerobic stabilization. The segmented linear regression model was also applied to total energy consumption during sewage sludge treatment in the examined dairy WWTP. The research constitutes an introduction for further studies on defining a mathematical model used to optimize electric energy consumption by dairy WWTPs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sewage sludge treatment and disposal. Experiences and perspectives; Klaerschlammbehandlung und -entsorgung. Erfahrungen und Perspektiven

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dichtl, N.; Mueller, J. [comps.] [Technische Univ. Braunschweig (Germany). Inst. fuer Siedlungswasserwirtschaft

1997-09-01

Topics of the proceedings are: sewage sludge treatment and sewage sludge disposal by means of: thermal treatment, fermentation, composting, wet oxidation, hydrolysis, disposal in agriculture, economical aspects of sewage sludge treatment. This book deals with theoretical aspects and practical examples. (SR)

The existing state of sewage sludge containing radioactive substances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirasaki, Makoto; Hisaoka, Natsuki

2012-01-01

Radioactive substances were discharged over a wide range from the accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Station of Tokyo Electric Power Company. As a result, in sewer system, especially in the combined sewer system that jointly collects rainwater and sewage, radioactive substances accumulated on the surface of urban areas were transferred together with rainwater to sewage plants and accumulated there. In the process of further treatment, radioactive substances were transferred to and concentrated in sewage sludge, and a high concentration of radioactive substances were detected in incineration ash. For this reason, some sewage plants still continuously store dewatered sludge, incinerator ash, etc. This paper introduces the current state of waste treatment from the published data from each local government in Tohoku and Kanto districts. As for the sewer, which is essential as a lifeline, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, together with the Japan Sewage Works Association, established 'Investigative Commission on Radioactive Substance Countermeasures in Sewerage System.' This group grasped the damage situation due to radioactive substances, and summarized the measures to be taken by sewage managers, such as the storage method for sewage sludge containing radioactive substances as well as the method for the volume reduction of sewage sludge. (O.A.)

Processing Technology Selection for Municipal Sewage Treatment Based on a Multi-Objective Decision Model under Uncertainty.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xudong; Xu, Zhongwen; Yao, Liming; Ma, Ning

2018-03-05

This study considers the two factors of environmental protection and economic benefits to address municipal sewage treatment. Based on considerations regarding the sewage treatment plant construction site, processing technology, capital investment, operation costs, water pollutant emissions, water quality and other indicators, we establish a general multi-objective decision model for optimizing municipal sewage treatment plant construction. Using the construction of a sewage treatment plant in a suburb of Chengdu as an example, this paper tests the general model of multi-objective decision-making for the sewage treatment plant construction by implementing a genetic algorithm. The results show the applicability and effectiveness of the multi-objective decision model for the sewage treatment plant. This paper provides decision and technical support for the optimization of municipal sewage treatment.

An evaluation of the use of gamma radiation in sewage treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonhote, P.A.; Clouston, J.G.; Ford, G.W.K.; Gregory, J.N.

1974-12-01

Literature evaluating the potential use of gamma radiation for the treatment of sewage is critically reviewed. It is concluded that irradiation treatment cannot contribute significantly to the improvement of conventional processes for sewage water recovery. Irradiation methods at present have no cost or technical advantage, and no proven biological advantage over known treatment systems. (author)

Sewage pollution in urban stormwater runoff as evident from the widespread presence of multiple microbial and chemical source tracking markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sidhu, J P S; Ahmed, W; Gernjak, W; Aryal, R; McCarthy, D; Palmer, A; Kolotelo, P; Toze, S

2013-10-01

The concurrence of human sewage contamination in urban stormwater runoff (n=23) from six urban catchments across Australia was assessed by using both microbial source tracking (MST) and chemical source tracking (CST) markers. Out of 23 stormwater samples human adenovirus (HAv), human polyomavirus (HPv) and the sewage-associated markers; Methanobrevibacter smithii nifH and Bacteroides HF183 were detected in 91%, 56%, 43% and 96% of samples, respectively. Similarly, CST markers paracetamol (87%), salicylic acid (78%) acesulfame (96%) and caffeine (91%) were frequently detected. Twenty one samples (91%) were positive for six to eight sewage related MST and CST markers and remaining two samples were positive for five and four markers, respectively. A very good consensus (>91%) observed between the concurrence of the HF183, HAv, acesulfame and caffeine suggests good predictability of the presence of HAv in samples positive for one of the three markers. High prevalence of HAv (91%) also suggests that other enteric viruses may also be present in the stormwater samples which may pose significant health risks. This study underscores the benefits of employing a set of MST and CST markers which could include monitoring for HF183, adenovirus, caffeine and paracetamol to accurately detect human sewage contamination along with credible information on the presence of human enteric viruses, which could be used for more reliable public health risk assessments. Based on the results obtained in this study, it is recommended that some degree of treatment of captured stormwater would be required if it were to be used for non-potable purposes. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Processing Technology Selection for Municipal Sewage Treatment Based on a Multi-Objective Decision Model under Uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xudong Chen

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This study considers the two factors of environmental protection and economic benefits to address municipal sewage treatment. Based on considerations regarding the sewage treatment plant construction site, processing technology, capital investment, operation costs, water pollutant emissions, water quality and other indicators, we establish a general multi-objective decision model for optimizing municipal sewage treatment plant construction. Using the construction of a sewage treatment plant in a suburb of Chengdu as an example, this paper tests the general model of multi-objective decision-making for the sewage treatment plant construction by implementing a genetic algorithm. The results show the applicability and effectiveness of the multi-objective decision model for the sewage treatment plant. This paper provides decision and technical support for the optimization of municipal sewage treatment.

Phosphorus availability to ryegrass from urban sewage sludges assessed by isotopic labeling and dilution technique, effect of irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Motaium, R.A.; Morel, C.

2007-01-01

Urban sewage sludge are widely used as alternative P input because of their high P content. Irradiation of sewage sludge is developed in Egypt to make safe spreading of sludge on agricultural fields. Five sludges were sampled from representative urban wastewater treatment plants located in Cairo, Egypt. Sub samples were irradiated using gamma radiation at 6 KGy dose. A pot experiment was conducted under plastic greenhouse using sandy P-deficient soil. The soil was homogeneously labelled with a radioactive solution of carrier-free 32 PO 4 (about 3 MBq kg / soil) to determine the contribution of the different sources of P in plant nutrition. Sludges were applied at 50 mg P/ kg soil. In addition, a control treatment was also carried out to analyze sludge P availability in comparison to a water soluble mineral fertilizer, i.e. 50 mg P/kg soil was applied as commercial monocalcium phosphate (SSP). A reference treatment was included without any P application but the radioactive solution was added. One gram of ryegrass seeds (Lolium multiflorium) was sown in each pot. The aerial parts of the ryegrass were harvested four times, every 3 weeks. Analysis of all harvests included 32 P and total P content was used to determine the respective contribution of soil and sludge to plant P nutrition and the plant available P (L value) using the isotopic dilution principle. The ratio of radioactive P to non-radioactive P, i.e. isotopic composition, was calculated. The total P content in the different urban sewage sludge was ranged from 6.2 to 13.8 g P/ kg and affected by irradiation. Because the soil was extremely P deficient (L value=0.3 mg P/ kg soil), P derived from seeds represented 99% of the P taken up when no P was applied and 87% when applying 50 mg P-SSP/ kg. After correcting the contribution of ryegrass seeds, sludge P contributed by 98% to plant nutrition and 7.2% of the applied P was recovered. The sludge type and irradiation factors did not significantly affect sludge P

Increasing the Environmental Sustainability of Sewage Treatment by Mitigating Pollutant Pathways

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rulkens, W.H.

2006-01-01

The current centralized systems for sewage treatment are highly efficient with respect to the removal of COD and nutrients and the production of an effluent that can be discharged on surface water. However, from an environmental point of view the sewage treatment process is still far from being

Dynamics of pollution-indicator and heterotrophic bacteria in sewage treatment lagoons.

Science.gov (United States)

Legendre, P; Baleux, B; Troussellier, M

1984-09-01

The spatio-temporal dynamics of pollution-indicator bacteria and aerobic heterotrophic bacteria were studied in the sewage treatment lagoons of an urban wastewater center after 26 months of biweekly sampling at eight stations in these lagoons. Robust statistical methods of time-series analysis were used to study successional steps (through chronological clustering) and rhythmic behavior through time (through contingency periodogram). The aerobic heterotrophic bacterial community showed two types of temporal evolution: in the first four stations, it seems mainly controlled by the nutrient support capacity of the sewage input, whereas in the remaining part of the lagoon, it seems likely that the pollution-indicator bacteria are gradually replaced by other bacterial types that are better adapted to this environment. On the other hand, the pollution-indicator bacteria showed an annual cycle which increased in amplitude at distances further from the wastewater source. The main events in this cycle were produced simultaneously at all stations, indicating control of these bacterial populations by climatic factors, which act through physical and chemical factors, and also through other biological components of this ecosystem (phytoplankton and zooplankton). Finally, we use results from this study to suggest a modified design for a future study program.

Effects of hydrothermal treatment of sewage sludge on pyrolysis and steam gasification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Jihong; Mun, Tae-Young; Yang, Won; Lee, Uendo; Hwang, Jungho; Jang, Ensuk; Choi, Changsik

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Hydrothermal treatment (HT) is energy efficient and increases fuel energy density. • Pyrolysis and steam gasification were performed with sewage sludge before/after HT. • Product gases resembled those from wood chips, particularly at high temperature. • HT increases sludge lignin content, possibly enhancing methane yield of product gas. • HT can improve sewage sludge for use as an alternative to biomass and fossil fuels. - Abstract: Hydrothermal treatment is a promising option for pretreatment drying of organic waste, due to its low energy consumption and contribution to increasing fuel energy density. In this study, the characteristics of hydrothermally treated sewage sludge were investigated, and pyrolysis and steam gasification were performed with the sludge before and after hydrothermal treatment. The overall composition of product gases from treated sludge was similar to that obtained from steam gasification of wood chips, particularly under high-temperature conditions. In addition, the increase in lignin content of sewage sludge following hydrothermal treatment could help enhance methane yield in product gas during pyrolysis and steam gasification. The findings suggest that hydrothermal treatment is an appropriate method for improving sewage sludge for use as an alternative to biomass and fossil fuels

Adapting UASB technology for sewage treatment in Palestine and Jordan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mahmoud, N.A.; Zeeman, G.; Lier, van J.B.

2008-01-01

High rate anaerobic technologies offer cost-effective solutions for "sewage" treatment in the temperate climate of Palestine and Jordan. However, local sewage characteristics demand amendments to the conventional UASB reactor design. A solution is found in a parallel operating digester unit that

Irradiation treatment of sewage sludge: History and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bao Borong; Wu Minghong; Zhou Ruimin; Zhu Jinliang

1998-01-01

This paper first reviews the history of irradiation treatment of sewage sludge in the world. The first sludge irradiation plant was built in Geiselbullach, West Germany in 1973 and used 60 Co as irradiation source. Since then, many sludge irradiators were constructed in U.S.A., India, Japan, Canada, Poland, etc., which used 60 Co, 137 Cs or electron beam as irradiation sources. The paper then describes some basic research on irradiation treatment of sewage sludge including optimization of irradiation parameters, synergistic effect of radiation with heat, oxygenation, irradiation-composting and potential applications of treated sludge. Some proposals have been suggested for further development of this technology in the future

Rational energy use at sewage treatment plants; Rationelle Energieverwendung in Klaeranlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sommer, J.; Maurer, P. [ISET - Inst. fuer Solare Energieversorgungstechnik e.V., Hanau (Germany). Abt. Prozess- und Verfahrenstechnik

1999-07-01

As pollutant concentration limits for effluent from sewage treatment plant have become more stringent in recent years, great efforts in the form of construction measures have been made in order to enhance sewage cleaning performance. However, enhanced cleaning efficiency as a rule involves higher energy consumption. The present paper describes a standardized procedure for effective implementation of the energetic optimization of sewage treatment plant. Furthermore, an MS-Excel-based software tool for rough and detailed analyses of municipal sewage treatment plants is described. (orig.) [German] Die Verschaerfung der Einleitungsgrenzwerte fuer Klaeranlagen hat in den letzten Jahren zu intensiven Baumassnahmen mit dem Ziel der Erhoehung der Reinigungsleistung gefuehrt. Bedauerlicherweise ist eine Steigerung der Reinigungsleistung meist auch mit einem erhoehten Energieverbrauch verbunden. Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt eine standardisierte Vorgehensweise zur effektiven Durchfuehrung der energetischen Optimierung von Klaeranlagen vor. Ferner wird ein auf MS-Excel basierendes Software-Tool zur energetischen Grob- und Feinanalyse von kommunalen Klaeranlagen vorgestellt. (orig.)

Socioeconomic constraints on the technological choices in rural sewage treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Baojing; Fan, Liangcong; Ying, Zechun; Xu, Qingshan; Luo, Weidong; Ge, Ying; Scott, Steffanie; Chang, Jie

2016-10-01

Technological innovation is one of the potential engines to mitigate environmental pollution. However, the implementation of new technologies sometimes fails owing to socioeconomic constraints from different stakeholders. Thus, it is essential to analyze constraints of environmental technologies in order to build a pathway for their implementation. In this study, taking three technologies on rural sewage treatment in Hangzhou, China as a case study, i.e., wastewater treatment plant (WTP), constructed wetland (CW), and biogas system, we analyzed how socioeconomic constraints affect the technological choices. Results showed that socioeconomic constraints play a key role through changing the relative opportunity cost of inputs from government as compared to that of residents to deliver the public good-sewage treatment-under different economic levels. Economic level determines the technological choice, and the preferred sewage treatment technologies change from biogas system to CW and further to WTP along with the increase of economic level. Mismatch of technological choice and economic level results in failures of rural sewage treatment, e.g., the CW only work well in moderately developed regions in Hangzhou. This finding expands the environmental Kuznets law by introducing the coproduction theory into analysis (i.e., inputs from both government and residents are essential for the delivery of public goods and services such as good environmental quality). A match between technology and socioeconomic conditions is essential to the environmental governance.

Evaluation of Chlorine Treatment Levels for Inactivation of Human Norovirus and MS2 Bacteriophage during Sewage Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kingsley, David H; Fay, Johnna P; Calci, Kevin; Pouillot, Régis; Woods, Jacquelina; Chen, Haiqiang; Niemira, Brendan A; Van Doren, Jane M

2017-12-01

This study examined the inactivation of human norovirus (HuNoV) GI.1 and GII.4 by chlorine under conditions mimicking sewage treatment. Using a porcine gastric mucin-magnetic bead (PGM-MB) assay, no statistically significant loss in HuNoV binding (inactivation) was observed for secondary effluent treatments of ≤25 ppm total chlorine; for both strains, 50 and 100 ppm treatments resulted in ≤0.8-log 10 unit and ≥3.9-log 10 unit reductions, respectively. Treatments of 10, 25, 50, and 100 ppm chlorine inactivated 0.31, 1.35, >5, and >5 log 10 units, respectively, of the norovirus indicator MS2 bacteriophage. Evaluation of treatment time indicated that the vast majority of MS2 and HuNoV inactivation occurred in the first 5 min for 0.2-μm-filtered, prechlorinated secondary effluent. Free chlorine measurements of secondary effluent seeded with MS2 and HuNoV demonstrated substantial oxidative burdens. With 25, 50, and 100 ppm treatments, free chlorine levels after 5 min of exposure ranged from 0.21 to 0.58 ppm, from 0.28 to 16.7 ppm, and from 11.6 to 53 ppm, respectively. At chlorine treatment levels of >50 ppm, statistically significant differences were observed between reductions for PGM-MB-bound HuNoV (potentially infectious) particles and those for unbound (noninfectious) HuNoV particles or total norovirus particles. While results suggested that MS2 and HuNoV (measured as PGM-MB binding) behave similarly, although not identically, both have limited susceptibility to chlorine treatments of ≤25 ppm total chlorine. Since sewage treatment is performed at ≤25 ppm total chlorine, targeting free chlorine levels of 0.5 to 1.0 ppm, these results suggest that traditional chlorine-based sewage treatment does not inactivate HuNoV efficiently. IMPORTANCE HuNoV is ubiquitous in sewage. A receptor binding assay was used to assess inactivation of HuNoV by chlorine-based sewage treatment, given that the virus cannot be routinely propagated in vitro Results reported here

Analysis of the concentrations and fate of heavy metals and sewage in municipal sewage treatment systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ried, A.

1992-01-01

The fate of selected substances during sewage treatment was investigated in the Marburg/Cappel sewage plant. The following parameters were measured: Concentrations of the metal ions of Cr, Cu, Pb, Cd, Fe, Ca and Zn; pH; conductivity; extinctions at 254 and 436 nm; phosphate, chloride and solids concentrations in the sample. Heavy metals (in solution and in bands) were eliminated in the following order: Cr(97%) > Pb(96%) > Cu(84%) > Zn(80%) > Ni(72%) > Cd(61%). Further, the effects of EDTA on the bonded and dissolved metal ions of iron(III), zinc(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) were investigated in a sewage sample. Resolution of bonded metals was observed only in the case of zinc. (orig.) [de

Handbook supplement to the Alberta private sewage treatment and disposal regulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-01-01

This manual was prepared to assist in the selection and installation of private sewage treatment and disposal systems which are best suited to location, water and soil conditions in a safe and efficient manner. The manual covers piping, frost protection, pumps, septic tanks and sewage holding tanks, soil tests and water softeners, disposal fields, treatment mounds, open discharge, and lagoons.

The effect of purified sewage discharge from a sewage treatment plant on the physicochemical state of water in the receiver

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kanownik Włodzimierz

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The paper presents changes in the contents of physicochemical indices of the Sudół stream water caused by a discharge of purified municipal sewage from a small mechanical-biological treatment plant with throughput of 300 m3·d−1 and a population equivalent (p.e. – 1,250 people. The discharge of purified sewage caused a worsening of the stream water quality. Most of the studied indices values increased in water below the treatment plant. Almost a 100-fold increase in ammonium nitrogen, 17-fold increase in phosphate concentrations and 12-fold raise in BOD5 concentrations were registered. Due to high values of these indices, the water physicochemical state was below good. Statistical analysis revealed a considerable effect of the purified sewage discharge on the stream water physicochemical state. A statistically significant increase in 10 indices values (BOD5, COD-Mn, EC, TDS, Cl−, Na+, K+, PO43−, N-NH4+ and N-NO2 as well as significant decline in the degree of water saturation with oxygen were noted below the sewage treatment plant. On the other hand, no statistically significant differences between the water indices values were registered between the measurement points localised 150 and 1,000 m below the purified sewage discharge. It evidences a slow process of the stream water self-purification caused by an excessive loading with pollutants originating from the purified sewage discharge.

Distribution of human fecal marker GB-124 bacteriophages in urban sewage and reclaimed water of São Paulo city, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Prado, Tatiana; Bruni, Antônio de Castro; Barbosa, Mikaela Renata Funada; Bonanno, Vilma Marques Santos; Garcia, Suzi Cristina; Sato, Maria Inês Zanoli

2018-04-01

Bacteriophages infecting Bacteroides fragilis GB-124 have been described as potential markers of human fecal contamination in water sources. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of GB-124 phages in raw sewage, secondary effluents and reclaimed water of the São Paulo city using a low-cost microbial source tracking method. Samples were collected monthly from April 2015 to March 2016 in four municipal wastewater treatment plants that operate with activated sludge processes followed by different tertiary treatments (sand-anthracite filtration, membrane bioreactor/reverse osmosis) and final chlorination. GB-124 phages were detected in 100% of the raw sewage samples, with viral loads varying from 7.5 × 10 3 to 1.32 × 10 6 PFU/L. Virus removal efficiency in activated sludge processes ranged from 1.89 to 2.31 log 10 . Frequencies of phage detection were lower in reclaimed water samples (0-22.2%). The results indicated that GB-124 phage could be a complementary low-cost viral marker for the detection of human fecal pollution in waters impacted with urban sewage in this region. However, the datasets of tertiary effluents resulted in several samples with concentrations below the detection limit (DL ≤1 PFU/mL) suggesting the need to obtain analytical methods with lower DL for greater accuracy of negative results.

Essential oil production of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus under organic compost containing sewage sludge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Júlia V. d'Ávila

Full Text Available ABSTRACT One of the main urban polluting agents are the sewers, which even with proper treatment end up generating a polluting waste, the sewage sludge. One of the options for the disposal of this sludge is the use in agriculture, due to its high content of organic matter and nutrients. This study aimed to use urban sewage sludge for lemongrass cultivation and essential oil production. The plants were grown in soil containing different organic compost doses (0, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 60 t ha-1, formed from the sewage sludge composting process and waste of urban vegetation pruning. At harvest, plants were analyzed for the concentration of nutrients, chlorophyll content, number of tillers, biomass production, essential oil content and the microbiological quality of the leaves. The results showed that the addition of the compost increased the levels of nutrients in the plants, mainly nitrogen, positively influencing the production of tillers, biomass, chlorophyll contents, yield and essential oil content.

Feasibility analysis of a sewage sludge treatment by an irradiation plant in Mexico

CERN Document Server

Moreno, J; Colin, A; Tavera, L

2002-01-01

Technical and economic analyses of an irradiation plant for sewage sludge treatment determined that an appropriate place for the first sludge electron irradiator in Mexico would be the sewage water treatment plant located north of Toluca in the State of Mexico. This treatment plant is mainly used for domestic wastewater and produces an approximate volume of 70 ton d-] liquid sewage sludge. Considering a 50 k W power of a 10 MeV electron linear accelerator, an irradiation dose of S KGy and a treatment capacity of 346 tons per day, it is estimated that the treatment cost would be of $9.00 US dollars per ton. (Author)

Thiol oxidation of hemolymph proteins in oysters Crassostrea brasiliana as markers of oxidative damage induced by urban sewage exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Trevisan, Rafael; Flores-Nunes, Fabrício; Dolores, Euler S; Mattos, Jacó J; Piazza, Clei E; Sasaki, Sílvio T; Taniguchi, Satie; Montone, Rosalinda C; Bícego, Márcia C; Dos Reis, Isis M M; Zacchi, Flávia L; Othero, Bárbara N M; Bastolla, Camila L V; Mello, Danielle F; Fraga, Ana Paula M; Wendt, Nestor; Toledo-Silva, Guilherme; Razzera, Guilherme; Dafre, Alcir L; de Melo, Cláudio M R; Bianchini, Adalto; Marques, Maria R F; Bainy, Afonso C D

2017-07-01

Urban sewage is a concerning issue worldwide, threatening both wildlife and human health. The present study investigated protein oxidation in mangrove oysters (Crassostrea brasiliana) exposed to seawater from Balneário Camboriú, an important tourist destination in Brazil that is affected by urban sewage. Oysters were exposed for 24 h to seawater collected close to the Camboriú River (CAM1) or 1 km away (CAM2). Seawater from an aquaculture laboratory was used as a reference. Local sewage input was marked by higher levels of coliforms, nitrogen, and phosphorus in seawater, as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), linear alkylbenzenes (LABs), and fecal steroid in sediments at CAM1. Exposure of oysters to CAM1 caused marked bioaccumulation of LABs and decreased PAH and PCB concentrations after exposure to both CAM1 and CAM2. Protein thiol oxidation in gills, digestive gland, and hemolymph was evaluated. Lower levels of reduced protein thiols were detected in hemolymph from CAM1, and actin, segon, and dominin were identified as targets of protein thiol oxidation. Dominin susceptibility to oxidation was confirmed in vitro by exposure to peroxides and hypochlorous acid, and 2 cysteine residues were identified as potential sites of oxidation. Overall, these data indicate that urban sewage contamination in local waters has a toxic potential and that protein thiol oxidation in hemolymph could be a useful biomarker of oxidative stress in bivalves exposed to contaminants. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1833-1845. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Operation and Maintenance Manual for the Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norm Stanley

2011-02-01

This Operation and Maintenance Manual lists operator and management responsibilities, permit standards, general operating procedures, maintenance requirements and monitoring methods for the Sewage Treatment Plant at the Central Facilities Area at the Idaho National Laboratory. The manual is required by the Municipal Wastewater Reuse Permit (LA-000141-03) the sewage treatment plant.

Tomatoes from the sewage treatment works

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1994-01-01

In Stendsund a sewage cleaning method was developed in which waste water is subjected to a special treatment in order to regain nutrients which would otherwise aggravate the pollution of the Baltic Sea and to use them as fertilizer and food for food plants and fish. Structure and mode of operation of the method are described. (BWI) [de

Global hepatic gene expression in rainbow trout exposed to sewage effluents: A comparison of different sewage treatment technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cuklev, Filip, E-mail: filip.cuklev@neuro.gu.se [Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Box 434, SE-405 30 Goeteborg (Sweden); Gunnarsson, Lina, E-mail: lina.gunnarsson@fysiologi.gu.se [Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Box 434, SE-405 30 Goeteborg (Sweden); Cvijovic, Marija, E-mail: marija.cvijovic@chalmers.se [Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Box 434, SE-405 30 Goeteborg (Sweden); Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Goeteborg (Sweden); Kristiansson, Erik, E-mail: erik.kristiansson@chalmers.se [Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Goeteborg (Sweden); Rutgersson, Carolin [Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Box 434, SE-405 30 Goeteborg (Sweden); Bjoerlenius, Berndt, E-mail: berndtb@kth.se [Stockholm Water Company, Vaermdoevaegen 23, SE-131 55 Stockholm (Sweden); Larsson, D.G. Joakim, E-mail: joakim.larsson@fysiologi.gu.se [Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Box 434, SE-405 30 Goeteborg (Sweden)

2012-06-15

Effluents from sewage treatment plants contain a mixture of micropollutants with the potential of harming aquatic organisms. Thus, addition of advanced treatment techniques to complement existing conventional methods has been proposed. Some of the advanced techniques could, however, potentially produce additional compounds affecting exposed organisms by unknown modes of action. In the present study the aim was to improve our understanding of how exposure to different sewage effluents affects fish. This was achieved by explorative microarray and quantitative PCR analyses of hepatic gene expression, as well as relative organ sizes of rainbow trout exposed to different sewage effluents (conventionally treated, granular activated carbon, ozonation (5 or 15 mg/L), 5 mg/L ozone plus a moving bed biofilm reactor, or UV-light treatment in combination with hydrogen peroxide). Exposure to the conventionally treated effluent caused a significant increase in liver and heart somatic indexes, an effect removed by all other treatments. Genes connected to xenobiotic metabolism, including cytochrome p450 1A, were differentially expressed in the fish exposed to the conventionally treated effluents, though only effluent treatment with granular activated carbon or ozone at 15 mg/L completely removed this response. The mRNA expression of heat shock protein 70 kDa was induced in all three groups exposed to ozone-treated effluents, suggesting some form of added stress in these fish. The induction of estrogen-responsive genes in the fish exposed to the conventionally treated effluent was effectively reduced by all investigated advanced treatment technologies, although the moving bed biofilm reactor was least efficient. Taken together, granular activated carbon showed the highest potential of reducing responses in fish induced by exposure to sewage effluents. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Livers of trout exposed to different sewage effluents were analysed by microarray. Black

Global hepatic gene expression in rainbow trout exposed to sewage effluents: A comparison of different sewage treatment technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuklev, Filip; Gunnarsson, Lina; Cvijovic, Marija; Kristiansson, Erik; Rutgersson, Carolin; Björlenius, Berndt; Larsson, D.G. Joakim

2012-01-01

Effluents from sewage treatment plants contain a mixture of micropollutants with the potential of harming aquatic organisms. Thus, addition of advanced treatment techniques to complement existing conventional methods has been proposed. Some of the advanced techniques could, however, potentially produce additional compounds affecting exposed organisms by unknown modes of action. In the present study the aim was to improve our understanding of how exposure to different sewage effluents affects fish. This was achieved by explorative microarray and quantitative PCR analyses of hepatic gene expression, as well as relative organ sizes of rainbow trout exposed to different sewage effluents (conventionally treated, granular activated carbon, ozonation (5 or 15 mg/L), 5 mg/L ozone plus a moving bed biofilm reactor, or UV-light treatment in combination with hydrogen peroxide). Exposure to the conventionally treated effluent caused a significant increase in liver and heart somatic indexes, an effect removed by all other treatments. Genes connected to xenobiotic metabolism, including cytochrome p450 1A, were differentially expressed in the fish exposed to the conventionally treated effluents, though only effluent treatment with granular activated carbon or ozone at 15 mg/L completely removed this response. The mRNA expression of heat shock protein 70 kDa was induced in all three groups exposed to ozone-treated effluents, suggesting some form of added stress in these fish. The induction of estrogen-responsive genes in the fish exposed to the conventionally treated effluent was effectively reduced by all investigated advanced treatment technologies, although the moving bed biofilm reactor was least efficient. Taken together, granular activated carbon showed the highest potential of reducing responses in fish induced by exposure to sewage effluents. - Highlights: ► Livers of trout exposed to different sewage effluents were analysed by microarray. ► Exposure to conventionally

Hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emission characterization of sewage treatment facilities in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Kyoung-Hee; Dong, Jong-In

2010-04-01

Until recently, nearly all sewage treatment-related regulations and researches have focused on the removal of the conventional and toxic pollutants from liquid effluents. The discharge of toxic compounds to the atmosphere has been implicitly regarded as a way of removal or destruction. During sewage treatment, the fate mechanism of volatilization/stripping, sorption and biotransformation primarily determines the fate of volatile HAPs. The objectives of this study are to investigate the emission characteristics of HAPs, which are generated from the liquid surface of sewage treatment facilities, by using an emission isolation flux chamber. HAP emissions increased at the inlet of the aerobic chamber during summer due to the relatively high atmospheric temperature. The percent ratio of flux for toluene reached its peak in winter, accounting for 33.6-34.2% of the total, but decreased to 25.1-28.6% in summer. In autumn, trichloroethene (TCE) was the highest, recording 17.6-18.1%, with chloroform and toluene showing similar levels. It seems that the ratio of chlorinated hydrocarbons increases in both summer and autumn because the chamber temperature during that time is higher than winter. This study is the initial study to investigate the emission characteristics of volatile HAPs emitted from domestic sewage treatment facilities to the air in Korea. Therefore, the isolation flux chamber will be used as an emission estimations tool to measure HAPs from sewage treatment facilities and may be applied to develop the emission factor and national source inventory of HAPs.

Assessing the impact of releases of radionuclides into sewage systems in urban environment - simulation, modelling and experimental studies - LUCIA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sundelll-Bergman, S. (Vattenfall Power Consultant, Stockholm (Sweden)); Avila, R.; Cruz, I. de la (Facilia AB, (Sweden)); Xu, S. (Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, (Sweden)); Puhakainen, M.; Heikkinene, T.; Rahola, T. (STUK (Finland)); Hosseini, A. (Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (Norway)); Nielsen, Sven (Risoe National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, DTU (Denmark)); Sigurgeirsson, M. (Geislavarnir rikisins (Iceland))

2009-06-15

This report summarises the findings of a project on assessing the impact of releases of radionuclides into sewage systems and was established to provide more knowledge and suitable tools for emergency preparedness purposes in urban areas. It was known that the design of sewage plants, and their wastewater treatments, is rather similar between the Nordic countries. One sewage plant in each of the five Nordic countries was selected for assessing the impact of radionuclide releases from hospitals into their sewerage systems. Measurements and model predictions of dose assessments to different potentially exposed members of the public were carried out. The results from the dose assessments indicate that in case of routine releases annual doses to the three hypothetical groups of individuals are most likely insignificant. Estimated doses for workers are below 10 muSv/y, for the two studied radionuclides 99mTc and 131I. If uncertainties in the predictions of activity concentrations in sludge are considered, then the probability of obtaining doses above 10 muSv/y may not be insignificant. The models and approaches developed can also be applied in case of accidental releases. A laboratory inter-comparison exercise was also organised to compare analytical results across the laboratories participating in the project, using both 131I, dominating man-made radionuclide in sewage systems due to the medical use. A process oriented model of the biological treatment is also proposed in the report that does not require as much input data as for the LUCIA model. This model is a combination of a simplified well known Activated Sludge Model No.1 (Henze, 1987) and the Kd concept used in the LUCIA model. The simplified model is able to estimate the concentrations and the retention time of the sludge in different parts of the treatment plant, which in turn, can be used as a tool for the dose assessment purpose.filled by the activity. (au)

Assessing the impact of releases of radionuclides into sewage systems in urban environment - simulation, modelling and experimental studies - LUCIA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sundelll-Bergman, S.; Avila, R.; Cruz, I. de la; Xu, S.; Puhakainen, M.; Heikkinene, T.; Rahola, T.; Hosseini, A.; Nielsen, Sven; Sigurgeirsson, M.

2009-06-01

This report summarises the findings of a project on assessing the impact of releases of radionuclides into sewage systems and was established to provide more knowledge and suitable tools for emergency preparedness purposes in urban areas. It was known that the design of sewage plants, and their wastewater treatments, is rather similar between the Nordic countries. One sewage plant in each of the five Nordic countries was selected for assessing the impact of radionuclide releases from hospitals into their sewerage systems. Measurements and model predictions of dose assessments to different potentially exposed members of the public were carried out. The results from the dose assessments indicate that in case of routine releases annual doses to the three hypothetical groups of individuals are most likely insignificant. Estimated doses for workers are below 10 μSv/y, for the two studied radionuclides 99mTc and 131I. If uncertainties in the predictions of activity concentrations in sludge are considered, then the probability of obtaining doses above 10 μSv/y may not be insignificant. The models and approaches developed can also be applied in case of accidental releases. A laboratory inter-comparison exercise was also organised to compare analytical results across the laboratories participating in the project, using both 131I, dominating man-made radionuclide in sewage systems due to the medical use. A process oriented model of the biological treatment is also proposed in the report that does not require as much input data as for the LUCIA model. This model is a combination of a simplified well known Activated Sludge Model No.1 (Henze, 1987) and the Kd concept used in the LUCIA model. The simplified model is able to estimate the concentrations and the retention time of the sludge in different parts of the treatment plant, which in turn, can be used as a tool for the dose assessment purpose.filled by the activity. (au)

Sewage characterisation as a tool for the application of anaerobic treatment in Palestine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmoud, Nidal; Amarneh, Mohammad Naser; Al-Sa'ed, Rashed; Zeeman, Grietje; Gijzen, Huub; Lettinga, Gatze

2003-01-01

Sewage characteristics can be used to select or modify treatment processes. - Adequate knowledge on sewage characteristics is a prerequisite for selection and sizing of anaerobic treatment technologies, i.e. Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) systems. Composite sewage samples were collected from three locations in Ramallah/Al-Bireh district and analysed for several chemical and physical parameters, including samples fractionation into soluble, colloidal and suspended. The results revealed that the sewage in the study area is of very high strength. This is attributed to low water consumption, industrial discharges and people's habits resulting in a high specific COD production [gCOD per capita per day (gCOD/c.d)]. Simple model calculations revealed that the process conditions in a one stage UASB reactor should be modified to overcome the sewage high solids content and low temperature during wintertime

COMPARISON OF THE FRACTIONS OF COD IN RAW WASTEWATER INFLUENT FOR SMALL AND LARGE SEWAGE TREATMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Smyk

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The article presents a comparison of the share fraction of COD in raw wastewater in treatment plants which flow in a small amount of wastewater and the sewage treatment with high flow. Compared the constructed wetlands with an average capacity of 4 dm3/m,, the treatment plant with biological deposits with an average capacity of 8 dm3/m, and a sewage treatment plant with activated sludge in Bialystok with a capacity of about 70 000 dm3/m. The lowest percentages of dissolved fraction of soluble organic non-biodegradable substances SI was reported in raw sewage in small sewage treatment plants. Based on the available data wasn’t found significant correlation between the factions XI, SS, XS in raw sewage and the amount of wastewater.

Global hepatic gene expression in rainbow trout exposed to sewage effluents: a comparison of different sewage treatment technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuklev, Filip; Gunnarsson, Lina; Cvijovic, Marija; Kristiansson, Erik; Rutgersson, Carolin; Björlenius, Berndt; Larsson, D G Joakim

2012-06-15

Effluents from sewage treatment plants contain a mixture of micropollutants with the potential of harming aquatic organisms. Thus, addition of advanced treatment techniques to complement existing conventional methods has been proposed. Some of the advanced techniques could, however, potentially produce additional compounds affecting exposed organisms by unknown modes of action. In the present study the aim was to improve our understanding of how exposure to different sewage effluents affects fish. This was achieved by explorative microarray and quantitative PCR analyses of hepatic gene expression, as well as relative organ sizes of rainbow trout exposed to different sewage effluents (conventionally treated, granular activated carbon, ozonation (5 or 15 mg/L), 5 mg/L ozone plus a moving bed biofilm reactor, or UV-light treatment in combination with hydrogen peroxide). Exposure to the conventionally treated effluent caused a significant increase in liver and heart somatic indexes, an effect removed by all other treatments. Genes connected to xenobiotic metabolism, including cytochrome p450 1A, were differentially expressed in the fish exposed to the conventionally treated effluents, though only effluent treatment with granular activated carbon or ozone at 15 mg/L completely removed this response. The mRNA expression of heat shock protein 70 kDa was induced in all three groups exposed to ozone-treated effluents, suggesting some form of added stress in these fish. The induction of estrogen-responsive genes in the fish exposed to the conventionally treated effluent was effectively reduced by all investigated advanced treatment technologies, although the moving bed biofilm reactor was least efficient. Taken together, granular activated carbon showed the highest potential of reducing responses in fish induced by exposure to sewage effluents. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Life cycle assessment of sewage sludge treatment and its use on land

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yoshida, Hiroko

factors per unit application of N fertiliser on land by fitting a linear mixed-effect model to the outcome of simulations with varying N application levels. It was evident that the effects of inorganic N fertiliser appear immediately after its application, while improvements in crop yield and emissions......Sewage sludge is generated as an end-product of wastewater treatment processes, and its management holds importance in the operation of wastewater treatment plants from both an economic and an environmental point of view. At the same time, the management of sewage sludge is becoming increasingly...... (LCAs) have been applied in the field of sewage sludge management for the past two decades. While providing a flexible platform for comparing a range of sewage sludge management options, a knowledge gap has been identified through the review of existing studies, including inconsistencies in pollutant...

Characterisation of raw sewage and performance assessment of primary settling tanks at Firle Sewage Treatment Works, Harare, Zimbabwe

Science.gov (United States)

Muserere, Simon Takawira; Hoko, Zvikomborero; Nhapi, Innocent

The need for more stringent effluent discharge standards as prescribed by the Environmental Management Act 20:27 to protect the environment can be sustainably achieved with the aid of Activated Sludge Models. Thus, the researchers believe it is time to re-evaluate wastewater characteristics at Firle Sewage Treatment Works (STW) and make use of activated sludge simulators to address pollution challenges caused by the sewage plant. Therefore, this paper characterizes raw sewage and assesses settled and unsettled sewage in order to evaluate the performance of the primary treatment system and the suitability of the settled sewage for treatment by the subsequent Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) system at Firle STW. Parameters studied included COD, BOD, TKN, TP, NH3, TSS, pH and Alkalinity. Composite samples were collected over a 9-day campaign period (27 June to 6 July 2012), hourly grab samples over 24 hrs and composite samples on 6 March 2012 which were then analysed in the lab in accordance with Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater to support the City of Harare 2004-2012 lab historical records. Concentrations for unsettled sewage in mg/L were COD (527 ± 32), BOD (297 ± 83) TKN (19.0 ± 2.0), TP (18 ± 3), NH3 (24.0 ± 12.9), TSS (219 ± 57), while pH was 7.0 ± 0 and Alkalinity 266 ± 36 mg/L. For settled sewage the corresponding values in mg/L were COD (522 ± 15), BOD (324 ± 102), TKN (21.0 ± 3.0), TP (19.0 ± 2.0), NH3 (25.6 ± 11.2), TSS (250 ± 66), while pH was 7.0 ± 0 and Alkalinity 271 ± 17 mg/L. The plant design values for raw sewage are COD (650 mg/L), BOD (200 mg/L), TKN (40 mg/L) and TP (11 mg/L). Thus, COD and nitrogen were within the plant design range while BOD and TP were higher. Treatability of sewage in BNR systems is often inferred from the levels of critical parameters and also the ratios of TKN/COD and COD/TP. The wastewater average settled COD/BOD, COD/TP and TKN/COD ratio were 1.7 ± 0.5, 27.1 ± 3.1 and 0.04 ± 0

Sewage sludge treatment and disposal in Germany. Results of the DWA Sewage Sludge Study of 2003; Stand der Klaerschlammbehandlung und -entsorgung in Deutschland. Ergebnisse der DWA-Klaerschlammerhebung 2003

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-10-15

In 2003, DWA carried out a nation-wide enquiry on sewage sludge treatment and disposal in Germany among operators of communal sewage treatment plant. Information was obtained on sewage sludge volumes and qualities as well as on methods of treatment and disposal pathways. Data were also compiled on the volumes and disposal of filtered-out material. This publication also includes results of other studies, e.g. by the Federal Office of Statistics (StBA) and Federal Environmental Office (UBA). The studies were initiated by the DWA Waste and Sewage Sludge Section. (orig.)

Economic evaluation of radiation processing in urban solid wastes treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Carassiti, F.; Lacquaniti, L.; Liuzzo, G.

During the last few years, quite a number of studies have been done, or are still in course, on disinfection of urban liquid wastes by means of ionizing radiations. The experience gained by SANDIA pilot plant of irradiation on dried sewage sludge, together with the recently presented conceptual design of another plant handling granular solids, characterized by high efficiency and simple running, have shown the possibility of extending this process to the treatment of urban solid wastes. As a matter of fact, the problems connected to the pathogenic aspects of sludge handling are often similar to those met during the disposal of urban solid wastes. This is even more so in the case of their reuse in agriculture and zootechny. The present paper introduces the results of an analysis carried out in order to evaluate the economical advantage of inserting irradiation treatment in some process scheme for management of urban solid wastes. Taking as an example a comprehensive pattern of urban solid wastes management which has been analysed and estimated economically in previous works, we first evaluated the extra capital and operational costs due to the irradiation and then analysed economical justification, taking into account the increasing commercial value of the by-products.

Effects of Amended Sewage Sludge Application on Yield and Heavy Metal Uptake of Barley: A Case Study of Ahvaz Sewage Treatment Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostafa Chorom

2007-06-01

Full Text Available One aspect of sewage sludge application as an organic fertilizer on agricultural farms is environmental pollution concerns such as heavy metals uptake by plants. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of amended sewage sludge application on yield and heavy metal uptake of Barley. This study was carried out over a period of barley growth with two treatments of sewage sludge (50 and 100 ton/ha and control treatment with four replicates arranged in a randomized complete block design. Plant samples were taken at three intervals (50, 90, and 180 days after sowing. The samples were prepared for measuring nutrients and heavy metals in stem, leaf, straw, and grain. Results of plant analysis showed that application of sewage sludge increased nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and cadmium in vegetative parts compared to control. Grain analysis showed that application of sewage sludge significantly increased nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, iron, and zinc. Grass yield significantly increased in the plot treated with 100 ton/ha sewage sludge. Grain yield in the two treatments significantly increased. The results revealed that the sewage sludge increased heavy metals uptake by plants but still below standard levels. It is, therefore, necessary to use the quantities of the elements introduced into soil and absorbed by plants in order to determine the toxicity level for each metal taking into account factors such as plant and soil types as well as environmental conditions. This information can then be used to determine sludge application quantities in each case. Meanwhile, sludge application may only be recommended for irrigated crops receiving adequate irrigation water due to its salinity. Moreover, it cannot be recommended for irrigated crops directly consumed by man.

Effect of hydrothermal treatment temperature on the properties of sewage sludge derived solid fuel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mi Yan

2015-10-01

Full Text Available High moisture content along with poor dewaterability are the main challenges for sewage sludge treatment and utilization. In this study, the effect of hydrothermal treatment at various temperature (120-200 ˚C on the properties of sewage sludge derived solid fuel was investigated in the terms of mechanical dewatering character, drying character, calorific value and heavy metal distribution. Hydrothermal treatment (HT followed by dewatering process significantly reduced moisture content and improved calorific value of sewage sludge with the optimum condition obtained at 140˚C. No significant alteration of drying characteristic was produced by HT. Heavy metal enrichment in solid particle was found after HT that highlighted the importance of further study regarding heavy metal behavior during combustion. However, it also implied the potential application of HT on sewage sludge for heavy metal removal from wastewater.

Environmental Parameters Affecting the Algal Diversity in a Sewage Water Treatment Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammad, D.M.; Tawfik, T.A.; Ismail, G.A.; Abou El-Khair, W.S.; Abou El-Nour, F.

2008-01-01

The present investigation was carried out at a tertiary sewage water treatment plant located at El-Kattameya city, Cairo, Egypt, for a duration period of 12 months during 2004. The present work aimed to study the algal diversity (phyto benthos and phytoplankton) of the different tanks (collector, oxidation, settling and effluent) included in the tertiary sewage treatment system with respect to changes in physico-chemical characteristics of sewage water during the different seasons to be used for golf course irrigation. The treatment system is of the physico-biological type. Representing data of the physico-chemical parameters are air and water temperatures, ph, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended salts (TSS), total alkalinity, nutrients (nitrate, ammonia, phosphate, ortho-phosphorus, phosphorus and silicate), as well as major ions (calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfate and chloride). In addition, the treatment efficiency of the system was evaluated and the suitability of using the effluent in irrigation purposes was discussed

Redistribution of sewage-nitrogen in estuarine food webs following sewage treatment upgrades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitt, Kylie A.; Connolly, Rod M.; Maxwell, Paul

2009-01-01

Stable nitrogen isotopes were used to assess the effects of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) upgrades on the utilisation of sewage-N by estuarine biota in Moreton Bay, Australia. We measured δ 15 N of filamentous algae, mangrove leaves and shore crabs at the Brisbane and Logan Rivers before and after scheduled WWTP upgrades, and at two reference rivers where WWTPs had been upgraded >4 years previously. The total N discharged into Brisbane River decreased by >80% after the upgrades had occurred, but N loads remained similar at Logan River despite the upgrade. In Brisbane River, δ 15 N values of algae and crabs decreased and were comparable to the reference rivers within 1-2 years but no changes occurred at Logan River. The δ 15 N of mangrove leaves remained elevated in all rivers, indicating that sewage-N remained a major source to mangroves either from residual WWTP discharges or from N accumulated in the sediments over many years.

Application of Hydrothermal Treatment to High Concentrated Sewage Sludge for Anaerobic Digestion Process

OpenAIRE

M. Orikawa; H. Kamahara; Y. Atsuta; H. Daimon

2013-01-01

Tomato and seaweed were produced by utilizing CO2 and heat discharged from power generation using biogas in Toyogawa biomass park, Japan. The biogas was obtained by anaerobic digestion with hydrothermal treatment. The hydrothermal treatment was applied to the high concentrated sewage sludge (22 % total solids (TS) dewatered sludge). The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of hydrothermal treatment on the qualities of high concentrated sewage sludge, by analyzing particulate organic...

Detection of enteroviruses from urban sewage in Parma.

Science.gov (United States)

Cesari, C; Colucci, M E; Veronesi, L; Giordano, R; Paganuzzi, F; Affanni, P; Bracchi, M T; Capobianco, E; Ferrari, G; Tanzi, Maria Luisa

2010-12-01

The human enteroviruses (EV) are the most common and widespread human viruses in the world. They have bowel as their natural habitat and they can spread in the environment through the faecal excretion. In the continental climate Regions these viruses may cause epidemic outbreaks in summer and fall, while in the tropical Regions the EV infections present a high incidence during all year. The symptoms can be minor or subclinic, but they can be also associated to rare and serious diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the environmental circulation of polioviruses and non-polio enteroviruses (NPEV) using standard methods of urban wastewater surveillance recommended by the WHO. A total of 188 wastewater samples were collected between February 2005 and December 2008 from two sewage treatment plants in Parma. The sampling was carried out twice a month. Environmental variables were collected for each day of sampling. Out of the 188 examined wastewater samples, 78.7% were positive to the enterovirus research. One out of the 148 positive samples was identified as poliovirus Sabin-like type 3. The remaining 147 positive samples were enteroviruses non polio: Coxsakieviruses and Echoviruses. All Coxsakieviruses isolated were of type B. The proposed method has shown high sensibility, also in presence of very low expected prevalence of vaccine poliovirus. It allows to verify the kind and relative frequency of enteric viruses circulating in the country, whose characteristics (virulence and pathogenicity) may vary with reference to a different epidemiologic and demographic structure of the resident population.

Hydrochar from sewage sludge and urban wastes as a peat replacement in growing media preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Álvarez, Maria Luisa; Méndez, Ana; Paz-Ferreiro, Jorge; Soler-Rovira, Pedro; García-Gil, Juan Carlos; Plaza, César; Gascó, Gabriel

2016-04-01

Nowadays, there is an important trend in Europe for peat replacement with biochar in growing media formulation in order to reduce the environmental impact of peat exploitation. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a thermochemical process of converting organic feedstock into a high carbon rich solid product named hydrochar. It is performed in water mild temperature (180-260°C) under pressure conditions (2-6MPa) for 5-250 min. The reaction pressure is not controlled in the process and is autogenic with the saturation vapour pressure of water corresponding to the reaction temperature. In recent years, the possibility of subjecting organic wastes to HTC has attracted the scientific community attention due to their interesting advantages over other thermal treatments such as pyrolysis, torrefaction or gasification. The aim of the present paper is to study the possible use of two hydrochars produced by Ingelia (Spain) from sewage sludge and urban waste treatment as growing media material in horticulture. For this, thermal, chemical and hydrophysical properties were determined and compared with that of brown commercial peat.

Focus on 14 sewage treatment plants in the Mpumalanga Province ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In order to identify the treatment methods used in different sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the Mpumalanga Province and to determine the efficiency of wastewater treatment by these plants, municipal STPs were surveyed, and raw and treated wastewater samples collected. A total of 14 STPs were visited and the ...

Gamma irradiation for sewage treatment at US army facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van den Berg, A.J.; Hollis, H.D.; Musselman, H.D.; Woodbridge, D.D.

1975-01-01

The US Army Corps of Engineers has been sponsoring research for many years on the use of gamma irradiation for disinfection and sterilization of sewage plant effluents. Initial research was directed to laboratory experiments using sterile solutions to determine the effects of gamma irradiation on E. coli, M-pyogenes and M-smegmatis organisms, and on the chemical constituents of sewage such as phenols, surfactants and pesticides. The results of the initial research warranted further study using municipal sewage secondary effluent as test samples. Current research is directed towards investigating the effects of radiation on the constituents of sewage sludge and on the cyst stage of the amoebic protozoa. Consideration has been given by the Corps to the management of waste-waters by disposal on land. Legal and medical reasons dictate that the plant effluents be sterilized before being used as fertilizers and soil conditioners. Gamma radiation from isotopic sources appears to be the best source of sterilizing energy for Army waste-water disposal. The Corps of Engineers is considering the construction of an experimental gamma irradiation pilot facility to validate laboratory experimental work and to establish design criteria for operating plants. The data obtained will provide a basis for performing detailed cost effectiveness studies on gamma irradiation as a method to treat secondary plant effluent. In addition, optimization work will be conducted to determine where in the sewage treatment cycle the use of gamma irradiation will produce the best results in meeting current and anticipated standards. (author)

Urban solid waste in the production of Lafoensia pacari seedlings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alan H. M. de Abreu

Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study aimed to verify the potential of urban solid wastes as substrate for production of seedlings of Lafoensia pacari. Five treatments were tested, four with solid wastes and one standard substrate, namely: sewage sludge from Alegria Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP; sewage sludge from Ilha do Governador WTP; sewage sludge from Sarapuí WTP; domestic garbage compost (Fertlurb; and a commercial substrate made of biostabilized pine bark (standard substrate. The wastes received 20% (in volume of shredded coconut fiber. At 105 days after sowing, the seedlings were evaluated for different quality parameters. Seedlings produced with Sarapuí WTP sewage sludge showed the best results in all the parameters, followed by seedlings produced with sewage sludge from Alegria and Ilha do Governador WTPs, which did not differ. Seedlings produced with domestic garbage compost showed satisfactory results, higher than the ones observed for seedlings produced with commercial substrate. The urban solid wastes with 20% of coconut fiber showed high potential and can be recommended for the composition of substrate in the production of Lafoensia pacari seedlings.

The behaviour, fate and removal of pharmaceuticals in biological nutrient removal sewage treatment

OpenAIRE

Popple, Tina

2013-01-01

Pharmaceuticals that are intended for human use are frequently detected in the aquatic environment. This is predominantly from the excretion of pharmaceuticals by patients, in their urine and faeces, which subsequently enter sewage treatment plants. Sewage treatment provides a final opportunity for pharmaceutical removal, prior to discharge into the environment, however, removal is often incomplete. Once in the environment, pharmaceuticals have the potential to cause effects on aquatic organi...

Use of a water treatment sludge in a sewage sludge dewatering process

Science.gov (United States)

Górka, Justyna; Cimochowicz-Rybicka, Małgorzata; Kryłów, Małgorzata

2018-02-01

The objective of the research study was to determine whether a sewage sludge conditioning had any impact on sludge dewaterability. As a conditioning agent a water treatment sludge was used, which was mixed with a sewage sludge before a digestion process. The capillary suction time (CST) and the specific filtration resistance (SRF) were the measures used to determine the effects of a water sludge addition on a dewatering process. Based on the CST curves the water sludge dose of 0.3 g total volatile solids (TVS) per 1.0 g TVS of a sewage sludge was selected. Once the water treatment sludge dose was accepted, disintegration of the water treatment sludge was performed and its dewaterability was determined. The studies have shown that sludge dewaterability was much better after its conditioning with a water sludge as well as after disintegration and conditioning, if comparing to sludge with no conditioning. Nevertheless, these findings are of preliminary nature and future studies will be needed to investigate this topic.

Performance of drippers in two filtering systems using sewage treatment effluent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre B. Dalri

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of three models of drippers using treated sewage effluent, pure and diluted, and two types of filters, screen and disc. The treated sewage effluent used in the experiment was collected from the city’s treatment plant. The experiment included 12 lateral lines with three types of emitters to apply pure (100% and diluted (50% effluent filtered by screen and disc filters. The combination of those factors set the treatments: T1 (50% effluent diluted in fresh water filtered by a screen filter; T2 (50% effluent diluted in fresh water filtered by a disc filter; T3 (pure effluent filtered by a screen filter; T4 (pure effluent filtered by a disc filter. The results showed that the flat type emitter is less sensitive to clogging, the disc filter is the most suitable to prevent clogging and the use of pure or diluted sewage effluent increases the drippers’ flow rate coefficient of variation.

Sewage sludge additive

Science.gov (United States)

Kalvinskas, J. J.; Mueller, W. A.; Ingham, J. D. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

The additive is for a raw sewage treatment process of the type where settling tanks are used for the purpose of permitting the suspended matter in the raw sewage to be settled as well as to permit adsorption of the dissolved contaminants in the water of the sewage. The sludge, which settles down to the bottom of the settling tank is extracted, pyrolyzed and activated to form activated carbon and ash which is mixed with the sewage prior to its introduction into the settling tank. The sludge does not provide all of the activated carbon and ash required for adequate treatment of the raw sewage. It is necessary to add carbon to the process and instead of expensive commercial carbon, coal is used to provide the carbon supplement.

Fate of stable strontium in the sewage treatment process as an analog for radiostrontium released by nuclear accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamei-Ishikawa, Nao; Ito, Ayumi; Umita, Teruyuki

2013-01-01

Highlights: • 76% of the Sr entering the plant was discharged to receiving water. • 21% of the Sr flowing through the plant was transferred to the sewage sludge. •Almost all of the Sr in the sewage sludge was concentrated in incinerated sewage sludge ash. • Activated sludge had a lower sorption capacity for Sr than metals such as Cd. -- Abstract: Radionuclides were widely released into the environment due to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Some of these radionuclides have flowed into municipal sewage treatment plants through sewer systems. We have observed the fate of stable Sr in the sewage treatment process as a means to predict the fate of radiostrontium. Concentrations of stable Sr were determined in sewage influent, effluent, dewatered sludge, and incinerated sewage sludge ash collected from a sewage treatment plant once a month from July to December 2011. In the mass balance of Sr in the sewage treatment plant, 76% of the Sr entering the plant was discharged to the receiving water on average. Additionally, 14% of the Sr flowing through the plant was transferred to the sewage sludge and then concentrated in the sludge ash without being released to the atmosphere. We also investigated Sr sorption by activated sludge in a batch experiment. Measurements at 3 and 6 h after the contact showed Sr was sorbed in the activated sludge; however, the measurements indicated Sr desorption from activated sludge occurred 48 h after the contact

The conception of municipal sewage treatment systems from an economical point of view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Posch, A.

1999-09-01

The objective of this work is to show the fundamental decisions that are necessary for planning municipal sewage treatment systems in rural areas and to assess the consequences of the possible alternatives. The analysis shows that the specific costs depend strongly on the chosen technology, the structure of the system and the type of organization. For instance constructed wetlands used on small scales are much more favorable than complex technical sewage plants. Whether a central or decentral structured sewage treatment system is preferable depends on the local topographic conditions. The fact that private and cooperative organizations mostly cause lower costs per capita as public organizations can be explained with the principal-agent-theory of the New Institutional Economics. Further economical and important ecological criteria are discussed in the analysis, too. The conclusions drawn from analysis aim especially to improve the process of planing sewage treatment systems. Especially recommended are the implementation of a professional project management, a complete survey of the given local conditions, the use of modern planning methods, an early participation of the population, the particularly consideration of innovative technologies as well as the development of integrated concepts of water management. (author)

A control system based on field programmable gate array for papermaking sewage treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zi Sheng; Xie, Chang; Xiong, Yan Qing; Liu, Zhi Qiang; Li, Qing

2013-01-01

A sewage treatment control system is designed to improve the efficiency of papermaking wastewater treatment system. The automation control system is based on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), coded with Very-High-Speed Integrate Circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL), compiled and simulated with Quartus. In order to ensure the stability of the data used in FPGA, the data is collected through temperature sensors, water level sensor and online PH measurement system. The automatic control system is more sensitive, and both the treatment efficiency and processing power are increased. This work provides a new method for sewage treatment control.

APPLYING LCC METHODOLOGY FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INVESTMENT OF PROJECTS OF THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anatoli Hurynovich

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The article is referring to the current problems of the evaluation of the effectiveness of an investment of new plans and of the modernization of existing sewage treatment plants including aspects of the optimization of costs of the sewage treatment. He shows the modernization of the sewage treatment plant the Evaluation of the life cycle as the adequate tool assisting choice of the best variant or the level. He is presenting characteristics of LCС methodology and examples of using to the technology assessment the sewage treatment.

Anaerobic sewage treatment in a one-stage UASB reactor and a combined UASB Digester system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mahmoud, N.A.; Zeeman, G.; Gijzen, H.J.; Lettinga, G.

2004-01-01

The treatment of sewage at 15°C was investigated in a one-stage upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and a UASB-Digester system. The latter consists of a UASB reactor complemented with a digester for mutual sewage treatment and sludge stabilisation. The UASB reactor was operated at a

Bases for a sewage sludge treatment plant by irradiation in Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alcantara, Jaime M.; Cruz, Arturo C.

1997-01-01

A good place for the first sludge irradiator in Mexico would be the Toluca Norte sewage water treatment plant. This plant has a definitive biological treatment, and handles only domestic wastewater and assures therefore good and stead sewage sludge quality, and has capacity do deliver sufficient sludge (approximately 22,000 ton.y -1 or 70 ton.d -1 ) to the irradiator. Capital and operating cost calculations for a sewage sludge plant by irradiation in Mexico were done using a mathematical model considering a 50 k W electron linear accelerator of 10 MeV beam energy, an irradiation dose of 5 kGy, a treatment capacity of 346 ton.d -1 , an absorption efficiency of 40%, an electricity consumption of 400 k W, an operating mode of 325 days per year and one shift per day. Total annual operating costs is estimated to be $1,007,900 for treating 346 ton.d -1 with irradiation dose of 5 kGy, including both fixed ($664,000) and variable costs ($343,920). The unit cost at maximum utilization was obtained as $9.00 per ton. (author). 16 refs., 3 tabs

The Device Design of a Rural Domestic Sewage Treatment Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zuhan; Wang, Lili; Deng, Chengzhi

2017-10-01

A kind of device for removing pollutant from rural domestic sewage isstudied in this paper, which belongs to the field of sewage treatment technology. The device include anaerobic pool, aerobiotic pool and aerating apparatus. Specifically, the aerobiotic pool is a sealed rectangular body with a rectangular groove on its top cover. The fixed wall is established on one side of the rectangular groove, and the wall is located in the middle of the top cover. The anaerobic pool is opposite to the fixed wall. And there is a aerating apparatusbetween the anaerobic pool and fixed wall, and the apparatus is situated right above the rectangular groove. The design is simple in structure and low in manufacturing cost. The biochemical ratio to the sewage could be improved through the anaerobic pool, and then the sewage is sufficiently aerated by means of natural ventilation and height of water. Theaerated sewage enter into aerobiotic pool, and then the organic matter is degraded into Carbon Dioxide and water under the action of aerobic bacteria, of which function is that the ammonia nitrogen is oxidized into nitrate and nitrite. The water that is far from the aerating apparatus inside of the aerobiotic pool enters into oxygen-deficient environment, and the nitrate is converted into nitrogen. After the effluent is checked qualified, the water is discharged into the drainage ditch or utilized for irrigation.

Human norovirus in untreated sewage and effluents from primary, secondary and tertiary treatment processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Campos, Carlos J A; Avant, Justin; Lowther, James; Till, Dale; Lees, David N

2016-10-15

Wastewater treatments are considered important means to control the environmental transmission of human norovirus (NoV). Information about NoV concentrations in untreated and treated effluents, their seasonality and typical removal rates achieved by different treatment processes is required to assess the effectiveness of sewage treatment processes in reducing human exposure to NoV. This paper reports on a characterisation of concentrations of NoV (genogroups I and II) in untreated sewage (screened influent) and treated effluents from five full scale wastewater treatment works (WwTW) in England. Results are shown for effluent samples characteristic of primary- (primary settlement, storm tank overflows), secondary- (activated sludge, trickling filters, humus tanks) and tertiary (UV disinfection) treatments. NoV occurrence in untreated sewage varied between years. This variation was consistent with the annual variation of the virus in the community as indicated by outbreak laboratory reports. Significant differences were found between mean NoV concentrations in effluents subject to different levels of treatment. Primary settlement achieved approximately 1 log10 removal for both genogroups. Concentrations of NoV and Escherichia coli in untreated sewage were of the same order of magnitude of those in storm tank overflows. Of the secondary treatments studied, activated sludge was the most effective in removing NoV with mean log10 removals of 3.11 and 2.34 for GI and GII, respectively. The results of this study provide evidence that monitoring of NoV in raw sewage or treated effluents could provide early warning of an elevated risk for NoV and potentially help prevent outbreaks through environmental exposure. They also provide evidence that elimination of stormwater discharges and improvement of the efficiency of activated sludge for NoV removal would be effective for reducing the risk of environmental transmission. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All

Global nitrogen and phosphate in urban wastewater for the period 1970 to 2050

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Drecht, van G.; Bouwman, A.F.; Harrison, J.; Knoop, J.M.

2009-01-01

This paper presents estimates for global N and P emissions from sewage for the period 1970-2050 for the four Millennium Ecosystem Assessment scenarios. Using country-specific projections for population and economic growth, urbanization, development of sewage systems, and wastewater treatment

Radiation treatment of surface and sewage waters and decontamination of effluents from livestock farms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brusentseva, S.A.; Dolin, P.I.; Fel', N.S.

1983-01-01

The report deals with the use of high level radiation for treatment of surface and sewage waters. The surface water radiation treatment at the dose of 0,1 Mrad produces a complex effect of color, taste and odor control and desinfection of water. In order to reduce the cost of radiation it is necessary to use the synergistic effect and optimization of treatment. Sewage from animal breeding complexes was studied during the introduction of air and ammonia. E. coli, salmonellum and staphylloccocus aureus were used as test microorganisms (10 4 -10 6 cell/ml). The sources of radiation-accelerators (energy 8 and 0.4 MeV, dose rates 0.1-10 2 Krad/s). When air and ammonia are introduced into the sewage the adequate decontamination dose is 4-5 times reduced. (author)

Thermal treatment of sewage sludge from waste water. Tratamiento termico de lodos procedentes de aguas residuales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andreottola, G. (Universidad de Trento (Italy)); Canziani, R.; Ragazzi, M. (Politicnico de Milan (Italy))

1994-01-01

Thermal Treatment of sewage sludge can be beneficial as a pre-treatment step of many treatment/disposal options, but above all, it allows the recovery of the energetic content sludge. Energy recovery from sewage sludge can be performed in many ways; direct incineration thermal drying followed by incineration and co-combustion with municipal solid wastes or other non conventional fuels. Another option is the recovery of waste energy (e.g. from an endo thermal engine using biogas as fuel) to dry sludge wich, in turn can be used as a fuel. The paper will evaluate several options of thermal treatment of sewage sludge, with particular emphasis on the energetic yield from different processes. (Author)

Radiocarbon measurements of dissolved organic carbon in sewage-treatment-plant effluent and domestic sewage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nara, Fumiko Watanabe; Imai, Akio; Matsushige, Kazuo; Komatsu, Kazuhiro; Kawasaki, Nobuyuki; Shibata, Yasuyuki

2010-01-01

In an attempt to better characterize dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in several specific sources to Lake Kasumigaura, such as sewage-treatment-plant effluent (STPE), domestic sewage (DS) and forest stream (FS), we analyzed radiocarbon ( 14 C) and stable carbon isotopic compositions ( 13 C) of the DOCs. The measurements of 14 C for DOC were performed by an accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) at the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES-TERRA) in Japan. The Δ 14 C and δ 13 C values of the DOCs in several sources to Lake Kasumigaura, have low carbon isotopic values, ranging from -470 per mille to -79 per mille and from -27.9 per mille to -24.2 per mille , respectively. These carbon isotopic values are substantially different from those of Lake Kasumigaura. These results imply different origins for the DOC in Lake Kasumigaura. The 14 C and 13 C analyses of DOC led to a useful classification for DOCs in Lake Kasumigaura, Japan.

Sewage Treatment Plant Points, Tutuila AS, 2009, US EPA Region 9

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Across the United States, municipal wastewater treatment plants receive and treat sewage and other wastewater collected from homes, businesses, and industries. These...

SEWAGE SLUDGE AS AN INGREDIENT IN FERTILIZERS AND SOIL SUBSTITUTES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Grobelak

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In Poland, sludge management especially in medium and small sewage treatment plants is still a significant problem. According to data from the Central Statistical Office and the report on the implementation of the National Urban Wastewater Treatment Program (in polish KPOŚK land application of sewage sludge remains one of the main methods, although there has been considerable interest known: 'application for other purposes ", where the preparation of composts and fertilizers is included. The use of fertilizer produced from sewage sludge (compost, granules, organic and mineral fertilizers, is regulated by the Act on fertilizers and fertilization, and the relevant implementing rules. For example, they define the test procedure (concerning the quality of fertilizers to enable appropriate permissions to market this type of fertilizers. There is still only several technologies existing on the Polish market dedicated to production of fertilizers in advanced technologies of sewage sludge treatment. Usually the treatment plants are trying to obtain the necessary certificates for generated fertilizers (including composts, or soils substitutes. The advantages of these technologies should be no doubt: the loss of waste status, ability to store the fertilizer and unlimited transportation between areas, sanitization of the product (as a result of the use of calcium or sulfur compounds or temperature should be an alternative for drying technology. While the disadvantages are primarily the investment costs and time consuming certification procedures. However, these solutions enable to maintain the organic matter and phosphorus as well as greater control over possible pollution introduced into the soil.

Sewage sludge disintegration by combined treatment of alkaline+high pressure homogenization.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuxuan; Zhang, Panyue; Zhang, Guangming; Ma, Weifang; Wu, Hao; Ma, Boqiang

2012-11-01

Alkaline pretreatment combined with high pressure homogenization (HPH) was applied to promote sewage sludge disintegration. For sewage sludge with a total solid content of 1.82%, sludge disintegration degree (DD(COD)) with combined treatment was higher than the sum of DD(COD) with single alkaline and single HPH treatment. NaOH dosage ⩽0.04mol/L, homogenization pressure ⩽60MPa and a single homogenization cycle were the suitable conditions for combined sludge treatment. The combined sludge treatment showed a maximum DD(COD) of 59.26%. By regression analysis, the combined sludge disintegration model was established as 11-DD(COD)=0.713C(0.334)P(0.234)N(0.119), showing that the effect of operating parameters on sludge disintegration followed the order: NaOH dosage>homogenization pressure>number of homogenization cycle. The energy efficiency with combined sludge treatment significantly increased compared with that with single HPH treatment, and the high energy efficiency was achieved at low homogenization pressure with a single homogenization cycle. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biodiversity of bacteriophages: morphological and biological properties of a large group of phages isolated from urban sewage

OpenAIRE

Agata Jurczak-Kurek; Tomasz Gąsior; Bożena Nejman-Faleńczyk; Sylwia Bloch; Aleksandra Dydecka; Gracja Topka; Agnieszka Necel; Magdalena Jakubowska-Deredas; Magdalena Narajczyk; Malwina Richert; Agata Mieszkowska; Borys Wróbel; Grzegorz Węgrzyn; Alicja Węgrzyn

2016-01-01

A large scale analysis presented in this article focuses on biological and physiological variety of bacteriophages. A collection of 83 bacteriophages, isolated from urban sewage and able to propagate in cells of different bacterial hosts, has been obtained (60 infecting Escherichia coli, 10 infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 4 infecting Salmonella enterica, 3 infecting Staphylococcus sciuri, and 6 infecting Enterococcus faecalis). High biological diversity of the collection is indicated by its...

Source-specific sewage pollution detection in urban river waters using pharmaceuticals and personal care products as molecular indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiguchi, Osamu; Sato, Go; Kobayashi, Takashi

2016-11-01

Source-specific elucidation of domestic sewage pollution caused by various effluent sources in an urban river water, as conducted for this study, demands knowledge of the relation between concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) as molecular indicators (caffeine, carbamazepine, triclosan) and water quality concentrations of total nitrogen (T-N) and total phosphorous (T-P). River water and wastewater samples from the Asahikawa River Basin in northern Japan were analyzed using derivatization-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Caffeine, used as an indicator of domestic sewage in the Asahikawa River Basin, was more ubiquitous than either carbamazepine or triclosan (92-100 %). Its concentration was higher than any target compound used to assess the basin: caffeine, caffeine concentrations detected in wastewater effluents and the strongly positive mutual linear correlation between caffeine and T-N or T-P (R 2  > 0.759) reflect the contribution of septic tank system effluents to the lower Asahikawa River Basin. Results of relative molecular indicators in combination with different molecular indicators (caffeine/carbamazepine and triclosan/carbamazepine) and cluster analysis better reflect the contribution of sewage than results obtained using concentrations of respective molecular indicators and cluster analysis. Relative molecular indicators used with water quality parameters (e.g., caffeine/T-N ratio) in this study provide results more clearly, relatively, and quantitatively than results obtained using molecular indicators alone. Moreover, the caffeine/T-N ratio reflects variations of caffeine flux from effluent sources. These results suggest strongly relative molecular indicators are also useful indicators, reflecting differences in spatial contributions of domestic sources for PPCPs in urban areas.

Sedimentary records of sewage pollution using faecal markers in contrasting peri-urban shallow lakes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vane, C.H., E-mail: chv@bgs.ac.uk [British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG (United Kingdom); Kim, A.W. [British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG (United Kingdom); McGowan, S. [School of Geography, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD (United Kingdom); Leng, M.J.; Heaton, T.H.E.; Kendrick, C.P. [NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG (United Kingdom); Coombs, P. [British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG (United Kingdom); Yang, H. [Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, WC1 6BT (United Kingdom); Swann, G.E.A. [NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG (United Kingdom)

2010-12-15

Sewage contamination in shallow lake sediments is of concern because the pathogens, organic matter and nutrients contribute to the deterioration of the water-bodies' health and ecology. Sediment cores from three shallow lakes (Coneries, Church and Clifton Ponds) within Attenborough nature reserve located downstream of sewage treatment works were analysed for TOC, C/N, {delta}{sup 13}C, {delta}{sup 15}N, bacterial coliforms and faecal sterols. {sup 210}Pb and {sup 137}Cs activities were used to date the sediments. Elemental analysis suggests that the source of organic matter was algal and down profile changes in {delta}{sup 13}C indicate a possible decrease in productivity with time which could be due to improvements in sewage treatment. {delta}{sup 15}N for Coneries Pond are slightly higher than those observed in Church or Clifton and are consistent with a sewage-derived nitrate source which has been diluted by non-sewage sources of N. The similarity in {delta}{sup 15}N values (+ 12 per mille to + 10 per mille ) indicates that the three ponds were not entirely hydrologically isolated. Analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) reveals that Coneries Pond had sterol concentrations in the range 20 to 30 {mu}g/g (dry wt.), whereas, those from Clifton and Church Ponds were lower. The highest concentrations of the human-sourced sewage marker 5{beta}-coprostanol were observed in the top 40 cm of Coneries Pond with values up to 2.2 {mu}g/g. In contrast, Church and Clifton Pond sediments contain only trace amounts throughout. Down-profile comparison of 5{beta}-coprostanol/cholesterol, 5{beta}-coprostanol/(5{beta}-coprostanol + 5{alpha}-cholestanol) and 5{beta}-epicoprostanol/coprostanol as well as 5{alpha}-cholestanol/cholesterol suggests that Coneries Pond has received appreciable amounts of faecal contamination. Examination of 5{beta}-stigmastanol (marker for herbivorous/ruminant animals) down core concentrations suggests a recent decrease in manure

Genotoxicity biomonitoring of sewage in two municipal wastewater treatment plants using the Tradescantia pallida var. purpurea bioassay.

Science.gov (United States)

Thewes, Márcia Regina; Junior, Delio Endres; Droste, Annette

2011-10-01

The genotoxicity of untreated and treated sewage from two municipal wastewater treatment plants (WTP BN and WTP SJN) in the municipality of Porto Alegre, in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, was evaluated over a one-year period using the Tradescantia pallida var. purpurea (Trad-MCN) bioassay. Inflorescences of T. pallida var. purpurea were exposed to sewage samples in February (summer), April (autumn), July (winter) and October (spring) 2009, and the micronuclei (MCN) frequencies were estimated in each period. The high genotoxicity of untreated sewage from WTP BN in February and April was not observed in treated sewage, indicating the efficiency of treatment at this WTP. However, untreated and treated sewage samples from WTP SJN had high MCN frequencies, except in October, when rainfall may have been responsible for reducing these frequencies at both WTPs. Physicochemical analyses of sewage from both WTPs indicated elevated concentrations of organic matter that were higher at WTP SJN than at WTP BN. Chromium was detected in untreated and treated sewage from WTP SJN, but not in treated sewage from WTP BN. Lead was found in all untreated sewage samples from WTP SJN, but only in the summer and autumn at WTP BN. These results indicate that the short-term Trad-MCN genotoxicity assay may be useful for regular monitoring of municipal WTPs.

Toluene in sewage and sludge in wastewater treatment plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Mrowiec, Bozena

2014-01-01

Toluene is a compound that often occurs in municipal wastewater ranging from detectable levels up to 237 μg/L. Before the year 2000, the presence of the aromatic hydrocarbons was assigned only to external sources. The Enhanced Biological Nutrients Removal Processes (EBNRP) work according to many different schemes and technologies. For high-efficiency biological denitrification and dephosphatation processes, the presence of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in sewage is required. VFAs are the main product of organic matter hydrolysis from sewage sludge. However, no attention has been given to other products of the process. It has been found that in parallel to VFA production, toluene formation occurred. The formation of toluene in municipal anaerobic sludge digestion processes was investigated. Experiments were performed on a laboratory scale using sludge from primary and secondary settling tanks of municipal treatment plants. The concentration of toluene in the digested sludge from primary settling tanks was found to be about 42,000 μg/L. The digested sludge supernatant liquor returned to the biological dephosphatation and denitrification processes for sewage enrichment can contain up to 16,500 μg/L of toluene.

Signals transmission via RF systems in a sewage treatment plant; Signaluebertragung via Funk im Klaerwerk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brasas, Joerg [Phoenix Contact Electronics GmbH, Bad Pyrmont (Germany)

2010-06-15

The Niersverband is a municipal utility located at Viersen, Germany. It covers an area that is more or less identical with the catchment area of the Niers river and the Niers canal. There are 23 sewage treatment plants, rainwater retention basins and pumping stations transporting the collected water to the sewage treatment plants. For signal transmission between the stations, a Trusted Wireless system via Profibus-DP is used. (orig.)

Saline sewage treatment and source separation of urine for more sustainable urban water management.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekama, G A; Wilsenach, J A; Chen, G H

2011-01-01

While energy consumption and its associated carbon emission should be minimized in wastewater treatment, it has a much lower priority than human and environmental health, which are both closely related to efficient water quality management. So conservation of surface water quality and quantity are more important for sustainable development than green house gas (GHG) emissions per se. In this paper, two urban water management strategies to conserve fresh water quality and quantity are considered: (1) source separation of urine for improved water quality and (2) saline (e.g. sea) water toilet flushing for reduced fresh water consumption in coastal and mining cities. The former holds promise for simpler and shorter sludge age activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (no nitrification and denitrification), nutrient (Mg, K, P) recovery and improved effluent quality (reduced endocrine disruptor and environmental oestrogen concentrations) and the latter for significantly reduced fresh water consumption, sludge production and oxygen demand (through using anaerobic bioprocesses) and hence energy consumption. Combining source separation of urine and saline water toilet flushing can reduce sewer crown corrosion and reduce effluent P concentrations. To realize the advantages of these two approaches will require significant urban water management changes in that both need dual (fresh and saline) water distribution and (yellow and grey/brown) wastewater collection systems. While considerable work is still required to evaluate these new approaches and quantify their advantages and disadvantages, it would appear that the investment for dual water distribution and wastewater collection systems may be worth making to unlock their benefits for more sustainable urban development.

Efficiency of sewage treatment with septic tanks followed by constructed wetlands with different support materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delvio Sandri

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This study seeks to assess the efficiency of a sewage treatment plant comprised of three compartmentalized septic tanks installed in series followed by three parallel wetlands and seeded with species Typha sp. with subsurface flow, filled with support material of natural gravel, gravel # 2 and washed gravel, respectively. The station treats sewage generated at Unity University for Science and Technology, State University of Goiás – UnUCET/UEG. A total of 20 sewage samples were collected in order to evaluate treatment efficiency from November to December 2010 and March to April 2011. The points of analysis were at the input of the first tank (raw sewage, the output of the third septic tank and the outputs of each of the three wetlands. The total removal efficiencies were: 65.40% for chemical oxygen demand; 79.01% for biochemical oxygen demand; 59.79% for total solids; 87.12% for the total suspended solids; 92.00% for total coliforms; 95.71% for E. coli and 82.54% for turbidity. The system was effective for the treatment of sewage, within the current legislative parameters for pH, turbidity, total solids and biochemical oxygen demand. No significant difference was observed between the three different means of support, suggesting that gravel, natural gravel and washed gravel may potentially be used to fill wetlands.

Ultraviolet radiation is feasible alternative for desinfeting of aerobic and anaerobic treatment systems sewage in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daniel, Luis Antonio; Campos, Jose Roberto

1993-01-01

This works shows desinfecting results employing ultraviolet radiation to wastes of sewage treatment station on true scales. Wastes of anaerobic, facultative and maturation pools, septic tank and anaerobic reactor were disinfected. It was found a inactive efficiency to coliforms higher than 99.9%. Safe ultraviolet desinfecting is technically applicable to wastes of sewage treatment station applying aerobic or anaerobic process

Health hazards related to Soba sewage treatment plant, Sudan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rasha Osman Abdelwahab Abdelmoneim

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the health hazards acquired by the residents nearby Soba sewage treatment plant. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Soba locality, Khartoum, Sudan. An interviewer-administrated questionnaire was assigned to 462 residents of the area living in four geographically distributed squares around the sewage plant. The data was analyzed in SPSS; Cronbach’s alpha reliability scale of measurement was used to check the internal validity of six variables related to the quality of life. A logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between the health hazards and the quality of life. Among the 462 residents, difficulty in breathing (37.9% and nausea (37.2 were the principal health hazards. Moreover, the residents had a satisfactory level of awareness (88.7% about the health hazards. The utmost impact on the quality of life was psychological (97.2%. It was statistically correlated with the reported factors, which impacted the quality of life in the district as revealed by the Cronbach’s alpha reliability test with absenteeism (P=0.026, disability (P=0.014, socialization (P=0.032 and death (P=0.016. A logistic regression analysis revealed chemical hazards had a statistically significant association (P<0.05 with quality of life of the residents of Soba district. The study strongly entails the fact that sewage treatment plants crave exceptional consideration from the concerned responsible authorities, together with the fact that the evolved health threats should be confronted with immense responsibility as soon as possible.

Conversion of sewage treatment plants on sludge digestion. Energetic and economic optimization potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitt, Theo G.; Gretzschel, Oliver

2014-03-01

Investigations within the framework of the state-commissioned project ''Re-evaluation of wastewater purification plants with anaerobic sludge treatment with due consideration to framework conditions in terms of the energy and the wastewater management situation in Rhineland-Palatinate'', abbreviated ''NAwaS'', have shown that due to the rise in energy prices and availability of innovative techniques and methods it can be economically efficient, from a plant capacity of 10,000 inhabitants upwards, to convert sewage treatment plants to sludge digestion. Findings from the NAwaS project show the state of Rhineland-Palatinate to have a large potential for the conversion of sewage treatment plants to sludge digestion. Depending on the rate of price increase as well as interest rates the use of digester gas could permit an increase in electricity output by up to 50% over today's levels. Moreover, converted plants would be able to almost completely cover their own heat demand and in addition permit energy savings totalling an expected 5 kWh/(inhabitant x a). If one incorporates the possibilities offered by the procurement of sludge or suitable co-substrates from outside sources, by retrofitting sewage plants with combined heat and power stations or micro gas turbines as well as by process optimisation in existing digestion plants, this gives a further significant increase in potential production capacity and hence economic efficiency. In some of the sewage plants the above measures for saving energy and boosting energy production will even lead to energy self-sufficiency. [de

Enrichment of denitrifying methanotrophic bacteria for application after direct low-temperature anaerobic sewage treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kampman, Christel; Hendrickx, Tim L.G.; Luesken, Francisca A.; Alen, Theo A. van; Op den Camp, Huub J.M.; Jetten, Mike S.M.; Zeeman, Grietje; Buisman, Cees J.N.; Temmink, Hardy

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A new concept for low-temperature anaerobic sewage treatment is proposed. ► In this concept, denitrification and methane oxidation are performed by Methylomirabilis oxyfera. ► The bacteria were enriched from fresh water sediment using sequencing fed-batch reactors. ► The volumetric consumption rate has to be increased by an order of magnitude for practical application. ► Further research should focus on systems with improved biomass retention. - Abstract: Despite many advantages of anaerobic sewage treatment over conventional activated sludge treatment, it has not yet been applied in temperate zones. This is especially because effluent from low-temperature anaerobic treatment contains nitrogen and dissolved methane. The presence of nitrogen and methane offers the opportunity to develop a reactor in which methane is used as electron donor for denitrification. Such a reactor could be used in a new concept for low-temperature anaerobic sewage treatment, consisting of a UASB-digester system, a reactor for denitrification coupled to anaerobic methane oxidation, and a nitritation reactor. In the present study denitrifying methanotrophic bacteria similar to ‘Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera’ were enriched. Maximum volumetric nitrite consumption rates were 33.5 mg NO 2 − -N/L d (using synthetic medium) and 37.8 mg NO 2 − -N/L d (using medium containing effluent from a sewage treatment plant), which are similar to the maximum rate reported so far. Though the goal was to increase the rates, in both reactors, after reaching these maximum rates, volumetric nitrite consumption rates decreased in time. Results indicate biomass washout may have significantly decelerated enrichment. Therefore, to obtain higher volumetric consumption rates, further research should focus on systems with complete biomass retention.

Mass balance analysis of triclosan, diethyltoluamide, crotamiton and carbamazepine in sewage treatment plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakada, N; Yasojima, M; Okayasu, Y; Komori, K; Suzuki, Y

2010-01-01

The behavior of antibacterial triclosan, insect-repellent diethyltoluamide (DEET), anticonvulsant carbamazepine, and antipruritic crotamiton was investigated at two sewage treatment plants (STPs) to clarify their complete mass balance. Twenty-four-hour flow-proportional composite samples were collected from the influent and effluent of primary and final sedimentation tanks, a biofiltration tank and disinfection tanks. Sludge samples (i.e., activated and excess sludge) and samples of the return flow from the sludge treatment process were collected in the same manner. The analytes in both the dissolved and particulate phases were individually determined by a gas chromatograph equipped with mass spectrometer. Triclosan was dominantly detected in the particulate phase especially in the early stage of treatment (up to 83%) and was efficiently removed (over 90%) in STPs, mainly by sorption to sewage sludge. Limited removal was observed for DEET (55+/-24%), while no significant removal was demonstrated for crotamiton or carbamazepine. The solid-water distribution coefficients (K(d), n=4) for triclosan (log K(d): 3.7-5.1), DEET (1.3-1.9) and crotamiton (1.1-1.6) in the sludge samples are also determined in this study. These findings indicate the limitations of current sewage treatment techniques for the removal of these water-soluble drugs (i.e. DEET, carbamazepine, and crotamiton).

Composting of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plant mixed with a recirculated vegetal fraction in two ratios; Compostaje de fangos de E.D.A.R. en pilas con dos proporciones diferentes de estructurante vegetal recirculado

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plana, R.; Dominguez, J. [Universidad de Vigo (Spain); Aguilera, F.

2002-07-01

Due to the next European Directives that are being prepared about the waste management, specially about the organic fraction (U. S. W. sewage sludges, pig slurries, etc.) it will be necessary a previous biological treatment of the waste before spreading it on the soil. the current work studies the windrow composting of sewage sludge from an urban wastewater treatment plant mixed with a recirculated vegetal fraction in two different volumetric ratios (2:1 and 1:1). Temperature and oxygen consumption are measured to control the composting process, as well as the turning frequency and the quantity of products that is degradated. Although the process reaches thermofilic temperatures in both windrow, it is showed that in the 2:1 ratio more sludge is proportionally degradated. An economic study of the composting of this sewage sludge in different composting methods (dynamic and semi static) was made. (Author) 7 refs.

THE CONCENTRATION OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN SEWAGE SLUDGE FROM WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN GNIEWINO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julita Karolina Milik

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Sewage sludge originated from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP serving rural areas are suggested for agricultural or natural usage. Before, however, sewage sludge is subjected to the several pre-treatments, which involve stabilization, hygienisation and pre-composting. These methods decrease mainly the amount of organic substances and presence of microorganisms, but hardly affects concentrations of heavy metals. The advantages of using sludges as fertilizer for improving and sustaining soil fertility and crop production are many. The addition of sewage sludge to soils could affect potential availability of heavy metals. Trace elements are distributed in the soil in various forms: solid phases, free ions in soil solution, soluble organic-mineral complexes, or adsorbed on colloidal particles. In the study the concentrations of trace elements (Pb, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Zn, Al, As, Se, B, Ba, Br, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Na, Ga, Li, Mo, Sr, Mg, K, Ru, Tl, V, U was tested in sewage sludge obtained from (WWTP serving rural areas (PE< 9 000. In each case, the tested sewage sludge was meeting the criteria of stabilization and was used for agriculture and land reclamation purpose. All the samples were collected in 2016 and were subjected to microwave mineralization in a closed system in aqua regia. The total amound of macro and microelements were determined with a ICP-OES. It was found that the total concentrations of trace metals in all of sewage sludge are the same than Polish regulation limit of pollutants for sludge to be used in agriculture. The trace elements (cadmium: 1,16 mg·kg-1/d.m. in polish sewage sludge, respectively, much higher than those in the other countries. As a most prevalent copper and zinc were observed (111,28 mg·kg-1/d.m. and 282,94 mg·kg-1/d.m.. The concentrations of copper in polish sewage sludge are much lower (49-130 mg·kg-1/d.m. than european sewage sludge (522-562 mg·kg-1/d.m.. The two out of tested heavy metals (beryllium, bismuth

Treatment of supernatant from sewage sludge by elctron beam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arai, Hidehiko; Sugiyama, Masashi; Shimizu, Ken.

1988-01-01

Part of the results was presented on the investigation of treatment of supernatant from sewage sludge by combination of electron beam irradiation and microbiological treatment. Supernatant is electron-beam irradiated after microbiologically treated, and then treated microbiologically again. Based this method, by irradiation of 10 kGy, chemical oxygen demand (COD) in supernatant can be decreased lower than 30 ppm. Moreover, electron-beam irradiation induces remarkable decolorization and deodorization. (author)

Life cycle GHG emissions of sewage sludge treatment and disposal options in Tai Lake Watershed, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Beibei; Wei, Qi; Zhang, Bing; Bi, Jun

2013-01-01

The treatment and disposal of sewage sludge generate considerable amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and pose environmental and economic challenges to wastewater treatment in China. To achieve a more informed and sustainable sludge management, this study conducts a life cycle inventory to investigate the GHG performances of six scenarios involving various sludge treatment technologies and disposal strategies. These scenarios are landfilling (S1), mono-incineration (S2), co-incineration (S3), brick manufacturing (S4), cement manufacturing (S5), and fertilizer for urban greening (S6). In terms of GHG emissions, S2 demonstrates the best performance with its large offset from sludge incineration energy recovery, followed by S4 and S6, whereas S1 demonstrates the poorest performance primarily because of its large quantity of methane leaks. The scenario rankings are affected by the assumptions of GHG offset calculation. In most scenarios, GHG performance could be improved by using waste gas or steam from existing facilities for drying sludge. Furthermore, considering the GHG performance along with economic, health, and other concerns, S6 is recommended. We thus suggest that local governments promote the use of composted sludge as urban greening fertilizers. In addition, the use of sludge with 60% water content, in place of the current standard of 80%, in wastewater treatment plants is proposed to be the new standard for Tai Lake Watershed in China. - Highlights: ► Life-cycle GHG emissions of six sludge handling scenarios are examined. ► Scenario rankings are affected by the assumptions of GHG offset calculation. ► Using heat from existing facilities to dry sludge can improve GHG performance. ► Fertilizer for urban greening is recommended due to its integrated performance. ► The sludge water-content standard is suggested to changed from 80% to 60%

Life cycle GHG emissions of sewage sludge treatment and disposal options in Tai Lake Watershed, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Beibei [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Wei, Qi [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Zhang, Bing, E-mail: Zhangb@nju.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Bi, Jun [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

2013-03-01

The treatment and disposal of sewage sludge generate considerable amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and pose environmental and economic challenges to wastewater treatment in China. To achieve a more informed and sustainable sludge management, this study conducts a life cycle inventory to investigate the GHG performances of six scenarios involving various sludge treatment technologies and disposal strategies. These scenarios are landfilling (S1), mono-incineration (S2), co-incineration (S3), brick manufacturing (S4), cement manufacturing (S5), and fertilizer for urban greening (S6). In terms of GHG emissions, S2 demonstrates the best performance with its large offset from sludge incineration energy recovery, followed by S4 and S6, whereas S1 demonstrates the poorest performance primarily because of its large quantity of methane leaks. The scenario rankings are affected by the assumptions of GHG offset calculation. In most scenarios, GHG performance could be improved by using waste gas or steam from existing facilities for drying sludge. Furthermore, considering the GHG performance along with economic, health, and other concerns, S6 is recommended. We thus suggest that local governments promote the use of composted sludge as urban greening fertilizers. In addition, the use of sludge with 60% water content, in place of the current standard of 80%, in wastewater treatment plants is proposed to be the new standard for Tai Lake Watershed in China. - Highlights: ► Life-cycle GHG emissions of six sludge handling scenarios are examined. ► Scenario rankings are affected by the assumptions of GHG offset calculation. ► Using heat from existing facilities to dry sludge can improve GHG performance. ► Fertilizer for urban greening is recommended due to its integrated performance. ► The sludge water-content standard is suggested to changed from 80% to 60%.

Inactivation of enteroviruses in sewage with ozone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivanova, O.E.; Bogdanov, M.V.; Kazantseva, V.A.; Gabrilevskaia, L.N.; Kodkind, G.K.H.

The study of ozone inactivation of enteroviruses in sewage showed the presence in sewage of suspensions of organic origin and bacterial flora to influence the rate of inactivation. The inactivation rate of poliomyelitis virus in sewage free from organic suspension and bacterial flora was significantly higher than that in sewage containing such suspension and bacterial flora. The inactivation rate of enteroviruses was found not to depend upon the protein and salt composition and pH of sewage or strain appurtenance of viruses. The inactivation rate of enteroviruses directly depended upon the dose of ozone and time of contact with it. Differences in the resistance of different types of poliomyelitis virus, ECHO and Coxsackie viruses to the effect of ozone are likely exist. These differences are manifested within the range of relatively small doses of ozone. E. coli is more resistant to ozone than entero-viruses. The results of laboratory studies were used to choose the regimen of sanitation of urban sewage to be used in technological cycles of industrial enterprises.

Fast increases in urban sewage inputs to rivers of Indonesia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Suwarno, D.; Löhr, A.; Kroeze, C.; Widianarko, B.

2014-01-01

We present estimates for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) sewage inputs to 19 Indonesian rivers for 1970–2050. Future trends are based on the four scenarios of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Our results indicate a rapid increase in N and P pollution from sewage over time. In 1970, N and P

Optimization of municipal pressure pumping station layout and sewage pipe network design

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Jiandong; Cheng, Jilin; Gong, Yi

2018-03-01

Accelerated urbanization places extraordinary demands on sewer networks; thus optimization research to improve the design of these systems has practical significance. In this article, a subsystem nonlinear programming model is developed to optimize pumping station layout and sewage pipe network design. The subsystem model is expanded into a large-scale complex nonlinear programming system model to find the minimum total annual cost of the pumping station and network of all pipe segments. A comparative analysis is conducted using the sewage network in Taizhou City, China, as an example. The proposed method demonstrated that significant cost savings could have been realized if the studied system had been optimized using the techniques described in this article. Therefore, the method has practical value for optimizing urban sewage projects and provides a reference for theoretical research on optimization of urban drainage pumping station layouts.

Occurrence of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and their application as a tracer for sewage derived pollution in urban estuarine sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiaolin; Luo, Xiaojun; Mai, Bixian; Liu, Jingqin; Chen, Li; Lin, Shanshan

2014-01-01

Particle reactive organic contaminants in estuarine sediments can lead to various environmental problems affecting ecosystem and public health. In this study, the occurrence and homologous distribution pattern of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) in the surficial sediments collected from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), China were examined along with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs). The composition pattern of the QACs was found to be uniform in most of the sediments analyzed throughout the PRE, and the average composition pattern was identical to that determined in the sewage sludge from Guangzhou, the biggest city in the PRE. Dialkyldimethylammonium compounds, the most abundant type of QACs, positively correlated to the total concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in most of the sediments with similar composition patterns. Therefore, the QACs are proposed as potential tracers to evaluate the transport of sewage-derived pollution in estuarine environments. -- Highlights: • Analysis method is developed for quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) in sediment. • Occurrence of QACs is observed in the Pearl River Estuary, China for the first time. • QACs are proposed to be a tracer for sewage derived pollution in estuarine sediment. -- QACs were found to be present in the estuarine sediments in China for the first time and proposed as potential tracers for sewage-derived pollution in urban estuary

Removal of siloxanes in sewage sludge by thermal treatment with gas stripping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oshita, Kazuyuki; Omori, Keigo; Takaoka, Masaki; Mizuno, Tadao

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A new treatment of sewage sludge were studied to reduce siloxanes in biogas. • D5 of cyclic siloxane concentrations were the highest in sewage sludge. • Under optimal conditions, most of siloxanes in the sludge were removed previously. • By this treatment, CH 4 was 1.6-fold larger and siloxane in biogas 95% lower. - Abstract: In this study, thermal treatment with gas stripping of sewage sludge before anaerobic digestion to reduce siloxanes in the sludge and accelerate the anaerobic digestion was studied experimentally. Regarding siloxanes in the sludge, D5 concentrations were the highest. Siloxane concentrations in the digested sludge were decreased, versus those in thickened sludge, because siloxanes in the sludge are moved to the biogas during the anaerobic digestion. Thermal treatment and gas stripping experiments were conducted. The optimum conditions for siloxane removal from sludge were found to be thermal treatment with gas stripping at 80 °C with 0.5 L/min of air flow for 48 h. Under these conditions, approximately 90% of all siloxanes in the sludge were removed. Next, anaerobic digestion experiments were conducted with the optimally treated sludge and untreated sludge. The biogas volume of the optimally treated sludge was 1.6-fold larger than that of the untreated sludge. Furthermore, D5 contents in biogas from the optimally treated sludge were 95% lower than in biogas from untreated sludge. Thus, thermal treatment with gas stripping of sludge before anaerobic digestion was effective in increasing biogas amounts, decreasing siloxane concentrations in the biogas, and reducing the need for a siloxane removal process from the biogas

Transformation of Silver Nanoparticles in Sewage Sludge during Incineration.

Science.gov (United States)

Meier, Christoph; Voegelin, Andreas; Pradas del Real, Ana; Sarret, Geraldine; Mueller, Christoph R; Kaegi, Ralf

2016-04-05

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) discharged into the municipal sewer system largely accumulate in the sewage sludge. Incineration and agricultural use are currently the most important strategies for sewage sludge management. Thus, the behavior of Ag-NP during sewage sludge incineration is essential for a comprehensive life cycle analysis and a more complete understanding of the fate of Ag-NP in the (urban) environment. To address the transformation of Ag-NP during sewage sludge incineration, we spiked metallic Ag(0)-NP to a pilot wastewater treatment plant and digested the sludge anaerobically. The sludge was then incinerated on a bench-scale fluidized bed reactor in a series of experiments under variable conditions. Complementary results from X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (EM-EDX) analysis revealed that Ag(0)-NP transformed into Ag2S-NP during the wastewater treatment, in agreement with previous studies. On the basis of a principal component analysis and subsequent target testing of the XAS spectra, Ag(0) was identified as a major Ag component in the ashes, and Ag2S was clearly absent. The reformation of Ag(0)-NP was confirmed by EM-EDX. The fraction of Ag(0) of the total Ag in the ashes was quantified by linear combination fitting (LCF) of XAS spectra, and values as high as 0.8 were found for sewage sludge incinerated at 800 °C in a synthetic flue gas atmosphere. Low LCF totals (72% to 94%) indicated that at least one relevant reference spectrum was missing in the LCF analysis. The presence of spherical Ag-NP with a diameter of incineration, as demonstrated in this study, needs to be considered in the life cycle assessment of engineered Ag-NP.

Levels and treatment options for enteric and antibiotic resistant bacteria in sewage from Sisimiut, Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Pernille Erland; Gunnarsdottir, Ragnhildur; Andersen, Henrik Rasmus

2013-01-01

Sewage treatment in Arctic towns is inadequate. Sewage contains pathogenic microorganisms, parasites, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and toxic compounds. Discharging of untreated sewage can thus have a negative effect on people’s health and the aquatic environment in the receiving water bodies....... Conventional treatment is challenging and expensive to implement in Arctic communities due to the cold climate and scattered population. In addition, advanced removal of nutrients may in many cases be overstated due to the low population density and large receiving water bodies. In this work we investigated......, the wastewater is very strong, suggesting a potential hygienic risk. In addition, a high fraction of antibiotic resistant bacteria and an increased toxicity in the sub-stream from the hospital, suggest that this stream contains toxic compounds, possibly antibiotic of nature that may affect the local Arctic...

The comparison of greenhouse gas emissions in sewage treatment plants with different treatment processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Masuda, Shuhei; Sano, Itsumi; Hojo, Toshimasa; Li, Yu-You; Nishimura, Osamu

2018-02-01

Greenhouse gas emissions from different sewage treatment plants: oxidation ditch process, double-circulated anoxic-oxic process and anoxic-oxic process were evaluated based on the survey. The methane and nitrous oxide characteristics were discussed based on the gaseous and dissolved gas profiles. As a result, it was found that methane was produced in the sewer pipes and the primary sedimentation tank. Additionally, a ventilation system would promote the gasification of dissolved methane in the first treatment units. Nitrous oxide was produced and emitted in oxic tanks with nitrite accumulation inside the sewage treatment plant. A certain amount of nitrous oxide was also discharged as dissolved gas through the effluent water. If the amount of dissolved nitrous oxide discharge is not included, 7-14% of total nitrous oxide emission would be overlooked. Based on the greenhouse gas calculation, electrical consumption and the N 2 O emission from incineration process were major sources in all the plants. For greenhouse gas reduction, oxidation ditch process has an advantage over the other advanced systems due to lower energy consumption, sludge production, and nitrogen removal without gas stripping. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

REEMISSION OF MERCURY COMPOUNDS FROM SEWAGE SLUDGE DISPOSAL

OpenAIRE

Beata Janowska

2016-01-01

The sewage sludge disposal and cultivation methods consist in storage, agricultural use, compost production, biogas production or heat treatment. The sewage sludge production in municipal sewage sludge treatment plants in year 2013 in Poland amounted to 540.3 thousand Mg d.m. The sewage sludge for agricultural or natural use must satisfy chemical, sanitary and environmental safety requirements. The heavy metal content, including the mercury content, determines the sewage sludge disposal metho...

Enrichment of denitrifying methanotrophic bacteria for application after direct low-temperature anaerobic sewage treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kampman, Christel, E-mail: christel.kampman@wur.nl [Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA, Wageningen (Netherlands); Hendrickx, Tim L.G. [Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA, Wageningen (Netherlands); Luesken, Francisca A.; Alen, Theo A. van; Op den Camp, Huub J.M.; Jetten, Mike S.M. [Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen (Netherlands); Zeeman, Grietje; Buisman, Cees J.N.; Temmink, Hardy [Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA, Wageningen (Netherlands)

2012-08-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A new concept for low-temperature anaerobic sewage treatment is proposed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In this concept, denitrification and methane oxidation are performed by Methylomirabilis oxyfera. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The bacteria were enriched from fresh water sediment using sequencing fed-batch reactors. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The volumetric consumption rate has to be increased by an order of magnitude for practical application. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Further research should focus on systems with improved biomass retention. - Abstract: Despite many advantages of anaerobic sewage treatment over conventional activated sludge treatment, it has not yet been applied in temperate zones. This is especially because effluent from low-temperature anaerobic treatment contains nitrogen and dissolved methane. The presence of nitrogen and methane offers the opportunity to develop a reactor in which methane is used as electron donor for denitrification. Such a reactor could be used in a new concept for low-temperature anaerobic sewage treatment, consisting of a UASB-digester system, a reactor for denitrification coupled to anaerobic methane oxidation, and a nitritation reactor. In the present study denitrifying methanotrophic bacteria similar to 'Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera' were enriched. Maximum volumetric nitrite consumption rates were 33.5 mg NO{sub 2}{sup -}-N/L d (using synthetic medium) and 37.8 mg NO{sub 2}{sup -}-N/L d (using medium containing effluent from a sewage treatment plant), which are similar to the maximum rate reported so far. Though the goal was to increase the rates, in both reactors, after reaching these maximum rates, volumetric nitrite consumption rates decreased in time. Results indicate biomass washout may have significantly decelerated enrichment. Therefore, to obtain higher volumetric consumption rates, further research should focus on systems with complete biomass

Removal of trace organic contaminants from domestic wastewater: A meta-analysis comparison of sewage treatment technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Melvin, Steven D; Leusch, Frederic D L

2016-01-01

Trace organic contaminants (TrOCs), such as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), represent global threats to aquatic animals and ecosystems. A major source of TrOCs in the aquatic environment is via the discharge of treated sewage, so there is an urgent need to evaluate the comparative efficiencies of the most widely used sewage treatment technologies as regards elimination of these compounds from wastewater. To address this need, 976 published articles were compiled focusing on estimates of removal (%) for 20 common environmental TrOCs, from five major sewage treatment technologies: conventional activated sludge (CAS), oxidation ditch (OD), membrane bioreactor (MBR), ponds and constructed wetlands (PCW), and trickling biological filters (TBF). A quantitative meta-analysis was performed to compare standardized relative removal efficiencies (SREs) of the compounds amongst these technologies, and where possible potential sources of heterogeneity were considered (e.g., flow rates and chemical sorption potential). The results indicate that the most widely used CAS treatment and the less common TBF provide comparatively poor overall removal of common organic micropollutants. Membrane bioreactors appear to be capable of achieving the greatest overall removal efficiencies, but the sustainability and economic viability of this option has been questioned. Treatment with OD systems may be more economical while still achieving comparatively high removal efficiencies, and the analysis revealed OD to be the best option for targeting highly potent estrogenic EDCs. This study offers a unique global assessment of TrOC removal via leading sewage treatment technologies, and is an important step in the identification of effective options for treating municipal sewage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integral study of sewage sludges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

Sewage sludges are the by-product generated during the treatment process of waste water, and they are conformed by a solid phase which origin is the accumulation of pollutant materials which has been added to water during natural and anthropogenic activities. Its handling is one of the most serious problems faced by water treatment plants which involve the production, gathering, transportation, re utilization and final disposal of sewage sludges. The main purpose of this project is to perform a technical evaluation of the process of sewage sludge irradiation for its possible application as a choice for treatment and final disposal. Irradiation with gammas from Cobalt-60 shows effectiveness in disinfestation of sewage sludges, since they reduce six times the microbial population with a 7 KGy dose. In like manners with doses of 10 KGy is possible to bring down in 70 % the concentration of organic compounds, as well as to eliminate the presence of 6 to 22 organic compounds on samples of sewage sludges. The whole content of this work is presented in six sections: Introduction, Antecedents, Methodology, Conclusions, Suggestions and Bibliography. (Author)

Physicochemical and bacteriological characterization of raw sewage from the Meknes region Morocco

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, Ouallal; Hamzaoui Najia, El; Mohammed, Sbiti; Mohammed, Machkor; Lahcen, Messaoudi; Mohamed, Azrour

2018-05-01

The region of Meknes suffers from a significant delay in the water sector, including sewage treatment. The Urban waste water in the region originates from various activities; households, industry, agriculture and hospital. These waters are released in to nature without any treatment, which constitutes a serious risk for the environment. The objective of this research is to characterize the physicochemical and bacteriological pollution of the three sewage collectors of the Meknes region (Aïn Choubbik, Oued Ouislane and Aïn Taoujdate). Indeed, the pollution parameters; biological and chemical oxygen demand are abnormally high, which indicates clearly that waste waters is rich of reducing or oxidizing organic materials. Ammonium, nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metals concentrations exceed the limit values. So these waters are classified as bad or very bad quality. On the one hand, the presence of a large bacterial load indicates fecal contamination. The total coliform, fecal coliform and fecal streptococci levels are high exceeding exceed the values specified the WHO guidelines and the Moroccan standards. This situation is likely to cause serious and irreparable damage to the environment groundwater. To counter this, make the necessary investment in sewage treatment and other remedial measures is key to preventing pollution and its spread.

Basic Sewage Treatment Operation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Toronto.

This manual was developed for use at workshops designed to introduce operators to the fundamentals of sewage plant operation. The course consists of lecture-discussions and hands-on activities. Each of the lessons has clearly stated behavioral objectives to tell the trainee what he should know or do after completing that topic. Areas covered in…

Biofiltration and electrochemical treatment for the production of service water from outflows of small-scaled sewage treatment plants; Biofiltration und elektrochemische Behandlung zur Brauchwassererzeugung aus Kleinklaeranlagenablaeufen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ilian, Jens

2010-12-14

Up to the 1990s a mechanical partly biological wastewater treatment was performed at remote locations or collected in reservoirs without outflow. The currently valid legal regulations require a biological treatment of wastewater. Thus, biological small-scale sewage treatment plants experience a broad dissemination recently. Under this aspect, the author of the contribution under consideration reports on the bio filtration and electrochemical treatment in order to produce service water from outflows of small-scale sewage treatment plants. The author investigates the legal regulations, and supplements these regulations by own definitions and requirements on the consideration of a hygienic potential for damage. Additionally, investigations on the cleaning performance of properly operated small-scaled sewage treatment plants are performed. The hygienic risk potential as an inflow condition of a disinfection is determined.

Sewage sludge pasteurization by gamma radiation: financial viability case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swinwood, J.F.; Kotler, J.

1990-01-01

This paper examines the financial viability of sewage sludge pasteurization by gamma radiation, by examining the following three North American scenarios: 1. Small volume sewage treatment plant experiencing high sludge disposal costs; 2. Large volume sewage treatment plant experiencing low sludge disposal costs; 3. Large volume sewage treatment plant experiencing high sludge disposal costs. (author)

Sewage sludge pasteurization by gamma radiation: financial viability case studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swinwood, J.F.; Kotler, J. (Nordion International Inc., Kanata, Ontario (Canada))

1990-01-01

This paper examines the financial viability of sewage sludge pasteurization by gamma radiation, by examining the following three North American scenarios: 1. Small volume sewage treatment plant experiencing high sludge disposal costs; 2. Large volume sewage treatment plant experiencing low sludge disposal costs; 3. Large volume sewage treatment plant experiencing high sludge disposal costs. (author).

Sewage sludge pasteurization by gamma radiation: Financial viability case studies

Science.gov (United States)

Swinwood, Jean F.; Kotler, Jiri

This paper examines the financial viability of sewage sludge pasteurization by gamma radiation, by examining the following three North American scenarios: 1) Small volume sewage treatment plant experiencing high sludge disposal costs. 2) Large volume sewage treatment plant experiencing low sludge disposal costs. 3) Large volume sewage treatment plant experiencing high sludge disposal costs.

Anaerobic biodegradability and treatment of Egyption domestic sewage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elmitwally, T.A.; Al-Sarawey, A.; El-Sherbiny, M.F.; Zeeman, G.; Lettinga, G.

2003-01-01

The anaerobic biodegradability of domestic sewage for four Egyptian villages and four Egyptian cities was determined in batch experiments. The results showed that the biodegradability of the Egyptian-villages sewage (73%) was higher than that of the cities (66%). The higher biodegradability of the

Relationships between physical forms of cesium or strontium and their behavior in a sewage treatment system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishikawa, Nao; Umita, Teruyuki; Hatanaka, Takuma; Ito, Ayumi

2014-01-01

The nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant resulted in the release of radionuclides to the environment. Accident-derived radionuclides have been detected in sewage sludge produced in northern east of Japan. We observed the fate of stable Cs and Sr in sewage treatment process in order to know a fate of radionuclide such as "1"3"4Cs, "1"3"7Cs, and "9"0Sr in the process. For both of Cs and Sr, their transfer ratios to primary sludge from the influent sewage were similar levels of the ratios to excess activated sludge to the influent sewage. Transfer ratios to dewatered sludge from influent were 20% for Cs and 9.1% for Sr, respectively. Additionally, it was suggested that particulate Cs and Sr which were sorbed by mineral solids could be transferred to the primary sludge in the primary settling tank, then in the following treatment system; aeration tank, Sr sorbed by organic materials such as activated sludge could be transferred to the excessive sludge. (author)

Biological nitrogen removal from sewage via anammox: Recent advances.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Bin; Wang, Shanyun; Cao, Shenbin; Miao, Yuanyuan; Jia, Fangxu; Du, Rui; Peng, Yongzhen

2016-01-01

Biological nitrogen removal from sewage via anammox is a promising and feasible technology to make sewage treatment energy-neutral or energy-positive. Good retention of anammox bacteria is the premise of achieving sewage treatment via anammox. Therefore the anammox metabolism and its factors were critically reviewed so as to form biofilm/granules for retaining anammox bacteria. A stable supply of nitrite for anammox bacteria is a real bottleneck for applying anammox in sewage treatment. Nitritation and partial-denitrification are two promising methods of offering nitrite. As such, the strategies for achieving nitritation in sewage treatment were summarized by reviewing the factors affecting nitrite oxidation bacteria growth. Meanwhile, the methods of achieving partial-denitrification have been developed through understanding the microorganisms related with nitrite accumulation and their factors. Furthermore, two cases of applying anammox in the mainstream sewage treatment plants were documented. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sewage treatment method

Science.gov (United States)

Fassbender, Alex G.

1995-01-01

The invention greatly reduces the amount of ammonia in sewage plant effluent. The process of the invention has three main steps. The first step is dewatering without first digesting, thereby producing a first ammonia-containing stream having a low concentration of ammonia, and a second solids-containing stream. The second step is sending the second solids-containing stream through a means for separating the solids from the liquid and producing an aqueous stream containing a high concentration of ammonia. The third step is removal of ammonia from the aqueous stream using a hydrothermal process.

Online measurement of nitrification inhibitors in sewage received by an industrial sewage treatment plant. Development of a nitrification toximeter; Online-Messung nitrifikationshemmender Stoffe im Zulauf einer Industrieklaeranlage - Entwicklung eines Nitrifikationstoximeters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haid, M. [BASF AG, Ludwigshafen am Rhein (Germany)

1999-07-01

At an industrial sewage treatment plant, the ammonium freight in the effluent is to be further reduced in the future through nitrification. But constantly low effluent concentrations are only possible if the nitrification process is not inhibited. Bouts of critical concentrations of nitrification inhibitors in sewage received by treatment plant are potentially disturbing. Online measurement of nitrification inhibitors in sewage arriving at the treatment plant is to recognize such bouts and permit timely alert so that counter-measures can be taken, which may consist in routing sewage with such toxic concentrations into a storage basin, whereby a sharp slump in the nitrification process can be avoided. (orig.) [German] In einer Industrieklaeranlage soll kuenftig durch Nitrifikation die Ammoniumfracht im Auslauf weiter gesenkt werden. Konstant niedrige Ablaufwerte sind aber nur dann moeglich, wenn der Nitrifikationsprozess ungestoert ablaufen kann. Stoesse nitrifikationshemmender Stoffe in kritischen Konzentrationen im Zulauf zur Klaeranlage sind eine moegliche Stoergroesse. Mit Hilfe einer Online-Nitrifikationshemmmessung im Klaeranlagenzulauf sollen solche Stoesse erkannt und rechtzeitig alarmiert werden, damit Gegenmassnahmen, wie z.B. das Auffangen des toxischen Stosses durch eine Sicherheitsschaltung in einem Speicherbecken, eingeleitet und so signifikante Einbrueche des Nitrifikationsprozesses vermieden werden koennen. (orig.)

The effect of bioleaching on sewage sludge pyrolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhihua; Hu, Mian; Cui, Baihui; Liu, Shiming; Guo, Dabin; Xiao, Bo

2016-02-01

The effects of bioleaching on sewage sludge pyrolysis were studied. Sewage sludge was treated by bioleaching with solid concentrations of 6% (w/v), 8% (w/v), 10% (w/v). Results showed that bioleaching treatment could modify the physicochemical properties of sewage sludge and enhance the metals removal. The optimum removal efficiencies of heavy metals were achieved with solid concentration of 6% (w/v) bioleaching treatment: Cu, 73.08%; Zn, 78.67%; Pb, 24.65%; Cd, 79.46%. The characterization results of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the bioleached sewage sludge with a 6% (w/v) solid concentration treatment was the easiest to decompose. Pyrolytic experiments of bioleached sewage sludge were performed in a laboratory-scale fixed bed reactor. Results indicated that bioleaching treatment greatly influenced the product yields and gas composition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comprehensive disposal organic sewage by radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Zuohuan

2004-01-01

With the rapid development of industry, the constituents of sewage have been becoming complicated, and the treating effect of ordinary methods on standard sewage treatment have decreased evidently. Effective application of radiation in the disposal of sewage with some examples is presented, especially the better effect when radiation combined with ordinary methods. (author)

Disinfection of sewage sludge with gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

In the Geiselbullach sewage treatment plant near Munich, sewage irradiation by a 60 Co source is being investigated on a technical scale. 145 m 3 of sewage sludge are irradiated per day and then used as field fertilizer. (orig./HBR) [de

Distribution, fate and risk assessment of antibiotics in sewage treatment plants in Hong Kong, South China.

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, H W; Minh, T B; Murphy, M B; Lam, James C W; So, M K; Martin, Michael; Lam, Paul K S; Richardson, B J

2012-07-01

Occurrence, removal, consumption and environmental risks of sixteen antibiotics were investigated in several sewage treatment plants (STPs) featuring different treatment levels in Hong Kong, China. Cefalexin, ofloxacin and erythromycin-H(2)O were predominant with concentrations of 1020-5640, 142-7900 and 243-4740 ng/L in influent, respectively; their mass loads were comparable to levels reported in urban regions in China and were at the high end of the range reported for western countries. The target antibiotics behaved differently depending on the treatment level employed at the STPs and relatively higher removal efficiencies (>70%) were observed for cefalexin, cefotaxime, amoxicillin, sulfamethoxazole and chloramphenicol during secondary treatment. ß-lactams were especially susceptible to removal via the activated sludge process while macrolides were recalcitrant (antibiotic consumption in Hong Kong was back-calculated based on influent mass flows and compared with available prescription and usage data. This model was verified by a good approximation of 82% and 141% to the predicted consumption of total ofloxacin, but a less accurate estimate was obtained for erythromycin usage. Risk assessment indicated that algae are susceptible to the environmental concentrations of amoxicillin as well as the mixture of the nine detected antibiotics in receiving surface waters. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lachnospiraceae and Bacteroidales Alternative Fecal Indicators Reveal Chronic Human Sewage Contamination in an Urban Harbor▿†

Science.gov (United States)

Newton, Ryan J.; VandeWalle, Jessica L.; Borchardt, Mark A.; Gorelick, Marc H.; McLellan, Sandra L.

2011-01-01

detect sewage compared to general indicators, and the relationship to a human pathogen group suggests that the use of these alternative indicators will improve assessments for human health risks in urban waters. PMID:21803887

Urban sewage lipids in the suspended particulate matter of a coral reef under river influence in the South West Gulf of Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Carreón-Palau, Laura; Parrish, Christopher C; Pérez-España, Horacio

2017-10-15

Nutritional quality of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and the degree of human fecal pollution in the largest coral reef system in the southwest Gulf of Mexico were evaluated using lipid classes, fatty acids (FA) and sterols in the dry and rainy seasons. High proportions of triacylglycerols and saturated and monounsaturated FA were detected in the SPM however it was considered poor quality because it had low proportions of highly unsaturated FA which can be used to determine production of marine biogenic material of dietary value to pelagic and benthic organisms. Urban sewage organic carbon was traced with coprostanol. The reference value of coprostanol from the point source of pollution was set using two samples from a sewage treatment plant processing waste from >140,000 people near the coral reef system, and it was contrasted with one river station and nine marine stations including six coral reefs. The concentration of coprostanol in the SPM was 3621 ± 98 ng L -1 comprising 26% of total sterols. During the dry season, the river was contaminated upstream with human feces as evidenced by coprostanol at 1823 ng L -1 , the 5β-coprostanol: cholesterol ratio at 0.5, and 5β-coprostanol: [5α-cholestanol+5β-coprostanol] at 0.7. In contrast, marine stations had concentrations of coprostanol lower than a suggested regulation limit for tropical marine coastal waters (30 ng L -1 ), ranging between 6 and 28 ng L -1 . During the rainy season a dilution effect was detected in the river, however significantly higher concentrations of coprostanol in the marine stations were detected ranging between 15 and 215 ng L -1 , higher than the tentative tropical regulation range (30-100 ng L -1 ). Among the reefs, the nearshore one, 14.3 km from the treatment plant, was more exposed to human-fecal pollution, and offshore reefs, >17.3 km from the plant, had a lower degree of contamination. Finally, only three stations were clearly uncontaminated during both seasons

Expert System Development on On-line Measurement of Sewage Treatment Based Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianjun QIN

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This article puts forward a solution in which an instrument on-line automatic measurement and expert system process are optimized according to the complexity and great process dynamics of sewage treatment process. Firstly modeling has been set up with configuration sewage treatment process in which the process has been integrated into the computer software environment. Secondly certain number of water quality automatic monitoring instruments and sensor probes are set in the reaction tanks according to the needs of process changes and management. The data information acquired can be displayed and recorded at the real time. A human-machine integration expert system featuring computer automation management is developed for the base by one-off method thus to realize the intelligent and unmanned management. The advantages brought about from it can fill up the inexperience of the on-site management personnel and solve the contradiction between the water quality dynamics and difficulty in the process adjustment.

Effects of urban wastewater on crab and mollusc assemblages in equatorial and subtropical mangroves of East Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Cannicci, Stefano; Bartolini, Fabrizio; Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid; Fratini, Sara; Litulo, Carlos; Macia, Adriano; Mrabu, Elisha J.; Penha-Lopes, Gil; Paula, José

2009-09-01

Mangrove forests are known to accomplish crucial ecosystem functions and services. They are nursery areas for fish, prawns and crabs, which provide coastal communities with a variety of food, timber and chemicals, and protect coasts from catastrophic events, such as tsunamis. Recently, a novel ecological service has been proposed for mangrove systems, namely natural wastewater treatment wetlands. This hypothesis was based on experimental data collected mainly in Chinese mangrove systems, which proved that mangrove soils were efficient in absorbing nutrients. Moreover, sewage loading seemed harmless to both plants and benthic communities in these systems. However, before promoting the use of natural mangroves as pollution buffers, or constructed mangrove wetlands as sewage treatment facilities, more data are needed on their overall tolerance to organic loading. Differences in macrobenthos patterns were thus investigated between peri-urban mangroves and sites not affected by sewage disposal in East Africa. We assessed differences in epifaunal assemblages, comprising crabs and molluscs, employing multivariate ACI unbalanced analyses to compare peri-urban mangrove swamps with those characteristic of non-urban mangroves with similar ecological traits. The sampling design was spatially nested, replicates being assessed at equatorial (southern Kenya) and subtropical (southern Mozambique) sites. The results manifested a consistent increase in crab biomass at the peri-urban sites in both Kenya and Mozambique. Moreover, the peri-urban systems were richer than the non-urban mangroves, both in terms of fiddler crabs ( Uca spp.) which feed on benthic microalgae and bacteria, and sesarmids, such as Perisesarma guttatum and Neosarmatium meinerti, which feed on both substratum and leaf litter. The abundance of gastropods, in contrast, decreased significantly, especially in Kenya, mainly due to the disappearance of the mud whelk Terebralia palustris. The results thus indicate that

Dewatering properties of differently treated sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zehnder, H.J.

1977-01-01

A study on dewatering properties of radiosterilized sewage sludge of different type and origin was carried out. For comparison, also heat-treated (pasteurized) sludge was investigated. The specific filtration resistance of irradiated sewage sludge was lowered in all types of sludge examined. In general, pasteurization increased this parameter. The settling properties of irradiated digested sewage sludge was slightly improved, mainly in the first hours after treatment. Microbial effects may mask the real sedimentation relations especcially in aerobically stabilized sludges. A pasteurization treatment of sewage sludge caused an increased content of soluble substances and suspended particles in the supernatant water. The supernatant water from irradiated sludge showed a smaller increase

Chemical investigation of sewage effluents of Hyderabad city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laghari, A.; Chandio, S.N.; Khushawar, M.Y.; Laghari, M.Y.

2000-01-01

Water samples of sewage effluents were collected from sewage collection points located at Latifabad units 9-11, Husainabad and Qasimabad sewage pumping stations. The sewage is pumped towards Southern Sewage treatment plant (SSTP) or is used for agricultural purposes. The water samples from SSTP were also collected and analyzed for pH, conducively, salinity, alkalinity, chlorides, hardness, total, volatile and fixed residues, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand, nitrogen and phosphorous contents. Variation in the results between sewage water and effluents were noted. (author)

Let a sewage plant running smart

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shan-Shan; Pang, Ji-Wei; Jin, Xiao-Man; Wu, Zhong-Yang; Yang, Xiao-Yin; Guo, Wan-Qian; Zhao, Zhi-Qing; Ren, Nan-Qi

2018-03-01

Out-dated technical equipment, occlusive information communication, inadequate sanitation, low management level and some irrational distribution structures in the existing sewage plants bring about lower sewage treatment efficiency and poorer water quality, thereby permanently harming human health and severely damaging the environment. With the rapid development of scientific-technological progress and the vigorous support of the entire international community, the existing sewage plants call for more and more intelligent operation and management in the future. This review for the first time proposes the novel concept of the “smart” sewage plant, and gives a through interpretation of its special functions and attributes. We envision that the future smart sewage plant will became an “ambient intelligence” in all aspects in the sewage plants.

Stabilization/solidification of sewage sludge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boura, Panagiota; Katsioti, Margarita; Tsakiridis, Petros; Katsiri, Alexandra

2003-07-01

The main objective of this work is to investigate a viable alternative for the final disposal of sewage sludge from urban wastewater treatment plants by its use as an additive in developing new construction materials. For this purpose, several mixtures of sludge- cement and sludge-cement and jarosite/alunite precipitate were prepared. Jarosite/alunite precipitate is a waste product of a new hydrometallurgical process. Two kinds of sludge were used: primary sludge from Psyttalia Wastewater Treatment Plant, which receives a considerable amount of industrial waste, and biological sludge from Metamorphosi Wastewater Treatment Plant. Various percentages of these sludges were stabilized/solidified with Portland cement and Portland cement with jarosite/alunite. The specimens were tested by determination of compressive strength according to the methods described by European Standard EN 196. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis as well as Thermogravimetry-Differential Thermal Analysis (TG-DTA) were used to determine the hydration products in 28 days. Furthermore, Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure test for heavy metals (TCLP), were carried out in order to investigate the environmental compatibility of these new materials. (author)

Composting sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Epstein, E.

1979-01-01

Sewage sludge is predominantly organic matter containing domestic and industrial wastes. The inefficiency of the waste water treatment to destroy pathogens and stabilization of odor-producing volatile organic compounds necessitates further treatment before sludge can be used as a soil amendment or fertilizer. Composting, which is the rapid biological decomposition of the sludge organic matter is an excellent method of sludge stabilization. During the process, volatile organics are decomposed and many of the pathogens destoyed. The low cost of the process and its flexibility with respect to labor and capital makes the system highly attractive to municipalities. A major problem facing large urban waste water treatment facilities is the distribution or marketing. The light weight of the material, expensive hauling costs, and low fertilizer value reduce its attractiveness to the agricultural sector. Thus, the greatest market is for horticultural purposes, sod, nurseries, greenhouses, parks, and reclamation areas. The major potential benefits of irradiating compost as a means of further disinfection are: (1) elimination of any health hazard; (2) increase of market potential, i.e., providing more market outlets to distribute the material; (3) compliance with state and federal health regulations; and (4) enhancement of the economics of composting as a result of utilizing compost in speciality products commanding a higher value

Limit values in special agreements between factories and sewage works

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundstroem, Yrjoe

1987-01-01

The operation of sewage works is controlled in Finland by the water and health authorities. These authorities set special quality demands for the effluent from sewage treatment plants into the recipient. Also other wastes from treatment plants, mainly sludges, have special regulations and operational target values. Sewage works have to achieve the aim goals and limit values set. In order to fulfill the regulations, sewage works impose such limit values on factory wastewaters that there will be no problems at the treatment plants. Sewage works can act in two ways: - require the factory to operate in such a way that the limit values are not exceeded, - the factory pays a certain sum of money to the sewage works, which takes care of the whole problem. It can be said in general, that it is not possible to get rid of harmful substances by payment to the sewage works if the substances cause treatment problems or problems in sludge disposal. If the factory produces wastewater that contains a higher organic load, more suspended solids or a higher nutrient load than normal sanitary wastewater, the problem is most often solved by paying an extra fee to the sewage works

Urban Evolution: The Role of Water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sujay S. Kaushal

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The structure, function, and services of urban ecosystems evolve over time scales from seconds to centuries as Earth’s population grows, infrastructure ages, and sociopolitical values alter them. In order to systematically study changes over time, the concept of “urban evolution” was proposed. It allows urban planning, management, and restoration to move beyond reactive management to predictive management based on past observations of consistent patterns. Here, we define and review a glossary of core concepts for studying urban evolution, which includes the mechanisms of urban selective pressure and urban adaptation. Urban selective pressure is an environmental or societal driver contributing to urban adaptation. Urban adaptation is the sequential process by which an urban structure, function, or services becomes more fitted to its changing environment or human choices. The role of water is vital to driving urban evolution as demonstrated by historical changes in drainage, sewage flows, hydrologic pulses, and long-term chemistry. In the current paper, we show how hydrologic traits evolve across successive generations of urban ecosystems via shifts in selective pressures and adaptations over time. We explore multiple empirical examples including evolving: (1 urban drainage from stream burial to stormwater management; (2 sewage flows and water quality in response to wastewater treatment; (3 amplification of hydrologic pulses due to the interaction between urbanization and climate variability; and (4 salinization and alkalinization of fresh water due to human inputs and accelerated weathering. Finally, we propose a new conceptual model for the evolution of urban waters from the Industrial Revolution to the present day based on empirical trends and historical information. Ultimately, we propose that water itself is a critical driver of urban evolution that forces urban adaptation, which transforms the structure, function, and services of urban

Potential biogas production from sewage sludge: A case study of the sewage treatment plant at Kwame Nkrumah university of science and technology, Ghana

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arthur, Richard [Energy Systems Engineering Department, Koforidua Polytechnic, Box KF 981, Koforidua (Ghana); Brew-Hammond, Abeeku [Faculty of Mechanical and Agricultural Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag, Kumasi (Ghana)

2010-07-01

Biogas generation is one of the most promising renewable energy sources in Ghana. Anaerobic digestion is one of the effective ways of generating biogas. Anaerobic digestion is also a reliable method for wastewater treatment and the digestion the effluent can be used as fertilizer to enhance the fertility of the soil. This paper looks at the possibility of constructing a biogas plant at the KNUST sewage treatment plant tapping its feedstock the sludge at the Primary Sedimentation Tank to generate biogas. A laboratory experiment was done to determine the faecal sludge quality. The flowrate of the sludge was estimated based on the number of times the penstocks (valves) are operated to desludge the sewage which also depends on whether the university is on vacation (35.72 m3/day) or in session (71.44 m3/day). These parameters were used to determine the biogas potential of the sewage using 10, 20 and 30 days retention time for plant sizes of 540 m3, 1100m3 and 1600 m3 respectively. It was estimated that 170,719 m3, 341,858 m3 and 419,458 m3 of methane can be produced in a year and the power production was estimated to be 50 kW, 100 kW and 120 kW for the 540 m3, 1100m3 and 1600 m3 digester sizes respectively.

Recycled Water Reuse Permit Renewal Application for the Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, Mike [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2014-09-01

This renewal application for a Recycled Water Reuse Permit is being submitted in accordance with the Idaho Administrative Procedures Act 58.01.17 “Recycled Water Rules” and the Municipal Wastewater Reuse Permit LA-000141-03 for continuing the operation of the Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant located at the Idaho National Laboratory. The permit expires March 16, 2015. The permit requires a renewal application to be submitted six months prior to the expiration date of the existing permit. For the Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant, the renewal application must be submitted by September 16, 2014. The information in this application is consistent with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality’s Guidance for Reclamation and Reuse of Municipal and Industrial Wastewater and discussions with Idaho Department of Environmental Quality personnel.

A REVIEW ON SEWAGE TREATMENT AND POLISHING USING MOVING BED BIOREACTOR (MBBR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JAMAL ALI KAWAN

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Effluent treatment and polishing using moving bed bioreactors (MBBRs are advanced technique in biological treatment operations become increasing widely and popular use all over the world to treat various types of effluents with very different operating status. It is a combination of two separate processes suspended and attached growth systems for the treatment in order to minimize the concentrations of the contaminated parameters at the required level for reuse or final destination. The MBBR has been proved to be effective in great removing biochemical oxygen demand (BOD and chemical oxygen demand (COD with nutrients (N and P from the effluent stream simultaneously. It provides additional capacity of wastewater treatment technology with high treatment efficiency; low capital, operational, maintenance and replacement cost; single reliable and robust operation procedure. This process can be used for new sewage treatment works or for modifying (upgrading existing wastewater treatment plants as it is efficient, compact and easy to operate. The efficiency of MBBR depends on the filling percent of biofilm carriers to be provided inside the tank, surface area of the biocarrier, diffused aeration supply and the organic loading. The aim of this paper is reviewing the sewage treatment and polishing using moving bed bioreactor MBB technology as an alternative and successful method. It presents the advantages of the MBBR compared to conventional waste water treatment. The review also includes many relevant researches carried out at the laboratory andpilot scales plants that could improve these systems by enhancing performance and reducing costs.

Wastewater treatment plant effluent introduces recoverable shifts in microbial community composition in urban streams

Science.gov (United States)

Ledford, S. H.; Price, J. R.; Ryan, M. O.; Toran, L.; Sales, C. M.

2017-12-01

New technologies are allowing for intense scrutiny of the impact of land use on microbial communities in stream networks. We used a combination of analytical chemistry, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and targeted amplicon sequencing for a preliminary study on the impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent discharge on urban streams. Samples were collected on two dates above and below treatment plants on the Wissahickon Creek, and its tributary, Sandy Run, in Montgomery County, PA, USA. As expected, effluent was observed to be a significant source of nutrients and human and non-specific fecal associated taxa. There was an observed increase in the alpha diversity at locations immediately below effluent outflows, which contributed many taxa involved in wastewater treatment processes and nutrient cycling to the stream's microbial community. Unexpectedly, modeling of microbial community shifts along the stream was not controlled by concentrations of measured nutrients. Furthermore, partial recovery, in the form of decreasing abundances of bacteria and nutrients associated with wastewater treatment plant processes, nutrient cycling bacteria, and taxa associated with fecal and sewage sources, was observed between effluent sources. Antecedent moisture conditions impacted overall microbial community diversity, with higher diversity occurring after rainfall. These findings hint at resilience in stream microbial communities to recover from wastewater treatment plant effluent and are vital to understanding the impacts of urbanization on microbial stream communities.

Urban Waste Grease Resource Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiltsee, G.

1999-03-17

This study collected and analyzed data on urban waste grease resources in 30 randomly selected metropolitan areas in the United States. Two major categories (yellow grease feedstock collected from restaurants by rendering companies; and grease trap wastes from restaurants, which can either be pumped into tank trucks for disposal or flow through municipal sewage systems into wastewater treatment plants) were considered in this study.

A biological small sewage treatment plant without outside power supply. Eine biologische Hausklaeranlage ohne Fremdenergie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Renner, H [Technische Univ., Graz (Austria). Inst. fuer Siedlungs- und Industriewasserwirtschaft, Flussbau und Landwirtschaftlichen Wasserbau; Voigtlaender, G [Hochschule fuer Architektur und Bauwesen, Weimar (German Democratic Republic). Wissenschaftsbereich Versorgungsanlagen; Lopp, H [VEB Kombinat Wassertechnik und Projektierung Wasserwirtschaft (KWP), Halle (German Democratic Republic)

1989-07-01

The paper presented deals with the development of a small sewage treatment plant operating without supply of energy. Purification of sewage is achieved in a three-step process: Sedimentation tank, anaerobic reactor and aerobic reactor. The efficiency of the anaerobic reactor - as against the efficiency of a common septic tank - is significantly increased by arranging a number of plates in the reactor, on which anaerobic biomass can grow. Further degradation of sewage compounds and nitrification - also effected by adhering microorganisms - occurs in the aerobic biomass are made of a semipermeable plastic film and arranged in such a way as to ensure simultaneous supply of oxygen needed by aerobic organism. The paper reports the results of investigations under laboratory conditions as well as results - available so far - or investigations in technical scale. (orig.).

Opportunities for co-fermentation of residual products at sewage treatment plant; Moeglichkeiten der Co-Vergaerung von Reststoffen auf Klaeranlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wolter, C.; Rolin, P. [Weber-Ingenieure (Germany); Grothkopp, H. [Linde-KCA-Dresden GmbH (Germany)

1999-07-01

At the Radeberg sewage treatment plant of the local administration union (AZV) 'Obere Roeder', the first entirely joint co-fermentation facility for sewage sludge, organic waste and organic trade waste to have been erected in all Germany went operative. Expected turnover rates and gas yields of the fermentation plant could be attained subject to the concentrations of materials processed during the start-up phase. The advantages of co-fermentation at sewage treatment plant lie in the perfect matching of sewage treatment and sludge digestion on the one hand with organic waste fermentation on the other hand, so that the respective advantages complement each other while the disadvantages are balanced out by the combination. In terms of environmentally compatible, sustainable processing of organic waste and production residues, co-fermentation at sewage treatment plant represents a convenient and economical solution. (orig.) [German] Auf der Klaeranlage des AZV 'Obere Roeder' in Radeberg ist zum ersten Mal in Deutschland eine vollstaendig gemeinsame Covergaerung von Klaerschlamm, Bioabfaellen und gewerblichen organischen Reststoffen in Betrieb gegangen. Erwartete Umsatzleistungen und Gasausbeuten der Vergaerungsanlage konnten entsprechend der erzielten Stoffkonzentrationen in der Inbetriebnahmephase erreicht werden. Die Vorteile der Covergaerung auf Klaeranlagen liegen in der perfekten Abstimmung zwischen Klaeranlage und Klaerschlammfaulung einerseits und der Vergaerung von Bioabfaellen andererseits, so dass sich die Vorteile der jeweiligen Verfahren ergaenzen, bzw. sich die Nachteile durch die Kombination beider Verfahren aufheben. Im Hinblick auf oekologische, nachhaltige Verwertung organischer Abfaelle und Produktionsreststoffe bietet die Covergaerung auf Klaeranlagen eine sinnvolle, sich auch wirtschaftlich rechnende Loesung. (orig.)

Speciation evolution of zinc and copper during pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization treatments of sewage sludges.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Rixiang; Zhang, Bei; Saad, Emily M; Ingall, Ellery D; Tang, Yuanzhi

2018-04-01

Thermal and hydrothermal treatments are promising techniques for sewage sludge management that can potentially facilitate safe waste disposal, energy recovery, and nutrient recovery/recycling. Content and speciation of heavy metals in the treatment products affect the potential environmental risks upon sludge disposal and/or application of the treatment products. Therefore, it is important to study the speciation transformation of heavy metals and the effects of treatment conditions. By combining synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy/microscopy analysis and sequential chemical extraction, this study systematically characterized the speciation of Zn and Cu in municipal sewage sludges and their chars derived from pyrolysis (a representative thermal treatment technique) and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC; a representative hydrothermal treatment technique). Spectroscopy analysis revealed enhanced sulfidation of Zn and Cu by anaerobic digestion and HTC treatments, as compared to desulfidation by pyrolysis. Overall, changes in the chemical speciation and matrix properties led to reduced mobility of Zn and Cu in the treatment products. These results provide insights into the reaction mechanisms during pyrolysis and HTC treatments of sludges and can help evaluate the environmental/health risks associated with the metals in the treatment products. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Speciation evolution of zinc and copper during pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization treatments of sewage sludges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Rixiang; Zhang, Bei; Saad, Emily M.; Ingall, Ellery D.; Tang, Yuanzhi

2018-04-01

Thermal and hydrothermal treatments are promising techniques for sewage sludge management that can potentially facilitate safe waste disposal, energy recovery, and nutrient recovery/recycling. Content and speciation of heavy metals in the treatment products affect the potential environmental risks upon sludge disposal and/or application of the treatment products. Therefore, it is important to study the speciation transformation of heavy metals and the effects of treatment conditions. By combining synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy/microscopy analysis and sequential chemical extraction, this study systematically characterized the speciation of Zn and Cu in municipal sewage sludges and their chars derived from pyrolysis (a representative thermal treatment technique) and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC; a representative hydrothermal treatment technique). Spectroscopy analysis revealed enhanced sulfidation of Zn and Cu by anaerobic digestion and HTC treatments, as compared to desulfidation by pyrolysis. Overall, changes in the chemical speciation and matrix properties led to reduced mobility of Zn and Cu in the treatment products. These results provide insights into the reaction mechanisms during pyrolysis and HTC treatments of sludges and can help evaluate the environmental/health risks associated with the metals in the treatment products.

Sewage discharges and nutrient levels in Marimba River, Zimbabwe ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sewage discharges and nutrient levels in Marimba River, Zimbabwe. ... Population distribution, land-use, industrial activity, urban agricultural ... River, one of the major inflow rivers into the Lake Chivero, Harare city\\'s main water supply source.

Life and death of a sewage treatment plant recorded in a coral skeleton δ15N record.

Science.gov (United States)

Duprey, Nicolas N; Wang, Xingchen T; Thompson, Philip D; Pleadwell, Jeffrey E; Raymundo, Laurie J; Kim, Kiho; Sigman, Daniel M; Baker, David M

2017-07-15

We investigated the potential of coral skeleton δ 15 N (CS-δ 15 N) records for tracking anthropogenic-N sources in coral reef ecosystems. We produced a 56yr-long CS-δ 15 N record (1958-2014) from a reef flat in Guam that has been exposed to varying 1) levels of sewage treatment 2) population density, and 3) land use. Increasing population density (from sewage treatment plant (STP) started operation in 1975. Then, CS-δ 15 N stabilized, despite continued population density and land use changes. Based on population and other considerations, a continued increase in the sewage footprint might have been expected over this time. The stability of CS-δ 15 N, either contradicts this expectation, or indicates that the impacts on the outer reef at the coring site were buffered by the mixing of reef water with the open ocean. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heavy metals availability and soil fertility after land application of sewage sludge on dystroferric Red Latosol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Santos Moreira

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Sewage sludge is the solid residue obtained from urban sewage treatment plants. It is possible to use the sludge in a sustainable way as fertilizer and as soil conditioner due to its high levels of organic matter and nutrients. Besides pathogens and volatile organic compounds, the residue may also contain heavy metals which may accumulate and contaminate crops and the food chain. The aim of this study was evaluates the changes in the fertility of dystrophic Red Latosol and in the availability of heavy metals following application of sewage sludge. It was assessed whether organic matter supplied to the soil as large amounts of sewage sludge would decrease availability of heavy metals in the soil due to of insoluble compounds formation. From this, an experiment was carried out in polyethylene pots using lettuce plant for test. Sewage sludge were applied to the soil in concentrations equivalent to 60, 120 and 180 t ha-1, and a control without sludge, in four replicates, in a completely randomized design. The results show that sewage sludge led to an increase of organic matter contents, of the cation exchange capacity (CEC and of nutrients found in the soil. It also improved plant growth up to a concentration of 120 t ha-1. Availability of heavy metals, however, was reduced in sludge concentrations starting with 120 t ha-1.

Sewage treatment processes: The methodology for the resort communities; Tecnologias de Depuracion: la metodologia de seleccion para poblaciones turisticas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nieves de la Vega, G.; Kovacs, Z. [AQUA/PLAN, S.A. (Spain)

1995-06-01

The selection of adequate sewage treatment processes for resort communities has to be based upon a detailed knowledge of the characteristics of sewerage discharges. In order to define a methodology, the most representative variables such as climatology, seasonal variation, required treatment efficiency, sewage characteristics and availability of land, are identified. A wide range of available treatment processes is defined and the relationship between variables and priority criteria is analysed. Finally, a decision-diagram allowing the selection of the most adequate treatment process in each particular case is presented. The methodology is applied to mountain resort communities. (Author)

REEMISSION OF MERCURY COMPOUNDS FROM SEWAGE SLUDGE DISPOSAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beata Janowska

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The sewage sludge disposal and cultivation methods consist in storage, agricultural use, compost production, biogas production or heat treatment. The sewage sludge production in municipal sewage sludge treatment plants in year 2013 in Poland amounted to 540.3 thousand Mg d.m. The sewage sludge for agricultural or natural use must satisfy chemical, sanitary and environmental safety requirements. The heavy metal content, including the mercury content, determines the sewage sludge disposal method. Mercury has a high chemical activity and biological form compounds with different properties. The properties of the mercury present in sewage sludge or composts, its potential bioavailability depend on its physicochemical forms. Different forms of mercury, which are found in soil and sediments and sewage sludge, may be determined using various techniques sequential extraction. In order to assess the bioavailability the analysis of fractional of mercury in samples of sewage sludge and composts was made. For this purpose the analytical procedure based on a four sequential extraction process was applied. Mercury fractions were classified as exchangeable (EX, base soluble (BS, acids soluble (AS and oxidizable (OX. This article presents the research results on the mercury compounds contents in sewage sludge subjected to drying process, combustion and in composted sewage sludge. During drying and combustion process of the sewage sludge, mercury transforms into volatile forms that could be emitted into the atmosphere. The mercury fractionation in composted sewage sludge proved that mercury in compost occurs mainly in an organic fraction and in a residual fraction that are scarce in the environment.

Sustainability of Domestic Sewage Sludge Disposal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Bruna Rizzardini

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Activated sludge is now one of the most widely used biological processes for the treatment of wastewaters from medium to large populations. It produces high amounts of sewage sludge that can be managed and perceived in two main ways: as a waste it is discharged in landfill, as a fertilizer it is disposed in agriculture with direct application to soil or subjected to anaerobic digestion and composting. Other solutions, such as incineration or production of concrete, bricks and asphalt play a secondary role in terms of their degree of diffusion. The agronomical value of domestic sewage sludge is a proved question, which may be hidden by the presence of several pollutants such as heavy metals, organic compounds and pathogens. In this way, the sustainability of sewage sludge agricultural disposal requires a value judgment based on knowledge and evaluation of the level of pollution of both sewage sludge and soil. The article analyzed a typical Italian case study, a water management system of small communities, applying the criteria of evaluation of the last official document of European Union about sewage sludge land application, the “Working Document on Sludge (3rd draft, 2000”. The report brought out good sewage sludge from small wastewater treatment plants and soils quality suggesting a sustainable application.

{sup 1}H qNMR and chemometric analyses of urban wastewater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alves Filho, Elenilson G.; Silva, Lorena M. A.; Venâncio, Tiago; Carneiro, Renato L.; Ferreira, Antonio G., E-mail: elenilson.godoy@yahoo.com.br [Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP (Brazil). Departamento de Química; Sartori, Luci [Serviço Autônomo de Água e Esgoto de São Carlos (SAAE), São Carlos, SP (Brazil)

2015-07-01

The industrial development, urbanization and agriculture play a major role in the degradation of the global environmental. Thus, the wastewater treatments need to be monitored continuously to ensure efficient operation. This manuscript presents an application of {sup 1}H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) associated with chemometric and quantitative analyses to study the wastewater before and after the sewage treatment plant (STP). The concentration of compounds related to organic matter degradation ranged with treatment and seasonality. Anomalous discharges and the influence of storm water on the sewage composition were further identified. All the variations indicated that the employed procedure might be useful to enhance the effectiveness of STPs, plan prevention actions for equipment protection and preserve the environment. (author)

Faecal coliform simulation on sewage discharge for an environmentally sustainable township in Medini Iskandar Johor Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Teh, Su Yean; Koh, Hock Lye; Lee, Elizabeth; Woo, Wing Thye; Tan, Wai Kiat

2017-11-01

The Medini Iskandar Development is a 2300-acre multi-purpose urban development comprising residential, commercial, educational, business and recreational areas. The developer applied to the Department of Environment (DOE) Johor in July 2008 for approval of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the overall Medini development. A conditional approval of the EIA report was granted by the DOE subject to some conditions, one of which stipulated that sewage effluent from the centralized sewage treatment plant (STP) is not permitted to be discharged into Sungai Pendas. A suitable location for the discharge of sewage into the Selat Johor is to be identified, based on a hydraulic and water quality modelling investigation. This modelling investigation aims to assess the impact of the discharge of treated sewage effluent on the marine water quality and on aquatic life in the Selat Johor. The supplementary EIA report was submitted to the DOE. Approval was granted in December 2011 for the construction of the marine sewage outfall and its operations. This paper presents the sampling and simulation results for key hydraulic and environmental parameters suitable for sustaining acceptable faecal coliform criteria in Selat Johor. Simulation models used include WASP7 developed by USEPA and AQUASEA developed by Vatnaskil Consulting Engineers.

Sewage pollution in Negril, Jamaica: effects on nutrition and ecology of coral reef macroalgae

Science.gov (United States)

Lapointe, B. E.; Thacker, K.; Hanson, C.; Getten, L.

2011-07-01

Coral reefs in the Negril Marine Park (NMP), Jamaica, have been increasingly impacted by nutrient pollution and macroalgal blooms following decades of intensive development as a major tourist destination. A baseline survey of DIN and SRP concentrations, C:N:P and stable nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) of abundant reef macroalgae on shallow and deep reefs of the NMP in 1998 showed strong P-limitation and evidence of increasing sewage pollution. In 1999, a sewage collection and treatment project began diverting wastewater from the resort and urban areas to a pond system that discharged partially-treated effluent into the South Negril River (SNR). These sewage discharges significantly increased concentrations of NH{4/+} and SRP (N:P ˜13) in the SNR, which flows into Long Bay and around Negril's "West End". Concentrations of SRP, the primary limiting nutrient, were higher on shallow reefs of the West End in 2001 compared to 1998. Stable nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) of abundant reef macroalgae on both shallow and deep reefs of the West End in 2002 were significantly higher than baseline values in 1998, indicating an escalating impact of sewage nitrogen pollution over this timeframe. The increased nutrient concentrations and δ15N enrichment of reef macroalgae correlated with blooms of the chlorophyte Chaetomorpha linum in shallow waters of Long Bay and Codium isthmocladum and Caulerpa cupressoides on deep reefs of the West End. Sewage treatment systems adjacent to coral reefs must include nutrient removal to ensure that DIN and SRP concentrations, after dilution, are below the low thresholds noted for these oligotrophic ecosystems.

Evaluation of potentially inorganic toxic substances in sewage from treatment plants of the metropolitan region of Campinas by SR-TXRF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreira, Silvana; Broleze, Silvana Turolla

2013-01-01

The increased production of sludge is a consequence of the growth of the volume of treated sewage and of the number of Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) in Brazil and, it has demanded the search of alternatives for its final disposal. Amongst the some alternatives of disposal, the agricultural use is viable, a time that the sewage is rich in organic substances, macro and micronutrients necessary to the soil fertility. However, the illegal industrial releases at public sewage may contain the presence of elements that cause harm to human health and the environment as Pb, Hg, Cd, Cr and Se. This work evaluated the potentially inorganic toxic substances in the sewage, previously dried, of the STP Camanducaia in Jaguariuna city; Village Flora in Sumare city; Praia Azul and Carioba in Americana city; Samambaia, Anhumas, Picarrao and Barao Geraldo in Campinas city, SP, employing the Synchrotron Radiation Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (SR-TXRF). The sewage of Treatment Plants of the Metropolitan Region of Campinas take care of CONAMA 375/06 legislation. However, so that it can be commercialized as fertilizing or conditioning of soils, it must take care of to Normative Instruction 27/06, needing to reduce the contents of Ni and Cr. One of the alternatives would be a bigger supervising in the generating sources, in order to improve the quality of the tributary of the stations, being adjusted the sewage to the Brazilian legislations. (author)

Evaluation of potentially inorganic toxic substances in sewage from treatment plants of the metropolitan region of Campinas by SR-TXRF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreira, Silvana; Broleze, Silvana Turolla, E-mail: silvana@fec.unicamp.br [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (FEC/UNICAMP), Campinas, SP (Brazil). Dept. de Saneamento e Ambiente

2013-07-01

The increased production of sludge is a consequence of the growth of the volume of treated sewage and of the number of Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) in Brazil and, it has demanded the search of alternatives for its final disposal. Amongst the some alternatives of disposal, the agricultural use is viable, a time that the sewage is rich in organic substances, macro and micronutrients necessary to the soil fertility. However, the illegal industrial releases at public sewage may contain the presence of elements that cause harm to human health and the environment as Pb, Hg, Cd, Cr and Se. This work evaluated the potentially inorganic toxic substances in the sewage, previously dried, of the STP Camanducaia in Jaguariuna city; Village Flora in Sumare city; Praia Azul and Carioba in Americana city; Samambaia, Anhumas, Picarrao and Barao Geraldo in Campinas city, SP, employing the Synchrotron Radiation Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (SR-TXRF). The sewage of Treatment Plants of the Metropolitan Region of Campinas take care of CONAMA 375/06 legislation. However, so that it can be commercialized as fertilizing or conditioning of soils, it must take care of to Normative Instruction 27/06, needing to reduce the contents of Ni and Cr. One of the alternatives would be a bigger supervising in the generating sources, in order to improve the quality of the tributary of the stations, being adjusted the sewage to the Brazilian legislations. (author)

Electrodialytic recovery of phosphorus from chemically precipitated sewage sludge ashes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parés Viader, Raimon; Jensen, Pernille Erland; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.

Phosphorus scarcity requires improved recover and reuse of urban sources; the recycling of this nutrient from sewage sludge has become increasingly important in the last years. Using an innovative electrodialytic process, the present study shows the potential for P separation from Fe and Al...... precipitated sewage sludge ash using this technique, with a recovery rate of around 70%. Furthermore, heavy metals were removed from the phosphorous fraction, producing a pure and safe phosphorus source in the end....

Electrodialytic recovery of phosphorus from chemically precipitated sewage sludge ashes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Viader, Raimon Parés; Erland Jensen, Pernille; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.

Phosphorus scarcity requires improved recover and reuse of urban sources; the recycling of this nutrient from sewage sludge has become increasingly important in the last years. Using an innovative electrodialytic process, the present study shows the potential for P separation from Fe and Al...... precipitated sewage sludge ash using this technique, with a recovery rate of around 70%. Furthermore, heavy metals were removed from the phosphorous fraction, producing a pure and safe phosphorus source in the end...

THE ANALYSIS OF THE SEWAGE QUANTITY DISCHARGING FROM THE SEWERAGE AGGLOMERATION IN SANOK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Młyńska

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Both too large and too small volume of sewage inflowing to wastewater treatment plant in relation to its volume determined during designing process, can contribute to the reduction of sewage treatment effectiveness. Taking into consideration, in this article, the analysis of the sewage quantity discharging from the Sanok agglomeration and treated in domestic wastewater treatment plant in 2013-2015 was performed. The analysis indicated that in each year of the analyzed period, to the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Trepcza, a similar volumes of sewage was inflowing and the maximum hydraulic capacity of the object was not exceeded, what is evidenced by the average daily sewage flow values. It is noted that in rainless periods, the quantities of inflowing sewage were smaller than during days with wet weather. Despite of periodically situations of the hydraulic overload and hydraulic underload, it can be stated that the effectiveness of the sewage treatment processes is not endangered by the excessive or insufficient quantities of inflowing sewage.

Comprehensive evaluation of the main technology for new sewage treatment plants in small towns along the Duliujian river basin

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yiming; Zhou, Beihai; Yuan, Rongfang; Bao, Xiangming; Li, Dongwei

2018-02-01

In recent years, water contamination problem has been becoming more and more serious due to increasing wastewater discharge. So our country has accelerated the pace of constructing sewage treatment plant in small towns. But in China it has not been issued any corresponding technical specifications about the choice of treatment technology. So the article is based on the basin of Duliujian river, through field research, data collection and analysis of relevant documentations, preliminarily elects seven kinds of technology: Improved A2/O, Integrated oxidation ditch, Orbal oxidation ditch, CASS, A/O+refined diatomite, BIOLAK and UNITANK as alternatives for Tianjin sewage discharge local standard.Then the article use the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to evaluate the seven kinds of alternatives, finally it is concluded that CASS technology is most suitable for the main technology of new sewage treatment plants in small towns along the Duliujian River basin.

Characterization, treatment and releases of PBDEs and PAHs in a typical municipal sewage treatment plant situated beside an urban river, East China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaowei; Xi, Beidou; Huo, Shouliang; Sun, Wenjun; Pan, Hongwei; Zhang, Jingtian; Ren, Yuqing; Liu, Hongliang

2013-07-01

Characterization, treatment and releases of eight polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) congeners and sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wastewater were evaluated along the treatment processes of a typical secondary treatment municipal sewage treatment plant (STP) (in Hefei City) situated the beside Nanfei River, East China. The findings showed that the average concentrations of the total PBDEs in raw wastewater and treated effluent were 188.578 and 36.884 ng/L respectively. Brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) 209 congener, the predominant PBDE in the STP and Nanfei River, could be related to the discharge of car-industry-derived wastes. For PAHs, the average concentrations in raw wastewater and treated effluent were 5758.8 and 2240.4 ng/L respectively, with naphthalene, benzo[a]pyrene and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene being detected at the highest concentrations. PAHs mainly originate from the combustion of biomass/coal and petroleum. The STP reduced about 80% of the PBDEs and 61% of the PAHs, which were eliminated mainly by sedimentation processes. The removal rates of PBDEs/PAHs increased with the increase of their solid-water partitioning coefficients. Accordingly, the STP's effluent, containing some PBDE congeners (e.g., BDE 47, 99 and 209, etc.) and low-molecular-weight PAHs, could be an important contributor of these contaminants' input to Nanfei River. It resulted in a significant increase of PBDE/PAH concentrations and PAH toxicological risk in the river water downstream. About 4.040 kg/yr of PBDEs and 245.324 kg/yr of PAHs could be released into the Nanfei River. The current conventional wastewater treatment processes should be improved to remove the relatively low-molecular-weight PBDEs/PAHs more effectively.

The Microbiota and Abundance of the Class 1 Integron-Integrase Gene in Tropical Sewage Treatment Plant Influent and Activated Sludge.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magna C Paiva

Full Text Available Bacteria are assumed to efficiently remove organic pollutants from sewage in sewage treatment plants, where antibiotic-resistance genes can move between species via mobile genetic elements known as integrons. Nevertheless, few studies have addressed bacterial diversity and class 1 integron abundance in tropical sewage. Here, we describe the extant microbiota, using V6 tag sequencing, and quantify the class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1 in raw sewage (RS and activated sludge (AS. The analysis of 1,174,486 quality-filtered reads obtained from RS and AS samples revealed complex and distinct bacterial diversity in these samples. The RS sample, with 3,074 operational taxonomic units, exhibited the highest alpha-diversity indices. Among the 25 phyla, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes represented 85% (AS and 92% (RS of all reads. Increased relative abundance of Micrococcales, Myxococcales, and Sphingobacteriales and reduced pathogen abundance were noted in AS. At the genus level, differences were observed for the dominant genera Simplicispira and Diaphorobacter (AS as well as for Enhydrobacter (RS. The activated sludge process decreased (55% the amount of bacteria harboring the intI1 gene in the RS sample. Altogether, our results emphasize the importance of biological treatment for diminishing pathogenic bacteria and those bearing the intI1 gene that arrive at a sewage treatment plant.

Experience with a pilot plant for the irradiation of sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosopulo, A.; Fiedler, I.; Staerk, H.; Suess, A.; Technische Univ. Muenchen

1975-01-01

Analyses of mineral nutrients and trace elements in sewage sludge over a one year period showed that there are relatively small differences in the content of inorganic constituents. In relation to sewage sludge treatment we found a change in the ratio of NH 4 -N : total N after a heat treatment; this means that the ammonium content increased in 70% of the analysed samples compared to untreated sludge. After radiation treatment of sewage sludge no change can be observed up to a pH of 8. With an increase of the pH-value (>= 8) losses of NH- 4 N can be observed. During the dewatering process of sewage sludge - which is influenced by sewage sludge treatment -, potassium, sodium and ammonium are enriched in the filtering water. While there is a decrease of these alkali elements in the dewatered sewage sludge, nearly no change in the other components can be observed. Studying the availability of mineral compounds and trace elements to plants, results are presented of inorganic nutrients and essential or toxic trace elements of sewage sludge and plants. (orig.) [de

A 1-Year Quantitative Survey of Noro-, Adeno-, Human Boca-, and Hepatitis E Viruses in Raw and Secondarily Treated Sewage from Two Plants in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Myrmel, M; Lange, H; Rimstad, E

2015-09-01

A study of enteric viruses in raw and treated sewage from two secondary treatment plants, which received sewage from Oslo city (plant A) and small municipalities in Hedmark county in Norway (plant B), showed high levels of noro-, adeno-, and bocavirus throughout the year. A seasonal variation was observed for adeno- and GII norovirus with higher levels during winter and bocavirus that had more positive samples during winter. The virus concentrations in raw sewage were comparable in the two plants, with medians (log10 genome copies per liter) of 6.1, 6.3, 6.0, and 4.5 for noro GI, noro GII, adeno-, and bocavirus, respectively. The level of hepatitis E virus was not determined as it was below the limit of quantification. The mean log10 virus reduction was 0.55 (plant A) and 1.44 (plant B) with the highest reduction found in the plant with longer hydraulic retention time. The adenoviruses were dominantly serotype 41, while serotype 12 appeared sporadically. Of the 102 raw and treated sewage samples that were tested, eight were positive for hepatitis E virus of which four were from treated sewage. Two of the four obtained gene sequences from hepatitis E virus originated from the rural sewage samples and showed high similarity with a genotype 3 strain of hepatitis E virus detected in local piglets. Two other hepatitis E virus sequences obtained from urban sewage samples showed high similarities with genotype 3 strains isolated from urban sewage in Spain and a human genotype 1 isolate from India. The study gives information on the levels of noroviruses in raw and treated sewage, which is valuable to risk assessment, information indicating that some infections with hepatitis E viruses in Norway have a regional origin and that human bocavirus 2 and 3 are prevalent in the Norwegian population.

The occurrence and removal of selected pharmaceutical compounds in a sewage treatment works utilising activated sludge treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, O.A.H. [Institute of Environmental Policy, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Voulvoulis, N. [Institute of Environmental Policy, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Lester, J.N. [School of Water Sciences, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: j.lester@cranfield.ac.uk

2007-02-15

Pharmaceutical substances have been detected in sewage effluents as well as receiving waters in many parts of the world. In this study, the occurrence and removal of a number of drug compounds were studied within a large sewage treatment plant in the south of England. Samples were processed using solid phase extraction and analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results demonstrate that ibuprofen, paracetamol, salbutamol and mefenamic acid were present in both the influent and effluent of the works while propranolol-HCl was not found above the limit of quantification in any sample. Elimination rates were circa 90% for each compound but several hundred nanograms per litre were still present in the final effluent. - This report looks at the occurrence and removal rates of drugs in English wastewater.

The occurrence and removal of selected pharmaceutical compounds in a sewage treatment works utilising activated sludge treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, O.A.H.; Voulvoulis, N.; Lester, J.N.

2007-01-01

Pharmaceutical substances have been detected in sewage effluents as well as receiving waters in many parts of the world. In this study, the occurrence and removal of a number of drug compounds were studied within a large sewage treatment plant in the south of England. Samples were processed using solid phase extraction and analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results demonstrate that ibuprofen, paracetamol, salbutamol and mefenamic acid were present in both the influent and effluent of the works while propranolol-HCl was not found above the limit of quantification in any sample. Elimination rates were circa 90% for each compound but several hundred nanograms per litre were still present in the final effluent. - This report looks at the occurrence and removal rates of drugs in English wastewater

Sewage sludge - What can be done with it?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beurer, P.; Geering, F.

2002-01-01

This article presents a review of the state-of-the-art in the disposal of the sewage sludge that is left over after treatment of wastewater. Also, developments over the past ten years both in market structures and in legislation are discussed and future developments are reviewed. On account of legislation and political influences on the market, the thermal exploitation of sewage sludge is looked at in depth. The ecological and economic aspects of sewage sludge disposal are examined and the costs of different methods of sewage sludge treatment are compared. Various methods of disposal including dumping, composting, incineration in cement ovens, coal-fired power stations and waste incineration facilities are discussed, as is burning in special sludge incineration plant. A prognosis is made on the development of sewage sludge quantities for Germany, Switzerland and Austria over the next years

Sanitizing effects of sewage sludge irradiation treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Yongfu

2005-01-01

A large quantity of pathogenic organisms were found in sewage sludge. An investigation was carried out on the relationship in the chain of sludge-soil-vegetable between the survival of pathogenic organisms and the irradiation dosage. After irradiation with 5-6 kGy, coliform group reduced 3 log cycles, and ascarid ova were completely eliminated with a dose of 1 kGy, making the water matched the standard quality of irrigating water. In the soil applied with irradiated sewage sludge, the total bacteria and coliforms group count reduced to one tenth, and alive ascarid ova was not detected. The coliform group on the Chinese cabbage was extremely low and reached the standard of fresh eating. (authors)

Removal of emerging contaminants in sewage water subjected to advanced oxidation with ozone.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibáñez, M; Gracia-Lor, E; Bijlsma, L; Morales, E; Pastor, L; Hernández, F

2013-09-15

Advanced oxidation processes (AOP) based on ozone treatments, assisted by ultrasounds, have been investigated at a pilot-plant scale in order to evaluate the removal of emerging contaminants in sewage water. Around 60 emerging contaminants, mainly pharmaceuticals from different therapeutically classes and drugs of abuse, have been determined in urban wastewater samples (treated and untreated) by LC-MS/MS. In a first step, the removal efficiency of these contaminants in conventional sewage water treatment plants was evaluated. Our results indicate that most of the compounds were totally or partially removed during the treatment process of influent wastewater. Up to 30 contaminants were quantified in the influent and effluent samples analysed, being antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, cholesterol lowering statin drugs and angiotensin II receptor antagonists the most frequently detected. Regarding drugs of abuse, cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine were the most frequent. In a second step, the effectiveness of AOP in the removal of emerging contaminants remaining in the effluent was evaluated. Ozone treatments have been proven to be highly efficient in the removal, notably decreasing the concentrations for most of the emerging contaminants present in the water samples. The use of ultrasounds, alone or assisting ozone treatments, has been shown less effective, being practically unnecessary. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 4 Sequences Detected in Sewage from Treatment Plants of China

OpenAIRE

Li, Heng; Li, Wei; She, Ruiping; Yu, Liang; Wu, Qiaoxing; Yang, Jingling; Hu, Fengjiao; Soomro, Majid Hussain; Shi, Ruihan; Hao, Wenzhuo; Zhao, Yue; Mao, Jingjing

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in sewage samples in Shen Zhen, China. Sewage samples were collected from 152 sewage plants including livestock sewage, domestic sewage and treated sewage from May to July of 2015. Two of 152 samples were HEV positive (1.32%) from the livestock sewage plants. Partial ORF2 fragments of HEV were sequenced and a phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA5.1. Blast and phylogenetic analyses showed that both of th...

Radiation treatment of organic substances which are difficult to decompose for utilizing sewage water again. Radiation decomposition of lignin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekiguchi, Masayuki; Sawai, Taruko; Tanabe, Hiroko

1996-01-01

The sewerage model projects utilizing sewage-treated water and the sewerage model project for the future city executed in Tokyo are described. It is important to obtain the treated water which is suitable to purposes by setting up the target for control and reducing the organic contamination which is difficult to decompose. In fiscal year 1995, as to the decomposing treatment of lignin by radiation, the effect of reducing coloring and the influence when actual flowing-in sewage and treated water coexist were examined. The experimental samples were lignin aqueous solution, synthetic sewage and flowing-in sewage, treated water, and the mixture of treated water and synthetic sewage. The measurement of water quality is explained. The γ ray irradiation with a Co-60 source was carried out. The results of respective samples are reported. When total organic carbon was at the level in flowing-in sewage and treated water, irradiation was effective for eliminating coloring. The soluble organic substances which are difficult to decompose were efficiently decomposed by irradiation. (K.I.)

Research on Performance and Microstructure of Sewage Pipe Mortar Strengthened with Different Anti-Corrosion Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Song; Zhou, Huaxin; Shi, Liang; Liu, Jianzhong; Cai, Jingshun; Wang, Feng

2017-10-01

Mostly urban underground sewage is the acidic corrosion environment with a high concentration of aggressive ions and microbe, which resulted in performance deterioration and service-life decrease of sewage concrete pipe. In order to effectively protect durability of the concrete pipe, the present paper briefly analysed the main degradation mechanism of concrete pipe attacked by urban underground sewage, and proposed that using penetrating and strengthening surface sealer based on inorganic chemistry. In addition, using index of compressive strength, weight loss and appearance level to investigate the influence of the sealer on corrosion resistance of mortar samples after different dry-wet cycles. Besides, comparative research on effect of the sealer, aluminate cement and admixture of corrosion resistance was also addressed. At last, the SEM technology was used to reveal the improvement mechanism of different technologies of corrosion resistance. The results indicated that the sealer and aluminate cement can significantly improve corrosion resistance of mortar. Besides, the improvement effect can be described as the descending order: the penetrating and strengthening surface sealer > aluminate cement > admixture of corrosion resistance. The mortar sample treated with the sealer displayed the condensed and sound microstructure which proved that the sealer can improve the corrosion resistance to urban underground sewage.

ASSESSMENT OF ESTROGENIC ACTIVITY IN EFFLUENTS FROM SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS IN THE UNITED STATES

Science.gov (United States)

Newly developed molecular biology methods have been used for the measurement of estrogenic activity in source-biased studies of sewage treatment plants. Studies in Texas and New Mexico have shown the utility of the measurement of changes in vitellogenin gene expression in fathea...

Sewage sludge disposal in Austria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, F.

1997-01-01

Sewage systems serve about 70% of the Austrian population, producing 6 million m 3 of sewage sludge per year with a dry matter content of 4-5%. At present about 52% of this sludge is disposed of in land fills, 33% is incinerated, and only about 15 % is used in agriculture. Although agricultural utilization is becoming increasingly important, several problems, especially those related to public opinion, need to be resolved before increased use will be possible. In this paper, wastewater treatment and sewage-sludge production in Austria, and problems associated with sludge disposal are discussed. (author)

Ensuring sustainable development through urban planing in pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qasim, M.; Zaidi, S.S.U.

2013-01-01

Urban planning includes land use management and environmental change. It makes arrangement for community facilities and services. Since, sustainable development has been included as a vital end product of all planning goals it also provides for balanced use of land, housing and transportation and better quality of life. Present urban planning in Pakistan is not ensuring sustainable development in Pakistan. This is tested through the case study of master planning in Rawalpindi and its implementation through housing schemes in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Large portions of provisions of master plans are not implemented. This paper explains how the urban planning will be made enabled to ensure sustainable development in Pakistan. Six numbers of housing schemes and two squatter settlements have been surveyed through questionnaires, secondary data, the opinions of the experts from related fields and site observations. Amenities and social services at far distance, very less green area, Less quantity and bad quality of water, absence of comprehensive solid waste management and sewage disposal system and non- treatment of solid waste, effluent and sewage, prevalent unhygienic conditions and air and water pollution are the existing factors effecting the sustainability. There is a need to revisit the urban planning and a comprehensive Urban and Environment Planning Law at national level and at provincial level is recommended to enable the urban planning to ensure the sustainable development in Pakistan. (author)

Nitrous oxide emissions in the Shanghai river network: implications for the effects of urban sewage and IPCC methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zhongjie; Deng, Huanguang; Wang, Dongqi; Ye, Mingwu; Tan, Yongjie; Li, Yangjie; Chen, Zhenlou; Xu, Shiyuan

2013-10-01

Global nitrogen (N) enrichment has resulted in increased nitrous oxide (N(2)O) emission that greatly contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone destruction, but little is known about the N(2)O emissions from urban river networks receiving anthropogenic N inputs. We examined N(2)O saturation and emission in the Shanghai city river network, covering 6300 km(2), over 27 months. The overall mean saturation and emission from 87 locations was 770% and 1.91 mg N(2)O-N m(-2) d(-1), respectively. Nitrous oxide (N(2)O) saturation did not exhibit a clear seasonality, but the temporal pattern was co-regulated by both water temperature and N loadings. Rivers draining through urban and suburban areas receiving more sewage N inputs had higher N(2)O saturation and emission than those in rural areas. Regression analysis indicated that water ammonium (NH(4)(+)) and dissolved oxygen (DO) level had great control on N(2)O production and were better predictors of N(2)O emission in urban watershed. About 0.29 Gg N(2)O-N yr(-1) N(2)O was emitted from the Shanghai river network annually, which was about 131% of IPCC's prediction using default emission values. Given the rapid progress of global urbanization, more study efforts, particularly on nitrification and its N(2)O yielding, are needed to better quantify the role of urban rivers in global riverine N(2)O emission. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Thermoradiation treatment of sewage sludge using reactor waste fission products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, M.C.; Hagengruber, R.L.; Zuppero, A.C.

1974-06-01

The hazards to public health associated with the application of municipal sewage sludge to land usage are reviewed to establish the need for disinfection of sludge prior to its distribution as a fertilizer, especially in the production of food and fodder. The use of ionizing radiation in conjunction with mild heating is shown to be an effective disinfection treatment and an economical one when reactor waste fission products are utilized. A program for researching and experimental demonstration of the process on sludges is also outlined

Applying Ionizing Radiation for the Treatment of Sewage Sludge for Reuse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elammari, M.; Mashai, M.; Dehmani, K.; Abokhabta, S.; Akrim, M.

2004-01-01

The increased waste production by human activities world wide raised the problem of how to get red of this waste which cause undesirable impact on human and the surrounding environment. Sewage sludge generally contains high concentrations of pathogens even after digestion or after treating with other conventional methods. This paper brings to light the radiation treatment of sludge by ionizing radiation as a simple and reliable process for sludge disinfection and also the effect of Gamma radiation on sludge characteristics and heavy metals which exist in the sludge. Samples of moist sludge were brought from Elhadba Elkhadra waste water treatment plant, the main sewage water treatment plant in the City of Tripoli; they were collected in sterile plastic bags from different locations. Samples were then irradiated using gamma irradiator at Tajura Research Centre with a dose rate of 10 Gy/min, using a Co60 Gamma irradiator. They received a dose ranged between 0 -5 kGy with an increment of 1 kGy. Microorganisms are damaged when exposed to gamma radiation and the extent of damage is proportional to the radiation dose absorbed by the organism. Gamma irradiation greatly reduced the pathogen density in the investigated samples, as the 5 kGy dose was sufficient to terminate the total bacterial count for all microorganisms. A 3 kGy was only needed to demolish Enterobacter ease, Total coliform and Fecal coliform, whereas spore forming needed a dose of 4 kGy for complete elimination. (authors)

Submersible microbial fuel cell for electricity production from sewage sludge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Yifeng; Olias, Lola Gonzalez; Kongjan, Prawit

2010-01-01

A submersible microbial fuel cell (SMFC) was utilized to treatment of sewage sludge and simultaneous generate electricity. Stable power generation (145±5 mW/m2) was produced continuously from raw sewage sludge for 5.5 days. The corresponding total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal efficiency...... of an effective system to treatment of sewage sludge and simultaneous recover energy....

Removal of two polycyclic musks in sewage treatment plants: Freely dissolved and total concentrations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Artola-Garicano, E.; Borkent, I.; Hermens, J.L.M.; Vaes, W.H.J.

2003-01-01

In the current study, the removal of slowly degradable hydrophobic chemicals in sewage treatment plants (STPs) has been evaluated with emphasis on the combination of free and total concentration data. Free and total concentrations of two polycyclic musks were determined in each compartment of four

The exploitation of swamp plants for dewatering liquid sewage sludge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiří Šálek

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The operators of little rural wastewater treatment plants have been interested in economic exploitation of sewage sludge in local conditions. The chance is searching simply and natural ways of processing and exploitation stabilized sewage sludge in agriculture. Manure substrate have been obtained by composting waterless sewage sludge including rest plant biomass after closing 6–8 years period of filling liquid sewage sludge to the basin. Main attention was focused on exploitation of swamp plants for dewatering liquid sewage sludge and determination of influence sewage sludge on plants, intensity and course of evapotranspiration and design and setting of drying beds. On the base of determined ability of swamp plants evapotranspiration were edited suggestion solutions of design and operation sludge bed facilities in the conditions of small rural wastewater treatment plant.

Electrokinetic extraction of surfactants and heavy metals from sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferri, Violetta; Ferro, Sergio; Martinez-Huitle, Carlos A.; De Battisti, Achille

2009-01-01

Waste management represents a quite serious problem involving aspects of remediation technologies and potential re-utilization in different fields of human activities. Of course, wastes generated in industrial activities deserve more attention because of the nature and amount of xenobiotic components, often difficult to be eliminated. However, also ordinary wastes of urban origin are drawing more and more attention, depending on the concentration of noxious substances like surfactants and some heavy metal, which may eventually require expensive disposal. In the present paper, a research has been carried out on the application of electrokinetic treatments for the abatement of the above xenobiotic components from sewage sludge generated in urban wastewater treatment plants. Experiments were carried out on a laboratory scale, in a 250 mm x 50 mm x 100 mm cell, using 250-300 g of sludge for each test and current densities between 2.4 and 5.7 mA cm -2 . As a general result, quite significant abatements of heavy-metal ions and surfactants were achieved, with relatively low energy consumption

Tracking persistent pharmaceutical residues from municipal sewage to drinking water

Science.gov (United States)

Heberer, Thomas

2002-09-01

In urban areas such as Berlin (Germany) with high municipal sewage water discharges and low surface water flows there is a potential risk of drinking water contamination by polar organic compounds when groundwater recharge is used in drinking water production. Thus, some pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) are not eliminated completely in the municipal sewage treatment plants (STPs) and they are discharged as contaminants into the receiving waters. In terms of several monitoring studies carried out in Berlin between 1996 and 2000, PhACs such as clofibric acid, diclofenac, ibuprofen, propyphenazone, primidone and carbamazepine were detected at individual concentrations up to the μg/l-level in influent and effluent samples from STPs and in all surface water samples collected downstream from the STPs. Under recharge conditions, several compounds were also found at individual concentrations up to 7.3 μg/l in samples collected from groundwater aquifers near to contaminated water courses. A few of the PhACs were also identified at the ng/l-level in Berlin tap water samples.

Field-scale electrolysis/ceramic membrane system for the treatment of sewage from decentralized small communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Dong-Jin; Kim, Woo-Yeol; Yun, Chan-Young; Kim, Dae-Gun; Chang, Duk; Sunwoo, Young; Hong, Ki-Ho

2017-07-05

The electrolysis process adopting copper electrodes and ceramic membrane with pore sizes of 0.1-0.2 μm were consisted to a system for the treatment of sewage from decentralized small communities. The system was operated under an HRT of 0.1 hour, voltage of 24 V, and TMP of 0.05 MPa. The system showed average removals of organics, nitrogen, phosphorus, and solids of up to 80%, 52%, 92%, and 100%, respectively. Removal of organics and nitrogen dramatically increased in proportion to increment of influent loading. Phosphorus and solids were remarkably eliminated by both electro-coagulation and membrane filtration. The residual particulate constituents could also be removed successfully through membrane process. A system composed of electrolysis process with ceramic membrane would be a compact, reliable, and flexible option for the treatment of sewage from decentralized small communities.

Environmental consequences of the flooding of the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant during Superstorm Sandy.

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, R Lawrence; Wilson, Robert; Brownawell, Bruce; Willig, Kaitlin

2017-08-15

Failure of the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) during Superstorm Sandy led to adverse effects in the waters of Hempstead Bay, Long Island, NY. These appear to be related to large discharges of partially treated sewage through its primary and auxiliary outfalls. Modeled dilution discharges indicate that sewage infiltrated the bay, remaining up to 10days. Water column impacts included salinity and dissolved oxygen declines, and biological oxygen demand and nitrogen concentration increases. While the STP does not appear to have released fecal coliform, there were elevated levels of enterococci within the bay for a considerable period following the storm, probably from multiple sources. The STP's reduced functioning and associated environmental impacts, even with resilience upgrades, are not conducive to removing the bay from the list of Impaired Water Bodies. The results reinforce the need to transfer the discharge from the existing outfall to the ocean. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Profile and Fate of Bacterial Pathogens in Sewage Treatment Plants Revealed by High-Throughput Metagenomic Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bing; Ju, Feng; Cai, Lin; Zhang, Tong

2015-09-01

The broad-spectrum profile of bacterial pathogens and their fate in sewage treatment plants (STPs) were investigated using high-throughput sequencing based metagenomic approach. This novel approach could provide a united platform to standardize bacterial pathogen detection and realize direct comparison among different samples. Totally, 113 bacterial pathogen species were detected in eight samples including influent, effluent, activated sludge (AS), biofilm, and anaerobic digestion sludge with the abundances ranging from 0.000095% to 4.89%. Among these 113 bacterial pathogens, 79 species were reported in STPs for the first time. Specially, compared to AS in bulk mixed liquor, more pathogen species and higher total abundance were detected in upper foaming layer of AS. This suggests that the foaming layer of AS might impose more threat to onsite workers and citizens in the surrounding areas of STPs because pathogens in foaming layer are easily transferred into air and cause possible infections. The high removal efficiency (98.0%) of total bacterial pathogens suggests that AS treatment process is effective to remove most bacterial pathogens. Remarkable similarities of bacterial pathogen compositions between influent and human gut indicated that bacterial pathogen profiles in influents could well reflect the average bacterial pathogen communities of urban resident guts within the STP catchment area.

Distribution of PCDD/Fs and organometallic compounds in sewage sludge of wastewater treatment plants in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Mang; Wu Xuejiao; Zeng Decai; Liao Yong

2012-01-01

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), organotin and organolead compounds were measured in sewage sludge samples collected from 24 wastewater treatment plants from 18 cities of 13 provinces in China. Total international toxicity equivalent (I-TEQ) values were evaluated for PCDD/Fs. The total concentration of PCDD/Fs ranged from 104.0 to 1661 pg/g dry weight (d.w.) and 2.51–75.21 pg I-TEQ/g d.w., indicating that all I-TEQs were below Chinese legislation limit value regulated for land application. The concentrations ranged from 258 to 3886, 126 to 1129, and 84–2133 ng/g as Sn d.w., for tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT), and diphenyltin (DPhT), respectively. On the other side, organolead concentrations ranged from 85 to 668 with an average of 279 ng/g as lead. High concentrations of organolead compounds in sewage sludge indicated that the environmental impact of organolead compounds remains in China. - Highlights: ► The first study on PCDD/F distribution in sewage sludge in China on a national scale. ► The first study on organometallic compounds distribution in sewage sludge on a national scale. ► The persistence of tetraethyllead deserves attention. - This is the first study on the survey of the distributions of POPs and organometallic compounds in sewage sludge in China on a national scale.

Trace metal uptake by tropical vegetables grown on soil amended with urban sewage sludge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nabulo, G.; Black, C.R. [School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD (United Kingdom); Young, S.D., E-mail: scott.young@nottingham.ac.u [School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD (United Kingdom)

2011-02-15

Trace metal uptake was measured for tropical and temperate leafy vegetables grown on soil from an urban sewage disposal farm in the UK. Twenty-four leafy vegetables from East Africa and the UK were assessed and the five vegetable types that showed the greatest Cd concentrations were grown on eight soils differing in the severity of contamination, pH and other physico-chemical properties. The range of Cd concentrations in the edible shoots was greater for tropical vegetables than for temperate types. Metal uptake was modelled as a function of (i) total soil metal concentration, (ii) CaCl{sub 2}-soluble metal, (iii) soil solution concentration and (iv) the activity of metal ions in soil pore water. Tropical vegetables were not satisfactorily modelled as a single generic 'green vegetable', suggesting that more sophisticated approaches to risk assessment may be required to assess hazard from peri-urban agriculture in developing countries. - Research highlights: Cadmium uptake by tropical green vegetables varies greatly between types. Modelling metal uptake works best for Ni, Cd and Zn but is poor for Cu, Ba and Pb. Modelling with dilute CaCl{sub 2} extraction is as good as metal ion activity in pore water. - Trace metal uptake by tropical leaf vegetables can be predicted from dilute CaCl{sub 2} extraction of soil but model parameters are genotype-specific.

Trace metal uptake by tropical vegetables grown on soil amended with urban sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nabulo, G.; Black, C.R.; Young, S.D.

2011-01-01

Trace metal uptake was measured for tropical and temperate leafy vegetables grown on soil from an urban sewage disposal farm in the UK. Twenty-four leafy vegetables from East Africa and the UK were assessed and the five vegetable types that showed the greatest Cd concentrations were grown on eight soils differing in the severity of contamination, pH and other physico-chemical properties. The range of Cd concentrations in the edible shoots was greater for tropical vegetables than for temperate types. Metal uptake was modelled as a function of (i) total soil metal concentration, (ii) CaCl 2 -soluble metal, (iii) soil solution concentration and (iv) the activity of metal ions in soil pore water. Tropical vegetables were not satisfactorily modelled as a single generic 'green vegetable', suggesting that more sophisticated approaches to risk assessment may be required to assess hazard from peri-urban agriculture in developing countries. - Research highlights: → Cadmium uptake by tropical green vegetables varies greatly between types. → Modelling metal uptake works best for Ni, Cd and Zn but is poor for Cu, Ba and Pb. → Modelling with dilute CaCl 2 extraction is as good as metal ion activity in pore water. - Trace metal uptake by tropical leaf vegetables can be predicted from dilute CaCl 2 extraction of soil but model parameters are genotype-specific.

Sustainable pyrolytic sludge-char preparation on improvement of closed-loop sewage sludge treatment: Characterization and combined in-situ application.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Zhengyu; Chang, Fengmin; Meng, Fanlin; Wang, Cuiping; Meng, Yao; Liu, Xiaoji; Wu, Jing; Zuo, Jiane; Wang, Kaijun

2017-10-01

Aiming at closed-loop sustainable sewage sludge treatment, an optimal and economical pyrolytic temperature was found at 400-450 °C considering its pyrolysis efficiency of 65%, fast cracking of hydrocarbons, proteins and lipids and development of aromatized porous structure. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests demonstrated the development of adsorptive functional groups and crystallographic phases of adsorptive minerals. The optimal sludge-char, with a medium specific surface area of 39.6 m 2  g -1 and an iodine number of 327 mgI 2 g -1 , performed low heavy metals lixiviation. The application of sludge-char in raw sewage could remove 30% of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), along with an acetic acid adsorption capacity of 18.0 mg g -1 . The developed mesopore and/or macropore structures, containing rich acidic and basic functional groups, led to good biofilm matrices for enhanced microbial activities and improved autotrophic nitrification in anoxic stage of an A/O reactor through adsorbed extra carbon source, and hence achieved the total nitrogen (TN) removal up to 50.3%. It is demonstrated that the closed-loop sewage sludge treatment that incorporates pyrolytic sludge-char into in-situ biological sewage treatment can be a promising sustainable strategy by further optimization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Survey of radiation effect on sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

M'selmi, Nadia Ammar

2005-01-01

The high nutrient and organic matter contents of sewage sludge make it a useful soil amandment for famers. the presence of heavy metals and pathogens poses a major problem for utilisation of sladge to agriculture land. Radiation is a convenable method of sewage treatment. (author)

Assessing earthworm and sewage sludge impacts on microbiological and biochemical soil quality using multivariate analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanye Jafari Vafa

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Land application of organic wastes and biosolids such as municipal sewage sludge has been an important and attractive practice for improving different properties of agricultural soils with low organic matter content in semi-arid regions, due to an increase of soil organic matter level and fertility. However, application of this organic waste may directly or indirectly affect soil bio-indicators such as microbial and enzymatic activities through a change in the activity of other soil organisms such as earthworms. Earthworms are the most important soil saprophagous fauna and much of the faunal biomass is attributed to the presence of these organisms in the soil. Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate the effect of earthworm activity on soil microbial and biochemical attributes, in particularly when soils are amended with urban sewage sludge. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the earthworm effects on biochemical and microbiological properties of a calcareous soil amended with municipal sewage sludge using Factor Analysis (FA. Materials and Methods: In the present study, the experimental treatments were sewage sludge (without and with 1.5% sewage sludge as the first factor and earthworm (no earthworm, Eiseniafoetida from epigeic group, Allolobophracaliginosa from endogeic group and a mixture of the two species as the second factor. The study was setup as 2×4 full factorial experiment arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications for each treatment under greenhouse conditions over 90 days. A calcareous soil from the 0-30 cm layer with clay loam texture was obtained from a farmland field under fallow without cultivation history for ten years. The soil was air-dried and passed through a 2-mm sieve for the experiment. Sewage sludge as the soil organic amendment was collected from Wastewater Treatment Plant in Shahrekord. Sewage sludge was air-dried and grounded to pass through a 1-mm sieve for a uniform mixture

Levels and distribution patterns of short chain chlorinated paraffins in sewage sludge of wastewater treatment plants in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng Lixi; Wang Thanh; Ruan Ting; Liu Qian; Wang Yawei; Jiang Guibin

2012-01-01

Short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are listed as persistent organic pollutant candidates in the Stockholm Convention and are receiving more and more attentions worldwide. In general, concentrations of contaminants in sewage sludge can give an important indication on their pollution levels at a local/regional basis. In this study, SCCPs were investigated in sewage sludge samples collected from 52 wastewater treatment plants in China. Concentrations of total SCCPs (ΣSCCPs) in sludge were in the range of 0.80–52.7 μg/g dry weight (dw), with a mean value of 10.7 μg/g dw. Most of SCCPs in the sludge samples showed a similar congener distribution patterns, and C 11 and Cl 7,8 were identified as the dominant carbon and chlorine congener groups. Significant linear relationships were found among different SCCP congener groups (r 2 ≥ 0.9). High concentrations of SCCPs in sewage sludge imply that SCCPs are widely present in China. - Highlights: ► Levels and distribution patterns of SCCPs were studied in sewage sludge in China. ► Concentrations of total SCCPs in sludge ranged from 0.8 to 52.7 μg/g dry weight. ► C 11 and Cl 7,8 were identified as the dominant congener groups within SCCPs. ► Significant linear relationships were found among SCCP congener groups (r 2 ≥ 0.9). ► SCCPs are present in household products and can be exposing to human. - High levels of short chain chlorinated paraffins in sewage sludge of wastewater treatment plants in China have been found.

Analyses of heavy metals in sewage and sludge from treatment plants in the cities of Campinas and Jaguariúna, using synchrotron radiation total reflection X-rayfluorescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, L.C.F.; Canteras, F.B.; Moreira, S.

2014-01-01

A major consequence of accelerated urban and industrial development in the last decades is water pollution. In particular, metal contamination is a significant problem, causing serious changes to the environment and adversely affecting human health. The cities of Campinas and Jaguariúna are inserted in the Campinas Metropolitan Region (CMR), one of the most dynamic regions in the Brazilian economy, accounting for 2.7% of Gross National Product (GNP) and 7.83% of São Paulo State Product—or approximately $ 70.7 billion per year. Besides having a strong economy, the region also presents an infrastructure that provides the development of the entire metropolitan area. Therefore, to study the anthropogenic influences of the cities, the evaluation of the quality of raw and treated effluent and, the sludge generated in sewage treatment plants (STP), especially with regard to heavy metals was performed by Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence with Synchrotron Radiation technique. The results were compared with the allowed values established by Brazilian Legislation. For raw and treated effluents collected in Jaguariúna and Campinas city in the Stations of Treatment of Sewage (Camanducaia and Anhumas), Cr presented higher concentrations than the maximum allowed values established by CONAMA 357. However, it is necessary to do other studies to define the fraction of Cr +3 and Cr +6 to compare to the new legislation. The other elements were in agreement with established regulations. For sludge sampled in the same locations, the concentrations of Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn were compared with the CONAMA 375 and showed values smaller than the maximum allowed values, indicating the possibility to re-use the sludge. - Highlights: ► Analysis of sewage and sludge composition using SR-TXRF. ► Determination of the potentially toxic elements like Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb. ► Concentrations determined were compared with Brazilian quality standards. ► It was discovered possible illegal

Cs-137 for irradiation of sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lessel, T.

1986-01-01

Since 1973, the Geiselbullach sewage treatment works have been continuously operating their first system for gamma irradiation of sewage sludge. Within the framework of a German-American agreement, nine Cs-137 sources with a total activity of 56.000 Ci have been made available to the works free of charge in 1983, in order to test in practice and to demonstrate the applicability of these radiation sources in comparison to the Co-60 sources exclusively used up to then. This first study on the applicability of Cs-137 as a radiation source for sewage sludge treatment revealed no findings or effects speaking against Cs-137 as a radiation source for this purpose. (orig./RB) [de

Characterization study on secondary sewage sludge for replacement in building materials

Science.gov (United States)

Kadir, Aeslina Abdul; Sarani, Noor Amira; Aziz, Nurul Sazwana A.; Hamdan, Rafidah; Abdullah, Mohd Mustafa Al Bakri

2017-09-01

Recently, environmental issues continually increased since expanded in industrial development and grown in population. Regarding to this activity, it will cause lack management of waste such as solid waste from wastewater treatment plant called sewage sludge. This research presents the characteristic study of sewage sludge, regardless of whether it is appropriate or not to be applied as building materials. The sewage sludge samples were collected from secondary treatment at Senggarang and Perwira under Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) treatment plant. Raw materials were tested with X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) in order to determine the composition of sewage sludge and heavy metal concentration contains in sewage sludge. From the study, it was found that sewage sludge contained high amount of Silica Oxide (SiO2) with 13.6%, Sulphur Trioxide (SO3) with 12.64% and Iron Oxide (Fe2O3) with 8.7% which is similar in clay. In addition, sewage sludge also high in Iron (Fe) with 276.2 mg/L followed by Zinc (Zn) with concentration 45.41 mg/L which sewage sludge cannot be directly disposed to landfill. Results from this study demonstrated that sewage sludge has high possibility to be reused as alternative building materials such as bricks and have compatible chemical composition with clay.

PBDEs in Italian sewage sludge and environmental risk of using sewage sludge for land application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cincinelli, Alessandra; Martellini, Tania; Misuri, Lorenza; Lanciotti, Eudes; Sweetman, Andy; Laschi, Serena; Palchetti, Ilaria

2012-01-01

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in sewage sludge samples collected from eight Italian wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) between June 2009 and March 2010. Total PBDE concentrations ranged from 158.3 to 9427 ng g −1 dw, while deca-BDE (BDE-209) (concentrations ranging from 130.6 to 9411 ng g −1 dw) dominated the congener profile in all the samples, contributing between 77% and 99.8% of total PBDE. The suitability of using a magnetic particle enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) to analyse PBDEs in sewage sludge was also tested. The ELISA results, expressed as BDE-47 equivalents, were well correlated with those obtained by GC–NCI–MS, with correlation coefficients (r 2 ) of 0.899 and 0.959, depending on the extraction procedure adopted. The risk assessment of PBDEs in sewage sludge addressed to land application was calculated. PEC soil values compared to the relative PNEC soil for penta and deca-BDE suggests that there is a low risk to the soil environment. - Highlights: ► PBDEs in sewage sludge were determined in eight Italian WWTPs for the first time. ► PBDEs concentrations showed differences between the eight investigated WWTPs. ► Deca-BDE (BDE-209) was the dominant congener in all samples. ► The suitability of using ELISA method to analyse PBDEs in sewage sludge was tested. ► The risk assessment of using sewage sludge for land application was evaluated. - Determination of PBDEs in sewage sludge by GC–NCI–MS and ELISA test and risk assessment when sewage sludge is used for land application.

Anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage in modified septic tanks at low temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhiqiang; Wen, Qinxue; Guan, Huabin; Bakke, Rune; Ren, Nanqi

2014-01-01

Three laboratory-scale septic tanks, an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR)-septic tank (R1), a Yuhuan drawing three-dimensional-carrier-septic tank (R2) and a conventional septic tank (R3), were operated in parallel over half a year under hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 36, 24 and 12 h, with a sewage temperature of 16 degrees C. The removal efficiencies of total chemical oxygen demand (CODtot) achieved in R1 and R2 increased by 14%, 21% and 12% and 18%, 3% and 16%, respectively, under three different HRTs, as compared to those in R3. The total nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies were negligible. R1 sludges had a higher specific methane production rate as compared to that of R2 and R3 sludges. The results indicated that the two modified septic tanks can improve the performance in terms of COD and total solids removal, both were suitable technologies for domestic sewage (pre) treatment at low temperature in northern China.

Determination of phosphorus in urban sewage sludge using the isotopic exchange kinetics method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas de Tramontini, Susana; Barbaro, Nestor O.; Lopez, Silvia C.

1999-01-01

The aim of this work was to assess the differences among soil available P, the use by the plants of sludge P, and of a water soluble fertilizer (Ca(H 2 PO 4 ) 2 ) P, using isotopic exchange kinetics methods. The sludge was provided by the Sewage Sludge Treatment Plant of Tucuman City, Argentina. The isotopic exchange kinetics experiment, in which the fate of carrier free 32 PO 4 added to the soil solution at a steady state was studied, gives information on soil P exchangeability. The experiment was carried out in the laboratory, where sewage sludge and water soluble fertilizer were added to soil samples taken at a depth of 0-25 and 25-40 cm. Changes in the soil P isotopically exchangeable within 1 minute measurements in the soil with sludge and in the soil with water soluble fertilizer showed that the 0-25 cm deep soil samples had a low P sorption capacity (r1 /R values were low). The sludge had high total and organic P, but the P in the soil solution was lower than the P provided by the water soluble fertilizer. Therefore, despite its higher total P content, this sludge contained slow available forms of P

In vitro characterization of the effectiveness of enhanced sewage treatment processes to eliminate endocrine activity of hospital effluents.

Science.gov (United States)

Maletz, Sibylle; Floehr, Tilman; Beier, Silvio; Klümper, Claudia; Brouwer, Abraham; Behnisch, Peter; Higley, Eric; Giesy, John P; Hecker, Markus; Gebhardt, Wilhelm; Linnemann, Volker; Pinnekamp, Johannes; Hollert, Henner

2013-03-15

Occurrence of pharmaceuticals in aquatic ecosystems is related to sewage effluents. Due to the possible adverse effects on wildlife and humans, degradation and removal of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites during wastewater treatment is an increasingly important task. The present study was part of a proof of concept study at a medium sized country hospital in western Germany that investigated efficiency of advanced treatment processes to remove toxic potencies from sewage. Specifically, the efficiency of treatment processes such as a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and ozonation to remove endocrine disruptive potentials was assessed. Estrogenic effects were characterized by use of two receptor-mediated in vitro transactivation assays, the Lyticase Yeast Estrogen Screen (LYES) and the Estrogen Receptor mediated Chemical Activated LUciferase gene eXpression (ER CALUX(®)). In addition, the H295R Steroidogenesis Assay (H295R) was utilized to detect potential disruption of steroidogenesis. Raw sewage contained measurable estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated potency as determined by use of the LYES (28.9 ± 8.6 ng/L, 0.33× concentration), which was reduced after treatment by MBR (2.3 ± 0.3 ng/L) and ozone (1.2 ± 0.4 ng/L). Results were confirmed by use of ER CALUX(®) which measured concentrations of estrogen equivalents (EEQs) of 0.2 ± 0.11 ng/L (MBR) and 0.01 ± 0.02 ng/L (ozonation). In contrast, treatment with ozone resulted in greater production of estradiol and aromatase activity at 3× and greater concentrations in H295R cells. It is hypothesized that this is partly due to formation of active oxidized products during ozonation. Substance-specific analyses demonstrated efficient removal of most of the measured compounds by ozonation. A comparison of the ER-mediated responses measured by use of the LYES and ER CALUX(®) with those from the chemical analysis using a mass-balance approach revealed estrone (E1) to be the main compound that caused the estrogenic effects

Fate of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles during Anaerobic Digestion of Wastewater and Post-Treatment Processing of Sewage Sludge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lombi, Enzo; Donner, Erica; Tavakkoli, Ehsan; Turney, Terence W.; Naidu, Ravi; Miller, Bradley W.; Scheckel, Kirk G. (U. South Australia); (EPA); (Monash)

2013-01-14

The rapid development and commercialization of nanomaterials will inevitably result in the release of nanoparticles (NPs) to the environment. As NPs often exhibit physical and chemical properties significantly different from those of their molecular or macrosize analogs, concern has been growing regarding their fate and toxicity in environmental compartments. The wastewater-sewage sludge pathway has been identified as a key release pathway leading to environmental exposure to NPs. In this study, we investigated the chemical transformation of two ZnO-NPs and one hydrophobic ZnO-NP commercial formulation (used in personal care products), during anaerobic digestion of wastewater. Changes in Zn speciation as a result of postprocessing of the sewage sludge, mimicking composting/stockpiling, were also assessed. The results indicated that 'native' Zn and Zn added either as a soluble salt or as NPs was rapidly converted to sulfides in all treatments. The hydrophobicity of the commercial formulation retarded the conversion of ZnO-NP. However, at the end of the anaerobic digestion process and after postprocessing of the sewage sludge (which caused a significant change in Zn speciation), the speciation of Zn was similar across all treatments. This indicates that, at least for the material tested, the risk assessment of ZnO-NP through this exposure pathway can rely on the significant knowledge already available in regard to other 'conventional' forms of Zn present in sewage sludge.

Integrated Application of the UASB Reactor and Ponds for Domestic Sewage Treatment in Tropical Regions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cavalcanti, P.F.F.

2003-01-01

Waste stabilization ponds are widely applied for domestic sewage treatment in Brazil. The main objective of conventional waste stabilisation ponds (WSP's) is, nomen est omen , to remove the organic material from wastewater. To achieve this objective, a quite long liquid retention time (

Analysis of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants in Dried Sewage Sludge and By-Products of Dried Sewage Sludge Gasification

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Sebastian Werle

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Organic and inorganic contaminants in sewage sludge may cause their presence also in the by-products formed during gasification processes. Thus, this paper presents multidirectional chemical instrumental activation analyses of dried sewage sludge as well as both solid (ash, char coal and liquid (tar by-products formed during sewage gasification in a fixed bed reactor which was carried out to assess the extent of that phenomenon. Significant differences were observed in the type of contaminants present in the solid and liquid by-products from the dried sewage sludge gasification. Except for heavy metals, the characteristics of the contaminants in the by-products, irrespective of their form (solid and liquid, were different from those initially determined in the sewage sludge. It has been found that gasification promotes the migration of certain valuable inorganic compounds from sewage sludge into solid by-products which might be recovered. On the other hand, the liquid by-products resulting from sewage sludge gasification require a separate process for their treatment or disposal due to their considerable loading with toxic and hazardous organic compounds (phenols and their derivatives.

Co-digestion of cultivated microalgae and sewage sludge from municipal waste water treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsson, Jesper; Feng, Xin Mei; Ascue, Johnny; Gentili, Francesco G; Shabiimam, M A; Nehrenheim, Emma; Thorin, Eva

2014-11-01

In this study two wet microalgae cultures and one dried microalgae culture were co-digested in different proportions with sewage sludge in mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. The aim was to evaluate if the co-digestion could lead to an increased efficiency of methane production compared to digestion of sewage sludge alone. The results showed that co-digestion with both wet and dried microalgae, in certain proportions, increased the biochemical methane potential (BMP) compared with digestion of sewage sludge alone in mesophilic conditions. The BMP was significantly higher than the calculated BMP in many of the mixtures. This synergetic effect was statistically significant in a mixture containing 63% (w/w VS based) undigested sewage sludge and 37% (w/w VS based) wet algae slurry, which produced 23% more methane than observed with undigested sewage sludge alone. The trend was that thermophilic co-digestion of microalgae and undigested sewage sludge did not give the same synergy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE IMPACT OF SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT ON THE AMOUNT OF HEAVY METALS IN WATER OF THE SUPRAŚL RIVER CATCHMENT AREA

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Mirosław Skorbiłowicz

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of treated sewage flowing from sewage treatment plants located in the basin of the Supraśl river on the concentration and load of metals in river waters and its main tributaries. Three measuring- control points were chosen, on the river and its tributaries, located near Gródek, Sokółka and Dobrzyniewo. Selected points were located behind the discharge of treated wastewater from sewage treatment plants respectively – Gródek, Sokółka and Bialystok. The samples of treated sewage and water were collected in a period from May to November, once a month in 2014. Each individual sample was examined for the content of dissolved form of the following metals: Pb2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Fe2+/3+. After taking into account water flow of the Biała, Sokołda and Supraśl in every month, metals loads expressed in mg·h-1, transported by the Supraśl and its tributaries waters were calculated. In the study monthly metals loads discharged into the Biała, Sokołda and Supraśl by sewage treatment plants in Białystok, Sokółka and Gródek were also calculated. The studies have shown the impact of metals load in treated wastewater on metals loads in waters of studied rivers based on the obtained correlation. Most of the searched relations between loafs of Pb2+ – r = 0,88; Cd2+ – r = 0,98; Fe2+/3+ – r = 0,45; Ni2+ – r = 0,55; Zn2+ – r = 0,86 were obtained in case of wastewater treatment plant in Gródek and Supraśl waters. In the study period we observed a diversity in concentration of Cd2+, Fe2+/3+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ in treated sewage and in river waters, which affected loads of this metals.

Concentration of facultative pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes during sewage treatment and in receiving rivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Heß, Stefanie; Lüddeke, Frauke; Gallert, Claudia

2016-10-01

Whereas the hygienic condition of drinking and bathing water by law must be monitored by culture-based methods, for quantification of microbes and antibiotic resistance in soil or the aquatic environment, often molecular genetic assays are used. For comparison of both methods, knowledge of their correlation is necessary. Therefore the population of total bacteria, Escherichia coli, enterococci and staphylococci during sewage treatment and in receiving river water was compared by agar plating and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays. In parallel, all samples were investigated for clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes. Whereas plating and qPCR data for total bacteria correlated well in sewage after primary treatment, qPCR data of river water indicated higher cell numbers for E. coli. It is unknown if these cells are 'only' not growing under standard conditions or if they are dead. Corresponding to the amount of non-culturable cells, the 'breakpoints' for monitoring water quality should be adapted. The abundances of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes in river water were in the same order of magnitude or even higher than in treated sewage. For estimation of the health risk it is important to investigate which species carry respective genes and whether these genes are disseminated via gene transfer.

Biogeochemistry and community ecology in a spring-fed urban river following a major earthquake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wells, Naomi S.; Clough, Tim J.; Condron, Leo M.; Baisden, W. Troy; Harding, Jon S.; Dong, Y.; Lewis, G.D.; Lear, Gavin

2013-01-01

In February 2011 a M W 6.3 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand inundated urban waterways with sediment from liquefaction and triggered sewage spills. The impacts of, and recovery from, this natural disaster on the stream biogeochemistry and biology were assessed over six months along a longitudinal impact gradient in an urban river. The impact of liquefaction was masked by earthquake triggered sewage spills (∼20,000 m 3 day −1 entering the river for one month). Within 10 days of the earthquake dissolved oxygen in the lowest reaches was −1 , in-stream denitrification accelerated (attenuating 40–80% of sewage nitrogen), microbial biofilm communities changed, and several benthic invertebrate taxa disappeared. Following sewage system repairs, the river recovered in a reverse cascade, and within six months there were no differences in water chemistry, nutrient cycling, or benthic communities between severely and minimally impacted reaches. This study highlights the importance of assessing environmental impact following urban natural disasters. -- Highlights: •Earthquakes triggered sewage spills and liquefaction into an urban river. •Combined chemical, isotopic, and biological measurements to quantify stream recovery. •Sustained sewage discharge into the river drove eutrophication in lower reaches. •River function recovered in a reverse cascade, from chemical to macroinvertebrate. -- Linking stream community ecology with biogeochemical function, we provide an in-depth quantification of urban stream recovery following a catastrophic earthquake

Effects of heat, radiation, and thermoradiation on the filterability of sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, C.V.

1978-01-01

The effects of heat, radiation and thermoradiation processes on the dewatering properties of raw and primary digested sewage sludges were investigated. These effects were measured by observing the changes in filterability subsequent to treatment. Thermal treatment (40 0 to 95 0 C) of the sewage sludge resulted in decreased filterability. Radiation and thermoradiation treatment increased the filterability, the increase being dose and temperature dependent. These treatment methods are not as effective as chemical additives in increasing the filterability of sewage sludge. The combined use of radiation and organic polymer conditioner shows no significant improvement in the filterability of sewage sludge over the use of polymer alone. There appears to be some interaction; however, it shows no useful synergistic effect

Fate of the herbicide 14C-atrazine during sewage treatment on a lab-scale bioreactor

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Jaime L. M. Oliveira

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Atrazine (2-chloro-4-(ethylamino-6-(isopropylamino-s-triazine is a persistent herbicide used on some crops and it has been found both in ground and surface water and drainage systems. This work studied the behaviour of atrazine during a sewage treatment process by activated sludge. The process was conducted on a laboratory scale using an under fed-batch system with a hydraulic retention time of 24 hours. After this period, the raw sewage (with atrazine was changed and another batch was begun (the sludge age was 7 days old. Radiolabel molecules (14C-atrazine were used for to trace their fate and to measure to the 14C-CO2 and the residues of atrazine were analysed by HPLC/UV. Initially about 50% of radioactivity was sorbed by the settled sludge but it was desorbed with successive additions of raw sewage without atrazine. The final balance of radioactivity showed that 98% of the atrazine was released into the treated effluent, probably without any biodegradation. Therefore, other organic micropollutants with similar characteristics to atrazine may behave a similar way.

The impact of sewage sludge treatment on the content of selected heavy metals and their fractions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ignatowicz, Katarzyna

2017-07-01

The aim of the study was to assess the physicochemical properties of compost made of municipal sewage sludge from selected Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant. Content of basic macroelements and heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cr, Cd, Ni, Pb, Hg, Mg, Ca, N, P, K, Na) and their fractions was determined by means of BCR method. Based on the analyzes, it was found that the content of heavy metals in compost did not exceed the limits set by natural land management of sewage sludge; the compost is very abundant in biogenic elements - nitrogen and phosphorus - and it can be also considered a significant source of calcium and magnesium. The analysis of results obtained from the three-stage chemical extraction revealed that deposits subjected to aerobic stabilization and composting accumulate metals (in descending sequence) in fractions III and II, i.e. fractions virtually inaccessible to the ecosystem in optimal conditions of use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of triclosan and triclocarban at river basin scale using monitoring and modeling tools: implications for controlling of urban domestic sewage discharge.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jian-Liang; Zhang, Qian-Qian; Chen, Feng; Wang, Li; Ying, Guang-Guo; Liu, You-Sheng; Yang, Bin; Zhou, Li-Jun; Liu, Shan; Su, Hao-Chang; Zhang, Rui-Quan

2013-01-01

Triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC) are two commonly used personal care products. They may enter into aquatic environments after consumption and pose potential risks to aquatic organisms. We investigated the occurrence and fate of TCS and TCC in five large rivers (the Liao River, Hai River, Yellow River, Zhujiang River and Dongjiang River) in China, and compared the monitoring data with the predicted results from Level III fugacity modeling. TCS and TCC were detected in the five large rivers with the detection frequencies of 100% or close to 100% in surface water and sediments of almost every river. TCS and TCC were found at concentrations of up to 478 ng/L and 338 ng/L in surface water, and up to 1329 ng/g and 2723 ng/g in sediments. Cluster analysis indicated that the sites with higher concentrations were usually located in or near urban area. Meanwhile, principal component analysis also suggested that the mass inventories of TCS and TCC in water and sediment were significantly influenced by the factors such as the total or untreated urban domestic sewage discharge at river basin scale. The concentrations and mass inventories from the fugacity modeling were found at the same order of magnitude with the measured values, suggesting that the fugacity modeling can provide a useful tool for evaluating the fate of TCS and TCC in riverine environments. Both monitoring and modeling results indicated that the majority of mass inventories of TCS and TCC were stored into sediment, which could be a potential pollution source for river water. The wide presence of TCS and TCC in these large rivers of China implies that better controlling of urban domestic sewage discharge is needed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synergistic wetland treatment of sewage and mine water: pollutant removal performance of the first full-scale system.

Science.gov (United States)

Younger, Paul L; Henderson, Robin

2014-05-15

Wetland systems are now well-established unit processes in the treatment of diverse wastewater streams. However, the development of wetland technology for sewage treatment followed an entirely separate trajectory from that for polluted mine waters. In recent years, increased networking has led to recognition of possible synergies which might be obtained by hybridising approaches to achieve co-treatment of otherwise distinct sewage and mine-derived wastewaters. As polluted discharges from abandoned mines often occur in or near the large conurbations to which the former mining activities gave rise, there is ample scope for such co-treatment in many places worldwide. The first full-scale co-treatment wetland anywhere in the world receiving large inflows of both partially-treated sewage (∼100 L s(-)(1)) and mine water (∼300 L s(-1)) was commissioned in Gateshead, England in 2005, and a performance evaluation has now been made. The evaluation is based entirely on routinely-collected water quality data, which the operators gather in fulfillment of their regulatory obligations. The principal parameters of concern in the sewage effluent are suspended solids, BOD5, ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4-N) and phosphate (P); in the mine water the only parameter of particular concern is total iron (Fe). Aerobic treatment processes are appropriate for removal of BOD5, NH4-N and Fe; for the removal of P, reaction with iron to form ferric phosphate solids is a likely pathway. With these considerations in mind, the treatment wetland was designed as a surface-flow aerobic system. Sample concentration level and daily flow rate date from April 2007 until March 2011 have been analyzed using nonparametric statistical methods. This has revealed sustained, high rates of absolute removal of all pollutants from the combined wastewater flow, quantified in terms of differences between influent and effluent loadings (i.e. mass per unit time). In terms of annual mass retention rates, for instance

Comparative metagenome of a stream impacted by the urbanization phenomenon

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Julliane Dutra Medeiros

Full Text Available Abstract Rivers and streams are important reservoirs of freshwater for human consumption. These ecosystems are threatened by increasing urbanization, because raw sewage discharged into them alters their nutrient content and may affect the composition of their microbial community. In the present study, we investigate the taxonomic and functional profile of the microbial community in an urban lotic environment. Samples of running water were collected at two points in the São Pedro stream: an upstream preserved and non-urbanized area, and a polluted urbanized area with discharged sewage. The metagenomic DNA was sequenced by pyrosequencing. Differences were observed in the community composition at the two sites. The non-urbanized area was overrepresented by genera of ubiquitous microbes that act in the maintenance of environments. In contrast, the urbanized metagenome was rich in genera pathogenic to humans. The functional profile indicated that the microbes act on the metabolism of methane, nitrogen and sulfur, especially in the urbanized area. It was also found that virulence/defense (antibiotic resistance and metal resistance and stress response-related genes were disseminated in the urbanized environment. The structure of the microbial community was altered by uncontrolled anthropic interference, highlighting the selective pressure imposed by high loads of urban sewage discharged into freshwater environments.

2010 Annual Wastewater Reuse Report for the Idaho National Laboratory Site's Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mike lewis

2011-02-01

This report describes conditions, as required by the state of Idaho Wastewater Reuse Permit (#LA-000141-03), for the wastewater land application site at Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant from November 1, 2009, through October 31, 2010. The report contains the following information: • Site description • Facility and system description • Permit required monitoring data and loading rates • Status of special compliance conditions • Discussion of the facility’s environmental impacts. During the 2010 permit year, approximately 2.2 million gallons of treated wastewater was land-applied to the irrigation area at Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment plant.

Determination of sedative hypnotics in sewage sludge by pressurized liquid extraction with high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Arbeláez, Paula; Granados, Judith; Borrull, Francesc; Marcé, Rosa Maria; Pocurull, Eva

2014-12-01

This paper describes a method for the determination of eight sedative hypnotics (benzodiazepines and barbiturates) in sewage sludge using pressurized liquid extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Pressurized liquid extraction operating conditions were optimized and maximum recoveries were reached using methanol under the following operational conditions: 100ºC, 1500 psi, extraction time of 5 min, one extraction cycle, flush volume of 60% and purge time of 120 s. Pressurized liquid extraction recoveries were higher than 88% for all the compounds except for carbamazepine (55%). The repeatability and reproducibility between days, expressed as relative standard deviation (n = 5), were lower than 6 and 10%, respectively. The detection limits for all compounds were lower than 12.5 μg/kg of dry weight. The method was applied to determine benzodiazepines and barbiturates in sewage sludge from urban sewage treatment plants, and carbamazepine showed the highest concentration (7.9-18.9 μg/kg dry weight). © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Chemical analysis of sewage sludge of southern sewerage treatment plant (SSTP) Hyderabad for achieving sustainable development in sector of agriculture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qureshi, K.; Shaikh, N.; Ahmed, R.S.; Nawaz, Z.

2003-01-01

A study on the chemical analysis of sewage sludge of southern sewerage treatment plant (SSPP) Hyderabad was studied. Chemical analysis on sludge samples collected form the waste stabilization for different micro-nutrients (essential manures, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium) were conducted in year 1999-2000. These nutrients and metal were detected by reliable analytical method i.e. Kjeldahls method and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The analysis showed that sewage sludge contained sufficient quantity of primary and secondary nutrients, hence sewage sludge could be utilized as a natural fertilizer. This will not only solve the disposal problem but it would also be environmentally safer way of providing regulators to the plants. (author)

Multiple lines of evidence to identify sewage as the cause of water quality impairment in an urbanized tropical watershed.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirs, Marek; Kisand, Veljo; Wong, Mayee; Caffaro-Filho, Roberto A; Moravcik, Philip; Harwood, Valerie J; Yoneyama, Bunnie; Fujioka, Roger S

2017-06-01

Indicator bacteria, which are conventionally used to evaluate recreational water quality, can originate from various non-human enteric and extra-enteric sources, hence they may not be indicative of human health risk nor do they provide information on the sources of contamination. In this study we utilized traditional (enterococci and Escherichia coli) and alternative (Clostridium perfringens) indicator bacteria, F + -specific coliphage, molecular markers for microorganisms associated with human sewage (human-associated Bacteroides and polyomaviruses), and microbial community analysis tools (16S rRNA gene fragment amplicon sequencing), to identify and evaluate human sewage-related impact in the Manoa watershed in Honolulu, Hawaii. Elevated concentrations of enterococci (geometric mean ranging from 1604 to 2575 CFU 100 mL -1 ) and C. perfringens (45-77 CFU 100 mL -1 ) indicated impairment of the urbanized section of the stream, while indicator bacteria concentrations decreased downstream in the tidally influenced Ala Wai Canal. The threshold values triggering water quality violation notifications in Hawaii were exceeded in 33.3-75.0% of samples collected at sites in the urbanized section of Manoa Stream, but were not exceeded in any of the samples collected at an upstream site located in a forested area. Correlation between indicator bacteria concentrations and rainfall amounts was weak to moderate but significant (E. coli R = 0.251, P = 0.009; enterococci R = 0.369, P watershed, it was lower in the impaired section. Leaking sewer systems and illegal cross-connections are implicated in the impairment of the watershed, hence both the sewer and the storm water lines should be routinely inspected. Collectively, our data suggest that information derived from the analysis of microbial communities complements current marker-based microbial source tracking techniques and environmental monitoring programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Urban runoff - Swedish experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falk, Jan

1987-01-01

During the past 20 years hard effort has been devoted to the protection of rivers, lakes and the sea from pollution. This effort has mainly been focused on the obvious sources of pollution i.e. the concentrated outlet of sewage. Currently 75% of the urban population is served by advanced treatment plants. Not until recently attention was paid to sewerage. The official policy was that separate storm sewers was the only acceptable system and discharge permits generally required separation of existing combined sewers were to be abandoned there was little concern about overflows

Disinfection of sewage sludge by gamma radiation, electron beams and alternative methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lessel, T.

1997-01-01

Sewage sludges generally contain high concentrations of pathogens, even after digestion or other conventional treatments for stabilization. Disinfection can be effected by irradiation (e.g. gamma or electron beam), by heat treatment (pasteurization or thermophilic stabilization), and by changing the pH (lime treatment). Irradiation is a simple and reliable process for disinfection with special advantages and favorable side-effects. Irradiation can be combined with oxygenation, heat or other treatments, with favorable synergistic effects. The total costs for the irradiation treatment of sewage sludges are comparable to those of alternative disinfection methods. Most of the worldwide practical experience has been obtained at the sewage-sludge irradiation plant in Geiselbullach (10 km west of Munich, Germany), which was continuously in operation from 1973 to 1993. A multidisciplinary research programme was conducted during the first 8 years. In subsequent years, the plant was operated commercially for sewage-sludge disinfection, without public funds. Other demonstration or research plants for sewage-sludge irradiation have been reported in the USA, India, Russia, Japan, Austria, Germany and Hungary. (author)

Application of electron beam technology in improving sewage water ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

irradiation sewage water can find its application either in agriculture for irrigation or in industry sector for cooling ... The water samples were collected from sewage water treatment .... to be irrigated, soil conditions and the irrigation system.

MOBIL CONTAINER UNIT FOR SEWAGE SLUDGE UTILIZATION FROM SMALL AND MEDIUM WASTWATER TREATMENT PLANTS

OpenAIRE

Stanisław Ledakowicz; Paweł Stolarek; A. Malinowski

2016-01-01

The most wastewater treatment plants in Poland are small and medium plants of flow capacity below 1000 m3/d. These plants are not able to build sludge incineration plants and the transportation costs to the nearest plants increase the total costs of wastewater treatment. Polish company Metal Expert together with the French company ETIA and Lodz University of Technology proposed mobile unit for integrated drying and pyrolysis of sewage sludge in a pilot bench scale with capacity of 100 kg/h ...

Fluidized bed bio reactor sewage treatment system and wastewater quality at Kudankulam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vijayakumar, B.; George, Thomas; Rajan, P.S.; Kumar, M.; Rajan, M.P.

2006-01-01

With the availability of fresh water becoming exiguous in certain coastal belts, it has become imperative to manage water resources in a resourceful and judicious manner. The focus has also shifted to minimum or zero tolerance from existing waste treatment plants so as not to contaminate or pollute the already shrinking drinking water resources. Many of the modern waste treatment approaches are already aiming at zero discharge with a view to conserving the ecological balance and to protect the rich bio diversity, flora and fauna. This paper describes one such domestic sewage treatment system called fluidized bed bio reactor operating in the residential colony and plant site area of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project. Wastewater quality of the resulting effluent water is also discussed. (author)

Rare earth and precious elements in the urban sewage sludge and lake surface sediments under anthropogenic influence in the Republic of Benin.

Science.gov (United States)

Yessoufou, Arouna; Ifon, Binessi Edouard; Suanon, Fidèle; Dimon, Biaou; Sun, Qian; Dedjiho, Comlan Achille; Mama, Daouda; Yu, Chang-Ping

2017-11-09

Nowadays, sewage sludge and water bodies are subjected to heavy pollution due to rapid population growth and urbanization. Heavy metal pollution represents one of the main challenges threatening our environment and the ecosystem. The present work aims to evaluate the contamination state of the sewage sludge and lake sediments in the Republic of Benin. Twenty metallic elements including 15 rare earth elements (Eu, Sb, Cs, Nd, Pr, Gd, La, Ce, Tb, Sm, Dy, Ho, Eu, Yb, and Lu) and five precious elements (Ag, Au, Pd, Pt, and Ru) were investigated using inductive plasma-mass spectrometry. Results showed broad range concentrations of the elements. Ce, La, and Nd were present in both sediments and sewage sludge at concentrations ranging 5.80-41.30 mg/kg dry matter (DM), 3.23-15.60 mg/kg DM, and 2.74-19.26 mg/kg DM, respectively. Pr, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Eu, Er, Yb, Cs, Ho, and Tm concentrations were lower (0.02-5.94 mg/kg DM). Among precious elements, Ag was detected at the highest concentration in all sites (0.43-4.72 mg/kg DM), followed by Pd (0.20-0.57 mg/kg DM) and Au (0.01-0.57 mg/kg DM). Ru and Pt concentrations were sewage sludge. This revealed a growing anthropogenic input which was also implied by principal component analysis. The evaluation of pollution loading index (PLI) indicated a moderate to strong contamination (0.12 ≤ PLI ≤ 0.58; 37 ≤ PLI ≤ 114, respectively, for rare earth elements and precious elements), while the degree of contamination indicated a moderate polymetallic contamination for rare earth elements and significant contamination for precious elements.

Review of enhanced processes for anaerobic digestion treatment of sewage sludge

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xinyuan; Han, Zeyu; Yang, Jie; Ye, Tianyi; Yang, Fang; Wu, Nan; Bao, Zhenbo

2018-02-01

Great amount of sewage sludge had been produced each year, which led to serious environmental pollution. Many new technologies had been developed recently, but they were hard to be applied in large scales. As one of the traditional technologies, anaerobic fermentation process was capable of obtaining bioenergy by biogas production under the functions of microbes. However, the anaerobic process is facing new challenges due to the low fermentation efficiency caused by the characteristics of sewage sludge itself. In order to improve the energy yield, the enhancement technologies including sewage sludge pretreatment process, co-digestion process, high-solid digestion process and two-stage fermentation process were widely studied in the literatures, which were introduced in this article.

Assessment of UASB-DHS technology for sewage treatment: a comparative study from a sustainability perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Maharjan, Namita; Nomoto, Naoki; Tagawa, Tadashi; Okubo, Tsutomu; Uemura, Shigeki; Khalil, Nadeem; Hatamoto, Masashi; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Harada, Hideki

2018-04-06

This paper assesses the technical and economic sustainability of a combined system of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB)-down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) for sewage treatment. Additionally, this study compares UASB-DHS with current technologies in India like trickling filters (TF), sequencing batch reactor (SBR), moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), and other combinations of UASB with post-treatment systems such as final polishing ponds (FPU) and extended aeration sludge process (EASP). The sustainability of the sewage treatment plants (STPs) was evaluated using a composite indicator, which incorporated environmental, societal, and economic dimensions. In case of the individual sustainability indicator study, the results showed that UASB-FPU was the most economically sustainable system with a score of 0.512 and aeration systems such as MBBR, EASP, and SBR were environmentally sustainable, whereas UASB-DHS system was socially sustainable. However, the overall comparative analysis indicated that the UASB-DHS system scored the highest value of 2.619 on the global sustainability indicator followed by EASP and MBBR with scores of 2.322 and 2.279, respectively. The highlight of this study was that the most environmentally sustainable treatment plants were not economically and socially sustainable. Moreover, sensitivity analysis showed that five out of the seven scenarios tested, the UASB-DHS system showed good results amongst the treatment system.

Investigation on the response of anaerobic membrane bioreactor to temperature decrease from 25°C to 10°C in sewage treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Ryoya; Nie, Yulun; Wakahara, Shinichiro; Komori, Daisuke; Li, Yu-You

2017-11-01

Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) for sewage treatment was operated for 650days with the decrease of temperature from 25°C to 10°C. At higher temperature >15°C, COD removal was above 94% while sewage treatment efficiency and relevant CH 4 production decreased below 15°C. The effluent COD at 10°C was 134mg/L at HRT of 16h. Moreover, low temperature can result in a higher membrane fouling rate due to the microbial self-protection behavior in coping with the temperature decrease by releasing soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The contribution of pore blocking to membrane fouling caused by protein from SMP and EPS increased from 17% to 45% and that of cake layer decreased from 81% to 53% at 25°C and 15°C respectively. The inhibition to hydrolysis and acidification process was responsible to the decrease of sewage treatment at lower temperature. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of lime addition during sewage sludge treatment on characteristics of resulting SSA when it is used in cementitious materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Vouk, D; Nakic, D; Štirmer, N; Baricevic, A

2017-02-01

Final disposal of sewage sludge is important not only in terms of satisfying the regulations, but the aspect of choosing the optimal wastewater treatment technology, including the sludge treatment. In most EU countries, significant amounts of stabilized and dewatered sludge are incinerated, and sewage sludge ash (SSA) is generated as a by product. At the same time, lime is one of the commonly used additives in the sewage sludge treatment primarily to stabilize the sludge. In doing so, the question arose how desirable is such addition of lime if the sludge is subsequently incinerated, and the generated ash is further used in the production of cementitious materials. A series of mortars were prepared where 10-20% of the cement fraction was replaced by SSA. Since all three types of analyzed SSA (without lime, with lime added during sludge stabilization and with extra lime added during sludge incineration) yielded nearly same results, it can be concluded that if sludge incineration is accepted solution, lime addition during sludge treatment is unnecessary even from the standpoint of preserving the pozzolanic properties of the resulting SSA. Results of the research carried out on cement mortars point to the great possibilities of using SSA in concrete industry.

Odor assessment for sewage sludge samples 300A01002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cash, D.B.; Molton, P.M.

1976-12-01

The use of radiation as a means of detoxifying sewage sludge as an alternate to the more conventional biological digestion treatment method was studied. A combination of gamma irradiation and heat (thermoradiation) treatment is being considered. In support of this effort, Battelle's Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNL) were requested to assess the odor change of the sewage sludge, if any, that occurs with time after the samples were subjected to the treatment conditions. The test methods and results are presented

Sewage sterilization through gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vieira, D.V.; Teixeira, W.M.S.; Silva, F.C.A. da

2017-01-01

Lack of sewage treatment and adequate sanitation conditions can contribute to the proliferation of numerous parasitic and infectious diseases in addition to water degradation. Approximately fifty types of infections can be transmitted from a sick to a healthy person through different pathways involving human excreta. Untreated sewage can contaminate water, food, hands, soil, etc. Epidemics of certain diseases such as typhoid, cholera, dysenteries, etc., and countless cases of worms are responsible for high mortality rates in third world countries. In the work the different techniques of sewage treatment by disinfestation and sterilization were analyzed, highlighting the use and the advantages of the gamma radiation as well as the aspects of the radiological protection involved. The technique of sewage sterilization using gamma radiation is a method of controlling bacteria and microorganisms. It is estimated that more than 200 large irradiators are in operation worldwide, of which 5 are in Brazil, for general sterilization use. These facilities use a large amount of radioactive material, in the order of millions of Becquerel, for sterilization with high doses of radiation, which can generate lethal doses in a few minutes. These industrial facilities use Cobalt-60, being classified by the International Atomic Energy Agency - IAEA as Category 1 of high risk, and must possess a high level of radiological protection to carry out the sterilization, standing out the defense in depth. Specific legislation on radiological protection should be drafted for safe work and avoid future radiation accidents

Energy Effectiveness of Direct UV and UV/H2O2 Treatment of Estrogenic Chemicals in Biologically Treated Sewage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Kamilla Marie Speht; Andersen, Henrik Rasmus

2012-01-01

and the UV/H2O2-treatment were investigated in biologically treated sewage for most of the estrogenic compounds reported in wastewater. The investigated compounds included parabens, industrial phenols, sunscreen chemicals and steroid estrogens. Treatment experiments were performed in a flow through set...

Disinfection of municipal sewage sludges in installation equipped with electron accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chmielewski, A.G.; Zimek, Z.; Bryl-Sandelewska, T.; Kosmal, W.; Kalisz, L.; Kazmierczuk, M.

1995-01-01

Growing awareness of environment pollution hazards causes more and more stringent waste disposal regulations in many countries which stimulate searching for new methods of waste disposal, the best of which is recycling them after suitable treatment. Sludges from municipal sewage treatment plants contain organic and inorganic components valuable as soil fertilizer, so if disinfected they can be beneficially recycled in agriculture instead of being burdensome waste. Investigations performed in many countries showed that irradiation with a suitable dose of gamma or electron beam radiation makes sewage sludges sanitary safe and usable as soil fertilizer immediately after treatment. This paper describes some results of investigations performed in the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology and the Institute of Environmental Protection in Warsaw on the influence of 10 MeV electron beam on bacteria, parasites and parasite eggs present in sewage sludges from different municipal sewage treatment plants in Poland. Basic design parameters of the industrial installation elaborated on the basis of those experiments are presented. (Author)

Elemental transport and distribution in soils amended with incinerated sewage sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Paramasivam, S; Sajwan, K S; Alva, A K; VanClief, D; Hostler, K H

2003-05-01

Sewage sludge (SS) is the major solid waste of sewage and wastewater treatment plants in cities around the world. Even though treated effluent water from wastewater treatment plants are utilized for irrigation, disposal of sewage sludge is becoming a serious problem. This is due to its high content of certain heavy metals still posing threat of accumulation in plants and groundwater contamination when it is used as soil amendment or disposed in landfills. Water treatment plants incinerate the dewatered activated sewage sludge (ISS) and dissolve the ash in water to store in ash ponds for long-term storage (WISS). A study was undertaken to evaluate the transport and leaching potential of various elements and their distribution within soil columns amended with various rates of ISS. Results of this study indicates that ISS from wastewater treatment plants can be used as soil amendment on agricultural lands at low to medium rates (< or = 100 Mg ha(-1)) without causing potential loading of metals into groundwater.

Joint stabilization of sewage sludge and separated manure fluid. Treatment and utilization of manure. Final report; Gemeinsame Stabilisierung von Klaerschlamm und separierter Guellefluessigkeit. Guellebehandlung und -verwertung. Schlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geiger, W.F.; Kolisch, G.

1994-12-01

As an alternative to separate manure processing, anaerobic stabilization of surplus manure and sewage sludge in combination is possible at municipal sewage treatment plants. Subsequently to the removal of solids, pig manure is fed into existing digesters. The process concept comprises the following partial steps: preliminary treatment of crude manure, anarobic stabilization of the separated manure fluid, biological nitrogen elimination from the digested mixture of sewage sludge and manure, and dewatering of the mixed sludge in the dewatering systems of the sewage treatment plant. (orig./SR) [Deutsch] Eine Alternative zu den Verfahren einer separaten Guelleaufbereitung stellt die gemeinsame anaerobe Stabilisierung von Ueberschussguelle und Klaerschlamm auf kommunalen Klaeranlagen dar, die eine Einspeisung feststoffseparierter Schweineguelle in bereits vorhandene Faulbehaelter vorsieht. Das Verfahrenskonzept besteht aus den Teilschritten Vorseparierung der Rohguelle, anaerobe Stabiliserung der separierten Guellefluessigkeit, biologische Stickstoffelimination aus dem ausgefaulten Klaerschlamm-Guelle-Gemisch sowie Entwaesserung der Mischschlaemme auf den Entwaesserungsaggregaten der Klaeranlage. (orig./SR)

Hybrid life-cycle environmental and cost inventory of sewage sludge treatment and end-use scenarios: a case study from China.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Ashley; Horvath, Arpad; Nelson, Kara L

2008-05-01

Sewage sludge management poses environmental, economic, and political challenges for wastewater treatment plants and municipalities around the globe. To facilitate more informed and sustainable decision making, this study used life-cycle inventory (LCI) to expand upon previous process-based LCIs of sewage sludge treatmenttechnologies. Additionally, the study evaluated an array of productive end-use options for treated sewage sludge, such as fertilizer and as an input into construction materials, to determine how the sustainability of traditional manufacturing processes changes with sludge as a replacement for other raw inputs. The inclusion of the life-cycle of necessary inputs (such as lime) used in sludge treatment significantly impacts the sustainability profiles of different treatment and end-use schemes. Overall, anaerobic digestion is generally the optimal treatment technology whereas incineration, particularly if coal-fired, is the most environmentally and economically costly. With respect to sludge end use, offsets are greatest for the use of sludge as fertilizer, but all of the productive uses of sludge can improve the sustainability of conventional manufacturing practices. The results are intended to help inform and guide decisions about sludge handling for existing wastewater treatment plants and those that are still in the planning phase in cities around the world. Although additional factors must be considered when selecting a sludge treatment and end-use scheme, this study highlights how a systems approach to planning can contribute significantly to improving overall environmental sustainability.

Urbanization, housing and environmental quality indicators ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Urbanization, housing and environmental quality indicators. ... Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences ... Urbanization ideally should also imply an enhancement of housing quality and other components of human settlements such as power supply, portable water, good roads, proper refuse and sewage ...

Impacts of Sewage Sludge in Tropical Soil: A Case Study in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bettiol, W.; Ghini, R.

2011-01-01

A long-term assay was conducted to evaluate the environmental impacts of agriculture use of sewage sludge on a tropical soil. This paper describes and discusses the results obtained by applying a interdisciplinary approach and the valuable insights gained. Experimental site was located in Jaguariuna (SP, Brazil). Multiyear comparison was developed with the application of sewage sludge obtained from wastewater treatment plants at Barueri (domestic and industrial sewage) and Franca (domestic sewage), Sao Paulo State. The treatments were control, mineral fertilization, and sewage sludge applied based on the N concentration that provides the same amount of N as in the mineral fertilization recommended for corn crop, two, four, and eight times the N recommended dosage. The results obtained indicated that the amount of sewage sludge used in agricultural areas must be calculated based on the N crop needs, and annual application must be avoided to prevent over applications.

Waste management - sewage - special wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

The 27 papers represent a cross-section of the subject waste management. Particular attention is paid to the following themes: waste avoidance, waste product utilization, household wastes, dumping technology, sewage sludge treatments, special wastes, seepage from hazardous waste dumps, radioactive wastes, hospital wastes, purification of flue gas from waste combustion plants, flue gas purification and heavy metals, as well as combined sewage sludge and waste product utilization. The examples given relate to plants in Germany and other European countries. 12 papers have been separately recorded in the data base. (DG) [de

2013 Annual Wastewater Reuse Report for the Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mike Lewis

2014-02-01

This report describes conditions, as required by the state of Idaho Wastewater Reuse Permit (#LA-000141-03), for the wastewater land application site at the Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant from November 1, 2012, through October 31, 2013. The report contains, as applicable, the following information: • Site description • Facility and system description • Permit required monitoring data and loading rates • Status of compliance conditions and activities • Discussion of the facility’s environmental impacts. During the 2013 permit year, no wastewater was land-applied to the irrigation area of the Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant and therefore, no effluent flow volumes or samples were collected from wastewater sampling point WW-014102. However, soil samples were collected in October from soil monitoring unit SU-014101.

Development trends in municipal sewage treatment - an overview; Entwicklungstendenzen bei der kommunalen Abwasserreinigung - ein Ueberblick

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagner, M. [Technische Hochschule Darmstadt (Germany). Inst. fuer Wasserversorgung, Abwasserbeseitigung und Raumplanung

1999-07-01

After the extensive introduction of nutrient elimination at German sewage treatment plants and, on the other hand, with the partly immense backlog in other parts of the world in the erection of sewage treatment plants, no one can tell at present whether traditional activated sludge techniques or modern biofilm techniques or combinations of both will take the lead in the future. Answering this question depends decisively on whether the further development of these techniques meets ecological demands such as the conservation of primary energy or cuts in the addition of chemicals (precipitation agents, methanol). Sustainable sewage treatment techniques need to make careful use of resources and to reduce the amount of additives. In the future, care must be taken not to discharge waste water after cleaning into a receiving body of water but to recycle it. Normally, cleaned waste water will be used for irrigation; under certain circumstances it may be used again as drinking water after the most scrupulous cleaning and additional underground passage or blending with ground water. Approaches to the optimization of different waste water treatment techniques need to be viewed in the context of this indispensable requirement. (orig.) [German] Nach der flaechendeckenden Einfuehrung der Naehrstoffelimination in Deutschland, aber einem teilweise immensen Nachholbedarf bei der Errichtung von Abwasserbehandlungsanlagen in anderen Teilen der Welt, steht die Abwassertechnik vor der Frage, ob das traditionelle Belebungsverfahren oder moderne Biofilmverfahren oder Kombinationen beider Verfahren zukuenftig an Bedeutung gewinnen. Die Beantwortung dieser Fragestellung haengt in entscheidender Weise davon ab, ob die Weiterentwicklung dieser Verfahren oekologischen Anforderungen wie z.B. Einsparung von Primaerenergie oder Reduzierung der Zugabe von Chemikalien (Faellmittel, Methanol) gerecht wird. Mit zukunftstraechtigen Abwasserbehandlungsverfahren muss Abwasser ressourcenschonend

Gamma irradiation treatment of secondary sewage effluent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vajdic, A.H.

The operation and monitoring of a pilot scale Co-60 gamma irradiation unit treating secondary sewage effluent is described. The disinfecting efficiency of the unit is compared to that of an experimental 'ideal' chlorination unit and to the plant chlorination process. A cost estimate for disinfection by gamma irradiation on a full plant scale is included. (author)

Impact of urban and industrial effluents on the coastal marine environment in Oran, Algeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Tayeb, A; Chellali, M R; Hamou, A; Debbah, S

2015-09-15

In Algeria most of the urban waste water is dumped without treatment into the Sea. It is tremendously important to assess the consequences of organic matter rich sewage on marine ecosystem. In this study we investigated the effects of industrial and urban sewage on the dissolved oxygen (O2), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demands (BOD5), pH, salinity, electrical conductivity (EC), Metal element (Hg, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr, Cd), petroleum hydrocarbons (HC), oil and grease (OG) in Bay of Oran, Algeria. A ten-year follow-up research showed that the concentrations of oil and grease released into the bionetwork are of higher ecological impact and this needs to be given the desired consideration. Information on bathing water quality revealed that the most beaches in Oran are under the national environmental standard limit. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life cycle assessment of biogas from sewage treatment sludge; Livscykelanalys av biogas fraan avloppsreningsverksslam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palm, David; Ek, Mats (IVL Swedish Environmental Research Inst., Stockholm (Sweden))

2010-08-15

This report analyses the environmental impact from 1MJ of biogas (as vehicle fuel) produced by anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. Data are primarily taken from Kaeppala sewage treatment plant, but have been complemented with data from literature. As a base case, the biogas has only been given the environmental burden from upgrading and purification of raw gas. This is because the anaerobic digestion is an inherent part of the waste water treatment in Sweden, biogas being produced regardless of its chosen end utilization. Calculations have also been performed with system expansion where the anaerobic digestion, sludge treatment and replaced mineral fertilizer have been included in the analysis, as well as calculations based on economic and energy allocation. The results have been characterised in accordance to CML (2007) for the potential of global warming on a 100 year perspective, eutrophication, acidification, photochemical oxidation creation and particles. The study represents a Swedish state-of-the-art plant for biogas production but also includes a sensitivity analysis that cover a Swedish average plant and a worst case plant. The sensitivity analysis shows a major impact on the results from methane leakage during anaerobic digestion and upgrading. The electricity consumption and choice of Swedish average electricity versus Swedish marginal electricity is of less importance for the outcome of the study

Effect of acid detergent fiber in hydrothermally pretreated sewage sludge on anaerobic digestion process

Science.gov (United States)

Takasaki, Rikiya; Yuan, Lee Chang; Kamahara, Hirotsugu; Atsuta, Youichi; Daimon, Hiroyuki

2017-10-01

Hydrothermal treatment is one of the pre-treatment method for anaerobic digestion. The application of hydrothermal treatment to sewage sludge of wastewater treatment plant has been succeeded to enhance the biogas production. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively clarify the effect of hydrothermal treatment on anaerobic digestion process focusing on acid detergent fiber (ADF) in sewage sludge, which is low biodegradability. The hydrothermal treatment experiment was carried out for 15 minutes between 160 °C and 200 °C respectively. The ADF content was decreased after hydrothermal treatment compared with untreated sludge. However, ADF content was increased when raising the treatment temperature from 160 °C to 200 °C. During batch anaerobic digestion experiment, untreated and treated sludge were examined for 10 days under 38 °C, and all samples were fed once based on volatile solids of samples. From batch anaerobic digestion experiment, as ADF content in sewage sludge increased, the total biogas production decreased. It was found that ADF content in sewage sludge influence on anaerobic digestion. Therefore, ADF could be one of the indicator to evaluate the effect of hydrothermal treatment to sewage sludge on anaerobic digestion.

Hydraulic conductivity and soil-sewage sludge interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvio Romero de Melo Ferreira

2011-10-01

Full Text Available One of the main problems faced by humanity is pollution caused by residues resulting from the production and use of goods, e.g, sewage sludge. Among the various alternatives for its disposal, the agricultural use seems promising. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hydraulic conductivity and interaction of soil with sandy-silty texture, classified as Spodosols, from the Experimental Station Itapirema - IPA, in Goiana, state of Pernambuco, in mixtures with sewage sludge from the Mangueira Sewage Treatment Station, in the city of Recife, Pernambuco at rates of 25, 50 and 75 Mg ha-1. Tests were conducted to let water percolate the natural saturated soil and soil-sludge mixtures to characterize their physical, chemical, and microstructural properties as well as hydraulic conductivity. Statistical data analysis showed that the presence of sewage sludge in soils leads to an increase of the < 0.005 mm fraction, reduction in real specific weight and variation in optimum moisture content from 11.60 to 12.90 % and apparent specific dry weight from 17.10 and 17.50 kN m-3. In the sludge-soil mixture, the quartz grains were covered by sludge and filling of the empty soil macropores between grains. There were changes in the chemical characteristics of soil and effluent due to sewage sludge addition and a small decrease in hydraulic conductivity. The results indicate the possibility that soil acidity influenced the concentrations of the elements found in the leachate, showing higher levels at higher sludge doses. It can be concluded that the leaching degree of potentially toxic elements from the sewage sludge treatments does not harm the environment.

Evaluation of the efficiency of peracetic acid in the disinfection of sewage effluents.

Science.gov (United States)

Stampi, S; De Luca, G; Zanetti, F

2001-11-01

Evaluation of the efficiency of peracetic acid in the disinfection of wastewater in a large treatment plant. Over a period of 18 months 30 sample collections were made, each consisting of three samples taken from: raw incoming sewage, secondary effluent (after 10-12 h) and secondary effluent disinfected with 1.5-2 mg l(-1) of peracetic acid (contact time: 20 min). Total coliforms and Escherichia coli declined from 10(7) MPN 100 ml(-1) in the raw sewage to 10(2) in the disinfected effluent and the enterococci fell from 10(6) MPN 100 ml(-1) to 702 MPN 100 ml(-1). The reduction of bacteria increased with the rise in temperature and decreased with the rise in BOD5. Disinfection with peracetic acid reduced levels of faecal contamination by 97%, thus attaining the limit recommended by current Italian law (Escherichia coli disinfection with peracetic acid is easier to manage than other more common methods and the tests performed confirm that from the bacteriological point of view good results can be obtained for urban effluents.

Investigation of sewage contamination using steroid indexes in sediments of the Guajará Estuary (Amazon coast, Brazil

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Heyde Gonçalves Gomes

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Amazonian aquatic systems are usually associated with pristine waters, however, irregular urban occupation of the hydrographic basins and sewerage deficiencies may lead to point and diffuse contamination. Sewage contamination in intertidal surface sediments from the Guajará Estuary, Brazilian Amazon coast, was evaluated using a set of steroids as biomarkers. Sediments collected along the urbanized margin were also analyzed for chlorophyll a, total organic carbon and grain sizes. Coprostanol, the main fecal sterol, was found at concentrations varying from 0.06 to 7.93 µg g-1 dry sediment, following the sequence Tucunduba > Ver-o-Peso > Porto da Palha > Tamandaré > Icoaraci > Miramar. Mixed sources of organic matter and coastal process probably concurred to produce weak correlations among the parameters. Plant derived sterols, including n-C30 alcohol and β-amyrinyl alkanoates, were clearly abundant, but they did not preclude the use of other steroid signals to the assessment of sewage contamination. High values of the steroid indexes involving 5α and 5β stanols and stanones highlighted sewage contamination at the sites with the lowest absolute coprostanol concentrations. The predominance of 5β stanols indicated a chronically sewage contamination of the area.

Fractionation of wastewater characteristics for modelling of Firle Sewage Treatment Works, Harare, Zimbabwe

Science.gov (United States)

Muserere, Simon Takawira; Hoko, Zvikomborero; Nhapi, Innocent

Varying conditions are required for different species of microorganisms for the complex biological processes taking place within the activated sludge treatment system. It is against the requirement to manage this complex dynamic system that computer simulators were developed to aid in optimising activated sludge treatment processes. These computer simulators require calibration with quality data input that include wastewater fractionation among others. Thus, this research fractionated raw sewage, at Firle Sewage Treatment Works (STW), for calibration of the BioWin simulation model. Firle STW is a 3-stage activated sludge system. Wastewater characteristics of importance for activated sludge process design can be grouped into carbonaceous, nitrogenous and phosphorus compounds. Division of the substrates and compounds into their constituent fractions is called fractionation and is a valuable tool for process assessment. Fractionation can be carried out using bioassay methods or much simpler physico-chemical methods. The bioassay methods require considerable experience with experimental activated sludge systems and associated measurement techniques while the physico-chemical methods are straight forward. Plant raw wastewater fractionation was carried out through two 14-day campaign periods, the first being from 3 to 16 July 2013 and the second was from 1 to 14 October 2013. According to the Zimbabwean Environmental Management Act, and based on the sensitivity of its catchment, Firle STW effluent discharge regulatory standards in mg/L are COD (<60), TN (<10), ammonia (<0.2), and TP (<1). On the other hand Firle STW Unit 4 effluent quality results based on City of Harare records in mg/L during the period of study were COD (90 ± 35), TN (9.0 ± 3.0), ammonia (0.2 ± 0.4) and TP (3.0 ± 1.0). The raw sewage parameter concentrations measured during the study in mg/L and fractions for raw sewage respectively were as follows total COD (680 ± 37), slowly biodegradable COD

Urban microbial ecology of a freshwater estuary of Lake Michigan.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Jenny C; Newton, Ryan J; Dila, Deborah K; McLellan, Sandra L

Freshwater estuaries throughout the Great Lakes region receive stormwater runoff and riverine inputs from heavily urbanized population centers. While human and animal feces contained in this runoff are often the focus of source tracking investigations, non-fecal bacterial loads from soil, aerosols, urban infrastructure, and other sources are also transported to estuaries and lakes. We quantified and characterized this non-fecal urban microbial component using bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences from sewage, stormwater, rivers, harbor/estuary, and the lake surrounding Milwaukee, WI, USA. Bacterial communities from each of these environments had a distinctive composition, but some community members were shared among environments. We used a statistical biomarker discovery tool to identify the components of the microbial community that were most strongly associated with stormwater and sewage to describe an "urban microbial signature," and measured the presence and relative abundance of these organisms in the rivers, estuary, and lake. This urban signature increased in magnitude in the estuary and harbor with increasing rainfall levels, and was more apparent in lake samples with closest proximity to the Milwaukee estuary. The dominant bacterial taxa in the urban signature were Acinetobacter, Aeromonas , and Pseudomonas , which are organisms associated with pipe infrastructure and soil and not typically found in pelagic freshwater environments. These taxa were highly abundant in stormwater and sewage, but sewage also contained a high abundance of Arcobacter and Trichococcus that appeared in lower abundance in stormwater outfalls and in trace amounts in aquatic environments. Urban signature organisms comprised 1.7% of estuary and harbor communities under baseflow conditions, 3.5% after rain, and >10% after a combined sewer overflow. With predicted increases in urbanization across the Great Lakes, further alteration of freshwater communities is likely to occur with potential

Urban microbial ecology of a freshwater estuary of Lake Michigan

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Jenny C. Fisher

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Freshwater estuaries throughout the Great Lakes region receive stormwater runoff and riverine inputs from heavily urbanized population centers. While human and animal feces contained in this runoff are often the focus of source tracking investigations, non-fecal bacterial loads from soil, aerosols, urban infrastructure, and other sources are also transported to estuaries and lakes. We quantified and characterized this non-fecal urban microbial component using bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences from sewage, stormwater, rivers, harbor/estuary, and the lake surrounding Milwaukee, WI, USA. Bacterial communities from each of these environments had a distinctive composition, but some community members were shared among environments. We used a statistical biomarker discovery tool to identify the components of the microbial community that were most strongly associated with stormwater and sewage to describe an “urban microbial signature,” and measured the presence and relative abundance of these organisms in the rivers, estuary, and lake. This urban signature increased in magnitude in the estuary and harbor with increasing rainfall levels, and was more apparent in lake samples with closest proximity to the Milwaukee estuary. The dominant bacterial taxa in the urban signature were Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, and Pseudomonas, which are organisms associated with pipe infrastructure and soil and not typically found in pelagic freshwater environments. These taxa were highly abundant in stormwater and sewage, but sewage also contained a high abundance of Arcobacter and Trichococcus that appeared in lower abundance in stormwater outfalls and in trace amounts in aquatic environments. Urban signature organisms comprised 1.7% of estuary and harbor communities under baseflow conditions, 3.5% after rain, and >10% after a combined sewer overflow. With predicted increases in urbanization across the Great Lakes, further alteration of freshwater communities is

Urban microbial ecology of a freshwater estuary of Lake Michigan

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Jenny C.; Newton, Ryan J.; Dila, Deborah K.

2015-01-01

Freshwater estuaries throughout the Great Lakes region receive stormwater runoff and riverine inputs from heavily urbanized population centers. While human and animal feces contained in this runoff are often the focus of source tracking investigations, non-fecal bacterial loads from soil, aerosols, urban infrastructure, and other sources are also transported to estuaries and lakes. We quantified and characterized this non-fecal urban microbial component using bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences from sewage, stormwater, rivers, harbor/estuary, and the lake surrounding Milwaukee, WI, USA. Bacterial communities from each of these environments had a distinctive composition, but some community members were shared among environments. We used a statistical biomarker discovery tool to identify the components of the microbial community that were most strongly associated with stormwater and sewage to describe an “urban microbial signature,” and measured the presence and relative abundance of these organisms in the rivers, estuary, and lake. This urban signature increased in magnitude in the estuary and harbor with increasing rainfall levels, and was more apparent in lake samples with closest proximity to the Milwaukee estuary. The dominant bacterial taxa in the urban signature were Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, and Pseudomonas, which are organisms associated with pipe infrastructure and soil and not typically found in pelagic freshwater environments. These taxa were highly abundant in stormwater and sewage, but sewage also contained a high abundance of Arcobacter and Trichococcus that appeared in lower abundance in stormwater outfalls and in trace amounts in aquatic environments. Urban signature organisms comprised 1.7% of estuary and harbor communities under baseflow conditions, 3.5% after rain, and >10% after a combined sewer overflow. With predicted increases in urbanization across the Great Lakes, further alteration of freshwater communities is likely to occur with

Change of trace elements content in sewage water under the influence of hydrophilic macrophytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhmed-Ogly, K V; Savichev, O G

2014-01-01

According to the researches carried out by authors in 2013, the estimate of the effectiveness of domestic sewage treatment with the help of hydrophilic vegetation was received. It has been shown that if sewage is treated with the help of macrophytes, copper and lead concentration reduces. Thus, if the volume of sewage treated by reed mace is 500 ml and 1 l, lead concentration decreases 5 and 3,5 times, if sewage is treated by reed, lead concentration decreases 2,5 times in both cases; if sewage is treated by reed mace copper concentration decreases 0,9 and 1,8 times (if the volume of sewage is 500 ml and 1 l), if sewage is treated by reed, copper concentration decreases 1,4 and 1,5 times respectively. The conclusion has been drawn: in West Siberia it is possible to use the shallow reservoirs with natural aeration and hydrophilic vegetation for effective sewage treatment from such heavy metals as lead and copper

Occurrences and fate of selected human antibiotics in influents and effluents of sewage treatment plant and effluent-receiving river Yamuna in Delhi (India).

Science.gov (United States)

Mutiyar, Pravin K; Mittal, Atul K

2014-01-01

Antibiotics consumption has increased worldwide, and their residues are frequently reported in aquatic environments. It is believed that antibiotics reach aquatic water bodies through sewage. Medicine consumed for healthcare practices are often released into sewage, and after sewage treatment plant, it reaches the receiving water bodies of lakes or rivers. In the present study, we determined the fate of some commonly used antibiotics in a sewage treatment plant (STP) located in Delhi and the environmental concentration of these antibiotics in the Yamuna River, which receives the sewage and industrial effluent of Delhi. There are many reports on antibiotics occurrences in STP and river water worldwide, but monitoring data from the Indian subcontinent is sparse. Samples were taken from a STP and from six sampling sites on the Yamuna River. Several antibiotics were tested for using offline solid-phase extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with photodiode array analysis. Recoveries varied from 25.5-108.8 %. Ampicillin had the maximum concentration in wastewater influents (104.2 ± 98.11 μg l(-1)) and effluents (12.68 ± 8.38 μg l(-1)). The fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins had the lower concentrations. Treatment efficiencies varied between 55 and 99 %. Significant amounts of antibiotics were discharged in effluents and were detected in the receiving water body. The concentration of antibiotics in the Yamuna River varied from not detected to 13.75 μg l(-1) (ampicillin) for the compounds investigated.

Quantification of potentially toxic elements in sewage and sludge from treatment plants in the cities of Campinas and Jaguariuna using synchrotron radiation total reflection X-ray fluorescence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souza, Luciana Carla Ferreira de; Canteras, Felippe Benavente; Moreira, Silvana, E-mail: silvana@fec.unicamp.br, E-mail: felippe.canteras@gmail.com, E-mail: lucarla24@gmail.com [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP (Brazil). Inst. Politecnico. Dept. de Saneamento e Ambiente

2013-07-01

The rapid urban and industrial development in last decades has brought as one of the consequences, changes in the environment. The lack of planning of city growth is, today, one of the major causes of water pollution including residential, industrial, agricultural, and hospital waste. The metals contamination is a major problem, causing serious changes to the environment, causing harm to human health. The sludge generated at sewage treatment plants, is an important source of nutrients and organic matter, and therefore it can also be reused mainly for agricultural use, since contaminants are removed. The cities of Campinas and Jaguariuna are inserted in the Campinas Metropolitan Region (CMR), one of the most dynamic regions in the Brazilian economy. Therefore, to study the anthropogenic influences of the cities, evaluated the quality of raw and treated effluent and the sludge generated in sewage treatment plants, especially with regard to heavy metals. Measurements of metals were performed by Synchrotron Radiation Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence. For treated effluent data were compared to CONAMA 357 law and Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ba and Pb showed concentrations in according with the law. To reuse in agriculture the contents were compared to the limits defined by CETESB and some elements had concentrations above to the permitted preventing its reuse. For sludge, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ba and Pb, in the two treatment plants studied, the concentrations were lower than the maximum permissible values established by CONAMA 375 law allowing the sludge application sludge on agricultural land. (author)

Quantification of potentially toxic elements in sewage and sludge from treatment plants in the cities of Campinas and Jaguariuna using synchrotron radiation total reflection X-ray fluorescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Luciana Carla Ferreira de; Canteras, Felippe Benavente; Moreira, Silvana

2013-01-01

The rapid urban and industrial development in last decades has brought as one of the consequences, changes in the environment. The lack of planning of city growth is, today, one of the major causes of water pollution including residential, industrial, agricultural, and hospital waste. The metals contamination is a major problem, causing serious changes to the environment, causing harm to human health. The sludge generated at sewage treatment plants, is an important source of nutrients and organic matter, and therefore it can also be reused mainly for agricultural use, since contaminants are removed. The cities of Campinas and Jaguariuna are inserted in the Campinas Metropolitan Region (CMR), one of the most dynamic regions in the Brazilian economy. Therefore, to study the anthropogenic influences of the cities, evaluated the quality of raw and treated effluent and the sludge generated in sewage treatment plants, especially with regard to heavy metals. Measurements of metals were performed by Synchrotron Radiation Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence. For treated effluent data were compared to CONAMA 357 law and Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ba and Pb showed concentrations in according with the law. To reuse in agriculture the contents were compared to the limits defined by CETESB and some elements had concentrations above to the permitted preventing its reuse. For sludge, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ba and Pb, in the two treatment plants studied, the concentrations were lower than the maximum permissible values established by CONAMA 375 law allowing the sludge application sludge on agricultural land. (author)

Flocculating performance of a bioflocculant produced by Arthrobacter humicola in sewage waste water treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Agunbiade, Mayowa Oladele; Van Heerden, Esta; Pohl, Carolina H; Ashafa, Anofi Tom

2017-06-12

The discharge of poorly treated effluents into the environment has far reaching, consequential impacts on human and aquatic life forms. Thus, we evaluated the flocculating efficiency of our test bioflocculant and we report for the first time the ability of the biopolymeric flocculant produced by Arthrobacter humicola in the treatment of sewage wastewater. This strain was isolated from sediment soil sample at Sterkfontein dam in the Eastern Free State province of South Africa. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rDNA revealed the bacteria to have 99% similarity to Arthrobacter humicola strain R1 and the sequence was deposited in the Gene bank as Arthrobacter humicola with accession number KC816574.1. Flocculating activity was enhanced with the aid of divalent cations, pH 12, at a dosage concentration of 0.8 mg/mL. The purified bioflocculant was heat stable and could retain more than 78% of its flocculating activity after heating at 100 °C for 25 min. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis demonstrated the presence of hydroxyl and carboxyl moieties as the functional groups. The thermogravimetric analysis was used to monitor the pyrolysis profile of the purified bioflocculant and elemental composition revealed C: O: Na: P: K with 13.90: 41.96: 26.79: 16.61: 0.74 weight percentage respectively. The purified bioflocculant was able to remove chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, suspended solids, nitrate and turbidity from sewage waste water at efficiencies of 65.7%, 63.5%, 55.7%, 71.4% and 81.3% respectively. The results of this study indicate the possibility of using the bioflocculant produced by Arthrobacter humicola as a potential alternative to synthesized chemical flocculants in sewage waste water treatment and other industrial waste water.

Wekiva Basin onsite sewage treatment and disposal system study

OpenAIRE

Booher, Paul

2006-01-01

Existing onsite systems and aquifer vulnerability in the Wekiva Basin. Recommendations from the Bureau of Onsite Sewage Programs, Division of Environmental Health, Florida Department of Health. (11 slides)

Vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE in Swedish sewage sludge

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Aspan Anna

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat in veterinary medicine and human healthcare. Resistance genes can spread from animals, through the food-chain, and back to humans. Sewage sludge may act as the link back from humans to animals. The main aims of this study were to investigate the occurrence of vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE in treated sewage sludge, in a Swedish waste water treatment plant (WWTP, and to compare VRE isolates from sewage sludge with isolates from humans and chickens. Methods During a four month long study, sewage sludge was collected weekly and cultured for VRE. The VRE isolates from sewage sludge were analysed and compared to each other and to human and chicken VRE isolates by biochemical typing (PhenePlate, PFGE and antibiograms. Results Biochemical typing (PhenePlate-FS and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE revealed prevalence of specific VRE strains in sewage sludge for up to 16 weeks. No connection was found between the VRE strains isolated from sludge, chickens and humans, indicating that human VRE did not originate from Swedish chicken. Conclusion This study demonstrated widespread occurrence of VRE in sewage sludge in the studied WWTP. This implies a risk of antimicrobial resistance being spread to new farms and to the society via the environment if the sewage sludge is used on arable land.

Experience with a pilot plant for sewage sludge: Experiments on the inactivation of viruses in sewage sludge after a radiation treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Epp, C.

1975-01-01

Investigations examining the virus inactivating effect of a Cobalt-60-plant were, till now, limited to the attempts to isolate virus from the sludge samples taken from sewage sludge before and after irradiation with 300 krad. As in those sludge samples virus presence could be proven only on a rather irregular basis, an experiment was devised in which defined virus quantities were packed into capsules and mixed with the digested sludge. At the end of the hygienization process these capsules were removed from the sludge and examined for virus content. Furthermore one radiation volume (5.6 m 3 ) was infected with attenuated polio virus type I and the virus content was determined before and after the radiation treatment. In 33 sludge samples examined before hygienization, presence of one or several viruses occurred in 8 samples. With the 33 capsules examined after hygienization with 300 krad, only 2 showed presence of virus. Suspensions of attenuated polio virus type I packed into synthetic capsules with a medium virus dosis of 10sup(6.92) JD 50/0.1 were immersed into sludge. In 6 experiments it was found that after hygienization, virus dosis was reduced to an average value of 10sup(5.4) JD 50/0.1 ml. Accordingly, the experimental results showed that after the radiation treatment the reduction of the exposed virus was more than 90%. Under natural conditions the investigation of the sewage sludge samples showed presence of virus 4 times less after hygienization than in the samples examined before hygienization. (orig./AK) [de

Application of cationic hemicelluloses produced from corn husk as polyelectrolytes in sewage treatment

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Alan Soares Landim

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Hemicelluloses were extracted from corn husk and converted into cationic hemicelluloses using 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride. The degree of substitution was determined as 0.43 from results of elemental analysis. The cationic derivative was also characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Carbon-13 magnetic nuclear ressonance. The produced polymer was employed as coagulant aid in a sewage treatment station (STS of the municipal department of water and sewer (Departamento Municipal de Água e Esgoto - DMAE in Uberlândia-Minas Gerais, Brazil, using Jar test experiments. Its performance was compared to ACRIPOL C10, a commercial cationic polyacrylamide regularly used as a coagulant at the STS. The best result of the jar-test essays was obtained when using cationic hemicelluloses (10 mg L- 1 as coagulant aid and ferric chloride as coagulante (200 mg L- 1. The resultsof color and turbidity reduction, 37 and 39%, respectively, were better than when using only ferric chloride. These results were also higher than those of commercial polyacrylamide, on the order of 32.4 and 38.7%, respectively. The results showed that the cationic hemicelluloses presented similar or even superior performance when compared to ACRIPOL C10, demonstrating that the polyelectrolytes produced from recycled corn husks can replace commercial polymers in sewage treatment stations.

Sewage sludge: guidelines and its use as fertilizer, soil conditioner and forest substrate

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David Pessanha Siqueira

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Sewage sludge is a residue generated after treatment of sewage, being a growing environmental issue due to the increase in wastewater collection and treatment networks. The disposal of these wastes to agricultural land has been presented as the most appropriate, with positive effects indicated by research. However, there are criteria and procedures to be followed  for the sewage sludge legal management. The main guidelines for sewage sludge use in agriculture are presented, as well as its impact on the chemical and physical properties of soils and its performance as a forest substrate, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses.

Levels and distribution patterns of short chain chlorinated paraffins in sewage sludge of wastewater treatment plants in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Lixi; Wang, Thanh; Ruan, Ting; Liu, Qian; Wang, Yawei; Jiang, Guibin

2012-01-01

Short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are listed as persistent organic pollutant candidates in the Stockholm Convention and are receiving more and more attentions worldwide. In general, concentrations of contaminants in sewage sludge can give an important indication on their pollution levels at a local/regional basis. In this study, SCCPs were investigated in sewage sludge samples collected from 52 wastewater treatment plants in China. Concentrations of total SCCPs (ΣSCCPs) in sludge were in the range of 0.80-52.7 μg/g dry weight (dw), with a mean value of 10.7 μg/g dw. Most of SCCPs in the sludge samples showed a similar congener distribution patterns, and C(11) and Cl(7,8) were identified as the dominant carbon and chlorine congener groups. Significant linear relationships were found among different SCCP congener groups (r(2) ≥ 0.9). High concentrations of SCCPs in sewage sludge imply that SCCPs are widely present in China. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methanogenic degradation of toilet-paper cellulose upon sewage treatment in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor at room temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Rong; Nie, Yulun; Kato, Hiroyuki; Wu, Jiang; Utashiro, Tetsuya; Lu, Jianbo; Yue, Shangchao; Jiang, Hongyu; Zhang, Lu; Li, Yu-You

2017-03-01

Toilet-paper cellulose with rich but refractory carbon sources, are the main insoluble COD fractions in sewage. An anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) was configured for sewage treatment at room temperature and its performance on methanogenic degradation of toilet paper was highlighted. The results showed, high organic removal (95%), high methane conversion (90%) and low sludge yield (0.08gVSS/gCOD) were achieved in the AnMBR. Toilet-paper cellulose was fully biodegraded without accumulation in the mixed liquor and membrane cake layer. Bioconversion efficiency of toilet paper approached 100% under a high organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.02gCOD/L/d and it could provide around 26% of total methane generation at most of OLRs. Long sludge retention time and co-digestion of insoluble/soluble COD fractions achieving mutualism of functional microorganisms, contributed to biodegradation of toilet-paper cellulose. Therefore the AnMBR successfully implemented simultaneously methanogenic bioconversion of toilet-paper cellulose and soluble COD in sewage at room temperature. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ensured waste disposal without thermal treatment of sewage sludge?; Entsorgungssicherheit ohne thermische Klaerschlammbehandlung?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melsa, A.K. [Niersverband, Viersen (Germany)

1998-07-01

The Technical Rule on Domestic Waste Management (TASi) specifies that from 2005, sewage sludge containing more than 5% of organic dry matter must no longer be dumped. This means that sewage sludge combustion will be the only means of disposal, apart from using sewage sludge as a fertilizer. The author's employer ('Niersverband' utility) was among the first to develop a future-oriented sewage sludge disposal strategy, and a drying plant was construct which is to reduce the weight and volume of sewage sludge in order to obtain a fuel of high calorific value. Further, a contract was closed for combustion of sewage sludge as fuel in a combustion system. [German] Unter Beruecksichtigung der TASi, die verlangt, dass spaetestens ab dem Jahr 2005 Klaerschlaemme mit einem hoeheren organischen Feststoffgehalt als 5% nicht mehr abgelagert werden duerfen, verbleibt uns neben der stofflichen Verwertung in der Landwirtschaft als massgeblicher Entsorgungsweg die Verbrennung, und zwar nicht - und das ist zu unterstreichen - um die Schadstoffe im Klaerschlamm zu beseitigen, sondern um den Klaerschlamm zu entsorgen. Eine betriebssichere Klaerschlammverbrennung stellt dabei die hoechste erreichbare Stufe der Entsorgungssicherheit dar. Der Niersverband hat sich fruehzeitig mit der Aufstellung einer zukunftsfaehigen Klaerschlammentsorgungsstrategie befasst und eine Trocknungsanlage geplant, die eine weitgehende Gewichts- und Volumenreduktion des Klaerschlamms sowie die Erzeugung eines heizwertreichen Brennstoffs gewaehrleistet und damit die Entsorgungsmoeglichkeiten deutlich verbessert. Des weiteren wurde ein erster Vertrag zur energetischen Klaerschlammverwertung in einer Verbrennungsanlage abgeschlossen. (orig.)

MOBIL CONTAINER UNIT FOR SEWAGE SLUDGE UTILIZATION FROM SMALL AND MEDIUM WASTWATER TREATMENT PLANTS

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Stanisław Ledakowicz

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The most wastewater treatment plants in Poland are small and medium plants of flow capacity below 1000 m3/d. These plants are not able to build sludge incineration plants and the transportation costs to the nearest plants increase the total costs of wastewater treatment. Polish company Metal Expert together with the French company ETIA and Lodz University of Technology proposed mobile unit for integrated drying and pyrolysis of sewage sludge in a pilot bench scale with capacity of 100 kg/h of dewatered sludge. The pilot plant was mounted in a typical mobile container which could provide service to small and medium wastewater treatment plants offering thermal processing of sewage sludge. This unit consists of KENKI contact dryer and „Spirajoule”® pyrolyser supplied with electricity utilizing the Joule effect, and a boiler, wherein the pyrolysis gases and volatile products are burned producing steam sent to the contact dryer. The bio-char produced during sludge pyrolysis could be utilized for agriculture purposes. During preliminary experiments and short-term exploitation of the unit at Elbląg Wastewater Treatment Plant the obtained results allowed us to make a mass and energy balance depended on the process conditions in the pyrolysis temperature range of 400÷800 °C. Based on the obtained results a calculator was created in the Excel , which enables assessment of pyrolysis products content and making mass and energy balances depended on process parameters such as initial moisture of sludge, pyrolysis temperature and installation output.

Hybrid cogeneration system fueled with biogas obtained from urban sewage water

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Laurentiu Călin

2008-10-01

Full Text Available When treating urban waste water, a large quantity of sludge is produced. This sludge may by used in fermentation tanks to obtain biogas with medium to high levels of methane, which is ideal for electric energy and heat production. The aim of this paper is to develop a theoretical study regarding the use of biogas in power and heat generation modules. Biogas can be used for fueling internal combustion engines or fuel cells, which in turn generate electricity. Waste heat contained in the exhaust gas can be recovered in order to maximize efficiency. The theoretical study presented in this paper evaluates electrical and overall efficiency of a biogas production installation inside an urban waste water treatment.

High strength sewage treatment in a UASB reactor and an integrated UASB-digester system.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoud, Nidal

2008-11-01

The treatment of high strength sewage was investigated in a one-stage upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and a UASB-digester system. The one-stage UASB reactor was operated in Palestine at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 10h and at ambient air temperature for a period of more than a year in order to asses the system response to the Mediterranean climatic seasonal temperature fluctuation. Afterwards, the one-stage UASB reactor was modified to a UASB-digester system by incorporating a digester operated at 35 degrees C. The achieved removal efficiencies in the one-stage UASB reactor for total, suspended, colloidal, dissolved and VFA COD were 54, 71, 34, 23%, and -7%, respectively during the first warm six months of the year, and achieved only 32% removal efficiency for COD total over the following cold six months of the year. The modification of the one-stage UASB reactor to a UASB-digester system had remarkably improved the UASB reactor performance as the UASB-digester achieved removal efficiencies for total, suspended, colloidal, dissolved and VFA COD of 72, 74, 74, 62 and 70%. Therefore, the anaerobic treatment of high strength sewage during the hot period in Palestine in a UASB-digester system is very promising.

Sewage Management Changes in the North-eastern Poland After Accession to the European Union

Science.gov (United States)

Skarżyński, Szymon; Bartkowska, Izabela

2018-02-01

Poland's accession to the European Union contributed to the infrastructure development of the whole country. One of the elements of the modernized infrastructure is the sewage network and facilities on this network, as well as facilities for waste water treatment and disposal of sludge. A wide stream of funds flowing to the country, and consequently also to the north-eastern polish voivodeships (Podlaskie, Warmian-Masurian, Lublin), allowed modernization, organize, and sometimes to build a new sewage management of this part of the country. The main factors and parameters that allow us to evaluate the development of the sewage management in north-eastern Poland are included: percentage of population using sewage treatment plants, number of municipal sewage plants with the division of their type, number of industrial plants, number of septic tanks, amount of sewage purified in a year, amount of sludge produced in the year, design capacity of sewage treatment plant, size of plant in population equivalent (PE). From a number of investments in the field of wastewater management carried out in the discussed area in the period after Poland's accession to the European Union, 9 investments were considered the most important, 3 from each of the voivodeships.

The effects of pelleted sewage sludge on Norway spruce establishment and nitrogen dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johannesson, Anders

1999-01-01

In Sweden there is a big resource in unutilised sewage sludge. Studies have shown that application of municipal sewage sludge can improve forest productivity and planting environment. This study is examining the effects of two types of pelleted sewage sludge (pure sludge and a mixture of sludge and domestic wastes compost) on nitrogen turnover. Large differences were found in the fertilisation effect of the different treatments. The pure sewage sludge pellets treatment showed significant increases for NH 4 -accumulation, nitrification and NO 3 -leaching in the top 10 cm of the soil. Uptake of nitrogen was increased in spruce plants and vegetation. The mixed sludge/domestic waste pellets treatment showed indications of a minor initial release of nitrogen. This is seen as a small but significant initial increase in soil nitrification. These results suggest that the pure sewage sludge pellet is an adequate nitrogen fertiliser. The mixed sludge though is inadequate at least in the short run

The influence of incorporating leachate on anaerobic biodegradability of domestic sewage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luz Edith Barba

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Treating leachate is one of the most important challenges in designing and operating a sanitary landfill. Anaerobic treatment u- sing a mixture of leachate and domestic sewage represents a suitable treatment option having good potential applicability in developing countries. The influence of adding leachate from a domestic sanitary landfill on the anaerobic biodegradability of domestic sewage has been evaluated in this paper. Five samples were evaluated for the study: 100% domestic sewage (DS, 100% leachate (L and three leachate mixtures (L with domestic sewage (DS as follows: 10%(L:90%(DS, 20%(L:80%(DS and 30%(L:70%(DS. The samples’ anaerobic biodegradability was monitored for 30 days using methane production accumulation and variation in volatile fatty acid (VFA concentration and composition. A detailed analysis of chemical oxygen demand (COD composition was performed at the end of the monitoring period. The results of the study showed that a 10%(L:90%(DS mixture provided the maximum leachate (L domestic sewage (DS combination mixture which could be anaerobically biodegradable with no significantly inhibitory effects. Mixtures using a higher percentage of leachate showed significantly potential inhibition effects on the anaerobic biodegradation of domestic sewage.

Experimental study of hydrodynamic and operation start of a baffled anaerobic reactor treating sewage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Carolina Silveira Perico

2009-12-01

Full Text Available It is important to provide individual sanitation systems for sewage peri-urban communities or rural areas to minimize impacts on the environment and human health caused by sewage discharge in natura into water resources. In this context, the anaerobic digestion of effluent has been one of the main considered technologies due to easy implementation, material minimization and reduction in waste production. The objective of this work was to study a Baffled Anaerobic Reactor (BAR including its hydrodynamic characteristics, percentile of inoculum to be applied and reactor operation start. It was concluded that the flow is dispersed with 3.84% of dead spaces and that 20% of the cow manure provided best results; however, due to the high fiber content of the manure, its use is not recommended as inoculum. The BAR system, composed of four chambers, presented good performance for sewage treatment of a rural community in terms of organic substance removal (COD, turbidity and solids meeting effluent disposal standards of these parameters considering the Federal and Minas Gerais State legislation, in Brazil, even in a transient phase of operation, at temperatures below 20°C. However, the effluents from the BAR can’t be released into water bodies without other parameters such as nitrogen, phosphorus, fecal coliforms, and others are investigated to be conforming to those standards.

CO2 emission from soil after reforestation and application of sewage sludge

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Janaina Braga Carmo

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to quantify the carbon dioxide emissions from an Oxisol under degraded pasture located in Sorocaba, São Paulo State, Brazil. The treatments were: sewage sludge (LE, sewage sludge compost (CLE, mineral fertilizer (AM and no fertilization (T0. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design with analysis of the effect of the four treatments (CLE, LE, and AM T0 with four replications. The application of sewage sludge, sewage sludge compost, mineral fertilizer and no fertilizer was statistically significant for the variables of height increase and stem height of Guanandi seedlings (Calophyllum brasiliense Cambessèdes - Calophyllaceae. Treatments showed significant differences in terms of CO2 emissions from soil. The CLE exhibited the highest CO2 fluxes, reaching a peak of 9.33±0.96 g C m- 2 day- 1 (p<0.0001, as well as the LE with a maximum CO2 flux of 6.35±1.17 C m- 2 day- 1 (p<0.005. The AM treatment (4.96±1.61 g C m- 2 day- 1 had the same statistical effect as T0 (5.33±0.49 g C m- 2 day- 1. CO2 fluxes were correlated with soil temperature in all treatments. However, considering the period of 172 days of evaluation, the total loss of C as CO2 was 2.7% for sewage sludge and 0.7% for the sewage sludge compost of the total C added with the application on soil.

Irradiated sewage sludge for application to cropland. Results of a co-ordinated research project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-10-01

Modern urban societies produce large volumes of sewage, which are transported through a network of underground sewers to wastewater treatment plants, where one or more stages of physical, biological and chemical treatment are imposed. Considerable tonnages of aerobically, and sometimes anaerobically, digested sludge are produced, and treated or untreated effluent is discharged to lagoons, waterways or the ocean. The disposal of sewage sludge is a major issue for municipal authorities. There are increasing legislative restrictions in many countries on disposal methods (e.g. incineration, landfill, composting) including surface application to agricultural land. Sludge can either be viewed as a dangerous waste requiring expensive disposal procedures, or it can be seen as a resource for possible use in agriculture as a soil conditioning agent and a source of plant nutrients. Untreated sewage sludge presents a public-health hazard as it contains human pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and other harmful organisms. Although it has been demonstrated that an appropriate dose of gamma-irradiation can eliminate human parasites and bacterial pathogens from sewage sludge, there is still public concern about the presence of viruses, as well as heavy metals and toxic organic compounds from industrial sources that could enter the food chain if sludge is applied to croplands. More information is also needed on the value of sludge as a source of plant nutrients, expressed in terms of fertilizer equivalence. In this regard, isotopic labelling techniques have a unique role to play in estimating the contribution of sewage sludge to crop nutrition. As a result of recommendations formulated at a Consultants Meeting organized by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture and the IAEA Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences, 5-9 December 1994 (IAEA-TECDOC-971, Sewage Sludge and Wastewater for Use in Agriculture) the Joint Division implemented a Co

Using nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N) of macroalgae to determine the effectiveness of sewage upgrades: changes in the extent of sewage plumes over four years in Moreton Bay, Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costanzo, Simon D.; Udy, James; Longstaff, Ben; Jones, Adrian

2005-01-01

Nitrogen loading to aquatic ecosystems from sewage is recognised worldwide as a growing problem. The use of nitrogen stable isotopes as a means of discerning sewage nitrogen in the environment has been used annually by the Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program in Moreton Bay (Australia) since 1997 when the technique was first developed. This ('sewage plume mapping') technique, which measures the δ 15 N isotopic signature of the red macroalga Catenella nipae after incubation in situ, has demonstrated a large reduction in the magnitude and spatial extent of sewage nitrogen within Moreton Bay over the past 5 years. This observed reduction coincides with considerable upgrades to the nitrogen removal efficacy at several sewage treatment plants within the region. This paper describes the observed changes and evaluates whether they can be attributed to the treatment upgrades

Iodine-131 in sewage sludge from a small water pollution control plant serving a thyroid cancer treatment facility.

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Paula S; Swanson, R Lawrence

2013-08-01

Iodine-131 (half-life = 8.04 d) is the most widely used radionuclide in medicine for therapeutic purposes. It is excreted by patients and is discharged directly to sewer systems. Despite considerable dilution in waste water and the relatively short half-life of I, it is readily measured in sewage. This work presents I concentrations in sewage sludge from three water pollution control plants (WPCPs) on Long Island, NY. Iodine-131 concentrations ranged from 0.027 ± 0.002 to 148 ± 4 Bq g dry weight. The highest concentrations were measured in the Stony Brook WPCP, a relatively small plant (average flow = 6.8 × 10 L d) serving a regional thyroid cancer treatment facility in Stony Brook, NY. Preliminary radiation dose calculations suggested further evaluation of dose to treatment plant workers in the Stony Brook WPCP based on the recommendations of the Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards.

Comparison of Health Risk Assessments of Heavy Metals and As in Sewage Sludge from Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) for Adults and Children in the Urban District of Taiyuan, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Baoling; Zhang, Wuping; Zheng, Haixia; Wu, Chunyan; Zhang, Qiang; Bu, Yushan

2017-10-08

Abstract : To compare the human health risk of heavy metals and As in sewage sludge between adults and children, samples were collected from five wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in the urban district of Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi. Heavy metals and As in sewage sludge can be ranked according to the mean concentration in the following order: Cu > Cr > Zn > Pb > As > Hg > Cd. Compared with the concentration limit set by different countries, the heavy metals contents in sewage sludge were all within the standard limits, except for the content of As, which was higher than the threshold limit established by Canada. A health risk assessment recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) was used to compare the non-cancer risk and cancer risk between adults and children. Based on the mean and 95% upper confidence limit (UCL) of the average daily dose (ADD), heavy metals and As can be ranked in the order of Cu > Cr > Zn > Pb > As > Hg > Cd for adults, and Cu > Cr > Zn > Pb > Hg > As > Cd for children. Moreover, results of ADD ingest and ADD inhale indicated that ingestion was the main pathway for heavy metals and As exposure for both adults and children, and the sum of ADD implied that the exposure to all heavy metals and As for children was 8.65 and 9.93 times higher, respectively, than that for adults according to the mean and 95% UCL. For the non-carcinogenic risk, according to the hazard quotient (HQ), the risk of Cu, Hg and Cr was higher than the risk of Zn and Pb. The hazard index (HI) for adults was 0.144 and 0.208 for the mean and 95% UCL, which was less than the limit value of 1; for children, the HI was 1.26 and 2.25, which is higher than the limit value of 1. This result indicated that children had non-carcinogenic risk, but adults did not. Furthermore, ingestion was the main pathway for non-carcinogenic risk exposure by the HQ ingest and HQ inhale . For the carcinogenic risk, Cd and As were classified as carcinogenic

Comparison of Health Risk Assessments of Heavy Metals and As in Sewage Sludge from Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs for Adults and Children in the Urban District of Taiyuan, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baoling Duan

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract: To compare the human health risk of heavy metals and As in sewage sludge between adults and children, samples were collected from five wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs located in the urban district of Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi. Heavy metals and As in sewage sludge can be ranked according to the mean concentration in the following order: Cu > Cr > Zn > Pb > As > Hg > Cd. Compared with the concentration limit set by different countries, the heavy metals contents in sewage sludge were all within the standard limits, except for the content of As, which was higher than the threshold limit established by Canada. A health risk assessment recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA was used to compare the non-cancer risk and cancer risk between adults and children. Based on the mean and 95% upper confidence limit (UCL of the average daily dose (ADD, heavy metals and As can be ranked in the order of Cu > Cr > Zn > Pb > As > Hg > Cd for adults, and Cu > Cr > Zn > Pb > Hg > As > Cd for children. Moreover, results of ADDingest and ADDinhale indicated that ingestion was the main pathway for heavy metals and As exposure for both adults and children, and the sum of ADD implied that the exposure to all heavy metals and As for children was 8.65 and 9.93 times higher, respectively, than that for adults according to the mean and 95% UCL. For the non-carcinogenic risk, according to the hazard quotient (HQ, the risk of Cu, Hg and Cr was higher than the risk of Zn and Pb. The hazard index (HI for adults was 0.144 and 0.208 for the mean and 95% UCL, which was less than the limit value of 1; for children, the HI was 1.26 and 2.25, which is higher than the limit value of 1. This result indicated that children had non-carcinogenic risk, but adults did not. Furthermore, ingestion was the main pathway for non-carcinogenic risk exposure by the HQingest and HQinhale. For the carcinogenic risk, Cd and As were classified as

Bacterial Pathogens and Community Composition in Advanced Sewage Treatment Systems Revealed by Metagenomics Analysis Based on High-Throughput Sequencing

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Xin; Zhang, Xu-Xiang; Wang, Zhu; Huang, Kailong; Wang, Yuan; Liang, Weigang; Tan, Yunfei; Liu, Bo; Tang, Junying

2015-01-01

This study used 454 pyrosequencing, Illumina high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic analysis to investigate bacterial pathogens and their potential virulence in a sewage treatment plant (STP) applying both conventional and advanced treatment processes. Pyrosequencing and Illumina sequencing consistently demonstrated that Arcobacter genus occupied over 43.42% of total abundance of potential pathogens in the STP. At species level, potential pathogens Arcobacter butzleri, Aeromonas hydrophila and Klebsiella pneumonia dominated in raw sewage, which was also confirmed by quantitative real time PCR. Illumina sequencing also revealed prevalence of various types of pathogenicity islands and virulence proteins in the STP. Most of the potential pathogens and virulence factors were eliminated in the STP, and the removal efficiency mainly depended on oxidation ditch. Compared with sand filtration, magnetic resin seemed to have higher removals in most of the potential pathogens and virulence factors. However, presence of the residual A. butzleri in the final effluent still deserves more concerns. The findings indicate that sewage acts as an important source of environmental pathogens, but STPs can effectively control their spread in the environment. Joint use of the high-throughput sequencing technologies is considered a reliable method for deep and comprehensive overview of environmental bacterial virulence. PMID:25938416

2015 Annual Wastewater Reuse Report for the Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, Michael George [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2016-02-01

This report describes conditions, as required by the state of Idaho Wastewater Reuse Permit (#LA-000141-03), for the wastewater land application site at the Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant from November 1, 2014, through October 31, 2015.

Radiation treatment of sewage sludge - experience with an operating pilot plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suess, A.; Lessel, T.

1977-01-01

After an operation time of a pilot plant for the γ-irradiation of sewage sludge after 3 years promising results could be obtained for economic considerations, killing rate of pathogenes and radiation induced changes in sedimentation properties. Irradiated sewage sludge indicated nearly the same effect on soil and plant as untreated. No special trained personnel are necessary for maintenance because of the simple design. Successful experience during 18 months resulted in an increase of the daily capacity up to 120 m 3 from December 1975. (author)

Integration of the management of urban solid residues and muds: a symbiotic solution; Integracion de la gestion de residuos solidos urbanos y lodos: una solucion simbiotica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCarty, T.; Mulder, M.; Van Berlo, M.

2008-07-01

Linking a sewage treatment plant and a waste-to-energy plant brings energy efficiency benefits to both. The combined plant minimizes environmental impact and maximizes energy production, putting Amsterdam at the forefront of urban waste management. (Author)

Sewage Management Changes in the North-eastern Poland After Accession to the European Union

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Skarżyński Szymon

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Poland's accession to the European Union contributed to the infrastructure development of the whole country. One of the elements of the modernized infrastructure is the sewage network and facilities on this network, as well as facilities for waste water treatment and disposal of sludge. A wide stream of funds flowing to the country, and consequently also to the north-eastern polish voivodeships (Podlaskie, Warmian-Masurian, Lublin, allowed modernization, organize, and sometimes to build a new sewage management of this part of the country. The main factors and parameters that allow us to evaluate the development of the sewage management in north-eastern Poland are included: percentage of population using sewage treatment plants, number of municipal sewage plants with the division of their type, number of industrial plants, number of septic tanks, amount of sewage purified in a year, amount of sludge produced in the year, design capacity of sewage treatment plant, size of plant in population equivalent (PE. From a number of investments in the field of wastewater management carried out in the discussed area in the period after Poland's accession to the European Union, 9 investments were considered the most important, 3 from each of the voivodeships.

Experience with a pilot plant for the irradiation of sewage sludge: Results on the effect of differently treated sewage sludge on plants and soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suess, A.; Rosopulo, A.; Borchert, H.; Beck, Th.; Bauchhenss, J.; Schurmann, G.

1975-01-01

Since hygienization of sewage sludge will be important for an agricultural application it is necessary to study the effect of differently treated sewage sludge on plants and soil. In bean and maize experiments in 1973 and 1974 it was found that the treatment of sewage sludge is less important than soil properties and water capacity. Analysis on the efficiency of nutrients, minor elements and heavy metals from differently treated sewage sludge to plants were performed. Microbiological greenhouse studies indicated that there is a distinct tendency for different reactions, that irradiated sewage sludge gives a slightly better effect than untreated sludge, while the heat-treated sewage sludge indicates always a decrease, especially with the increase of applied amounts (respiration, protease and nitrification). In the field experiments there were almost no differences between untreated and irradiated sewage sludge, whereas there was always a smaller microbial activity after application of heat-treated sewage sludge. Studies on soil fauna (especially on Collemboles and Oribatidae) in the field trials indicate the influences of abiotic factors on the different locations. Besides these influences there was a decrease in the number of Collemboles and mites (in comparison with a normal fertilized plot) on the plots with 800 m 3 /ha treated sewage sludge. There was a remarkably large decrease in the plots with irradiated sewage sludge after an application of 800 m 3 /ha. Depending on the soil type, physical and chemical studies indicated an increase in the effective field capacity after the application of sewage sludge, and sometimes the best effects occurred with irradiated sewage sludge. Relative high aggregate values were observed (6-2, 6-5 mm diameter) in the plots with irradiated sewage sludge. (author)

Emission reduction in thermal processes for sewage sludge disposal; Emissionsreduzierung bei thermischen Verfahren zur Klaerschlammentsorgung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nethe, L.P. [Maerker Umwelttechnik GmbH, Hamburg (Germany)

1998-09-01

Owing to the intensification of treatment processes and the construction of new sewage plants sewage arisings are due to rise considerably. The thermal treatment of sewage sludge which it has not been possible to avoid or utilise is an important and indispensable part of any sewage sludge disposal concept. If equipped with a state-of-the-art flue gas purification process that uses carbonaceous adsorbents (Sorbalit trademark), thermal treatment of sewage sludge can be regarded as an environmentally safe process technique. [Deutsch] Die anfallenden Klaerschlammengen werden durch die Intensivierung der Klaerprozesse und der Bau neuer Klaeranlagen deutlich zunehmen. Die thermische Behandlung nicht vermiedener oder verwerteter Klaerschlaemme stellt einen bedeutenden und unverzichtbaren Teil der Klaerschlamm-Entsorgungskonzepte dar. Bei Installation einer - dem Stand der Technik - entsprechenden Rauchgasreinigung mit dem Einsatz kohlenstoffhaltiger Adsorbentien (Sorbalit {sup trademark}) ist die thermische Behandlung von Klaerschlamm eine umweltsichere Verfahrenstechnik. (orig.)

Extracellular enzyme activity in a willow sewage treatment system.

Science.gov (United States)

Brzezinska, Maria Swiontek; Lalke-Porczyk, Elżbieta; Kalwasińska, Agnieszka

2012-12-01

This paper presents the results of studies on the activity of extra-cellular enzymes in soil-willow vegetation filter soil which is used in the post-treatment of household sewage in an onsite wastewater treatment system located in central Poland. Wastewater is discharged from the detached house by gravity into the onsite wastewater treatment system. It flows through a connecting pipe into a single-chamber septic tank and is directed by the connecting pipe to a control well to be further channelled in the soil-willow filter by means of a subsurface leaching system. Soil samples for the studies were collected from two depths of 5 cm and 1 m from three plots: close to the wastewater inflow, at mid-length of the plot and close to its terminal part. Soil samples were collected from May to October 2009. The activity of the extra-cellular enzymes was assayed by the fluorometric method using 4-methylumbelliferyl and 7-amido-4-methylcoumarin substrate. The ranking of potential activity of the assayed enzymes was the same at 5 cm and 1 m soil depths, i.e. esterase > phosphmomoesterase > leucine-aminopeptidase > β-glucosidase > α-glucosidase. The highest values of enzymatic activity were recorded in the surface layer of the soil at the wastewater inflow and decreased with increasing distance from that point.

Recent research data on the removal of pharmaceuticals from sewage treatment plants (STP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Luiz Tambosi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Pharmaceutical compounds have been detected in sewage treatment plant (STP effluents, surface waters and, less frequently, in groundwater and drinking water, all over the world. Different sources are responsible for their appearance in the aquatic environment, however, it is widely accepted that the main sources of this type of pollutant are STP effluents. The adverse effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment include aquatic toxicity, development of resistance in pathogenic bacteria, genotoxicity and endocrine disruption. Thus, the discharge of these compounds to the environment in STP effluents should be minimized.

Anaerobic pre-treatment of sewage under low temperature (15 [degrees] C) conditions in an integrated UASB-digester system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mahmoud, N.J.A.H.

2002-01-01

The main objective of this thesis was to amend the UASB by the means of incorporating a digester for anaerobic sewage treatment in the Middle East region.

A literature search of the various parameters that mightaffect the solid liquid separation process by filtration

State Waste Discharge Permit application, 100-N Sewage Lagoon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-06-01

As part of the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order negotiations (Ecology et al. 1994), the US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington State Department of Ecology agreed that liquid effluent discharges to the ground on the Hanford Site which affect groundwater or have the potential to affect groundwater would be subject to permitting under the structure of Chapter 173--216 (or 173--218 where applicable) of the Washington Administrative Code, the State Waste Discharge Permit Program. As a result of this decision, the Washington State Department of Ecology and the US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office entered into Consent Order No. DE 91NM-177, (Ecology and DOE-RL 1991). This document constitutes the State Waste Discharge Permit application for the 100-N Sewage Lagoon. Since the influent to the sewer lagoon is domestic waste water, the State Waste Discharge Permit application for Public Owned Treatment Works Discharges to Land was used. Although the 100-N Sewage Lagoon is not a Public Owned Treatment Works, the Public Owned Treatment Works application is more applicable than the application for industrial waste water. The 100-N Sewage Lagoon serves the 100-N Area and other Hanford Site areas by receiving domestic waste from two sources. A network of sanitary sewer piping and lift stations transfers domestic waste water from the 100-N Area buildings directly to the 100-N Sewage Lagoon. Waste is also received by trucks that transport domestic waste pumped from on site septic tanks and holding tanks. Three ponds comprise the 100-N Sewage Lagoon treatment system. These include a lined aeration pond and stabilization pond, as well as an unlined infiltration pond. Both piped-in and trucked-in domestic waste is discharged directly into the aeration pond

Experience with a pilot plant for the irradiation of sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suess, A.; Rosopulo, A.; Borchert, H.; Beck, T.; Bauchhenss, J.; Schurmann, G.

1975-01-01

Since hygienization of sewage sludge will be important for an agricultural application, it is necessary to study the effect of differently treated sewage sludge to plants and soil. In bean- and maize experiments in 1973 and 1974 it was found that treatment of sewage sludge is less important than soil properties and water capacity. Analysis on the efficiency of nutrients, minor elements and heavy metals from differently treated sewage sludge to plants were performed. Microbiological greenhouse studies indicated that there is a distinct tendency for different reactions that irradiated sewage sludge gives a slightly better effect than untreated one. In the field experiments there were nearly no differences between untreated and irradiated sewage sludge. Studies on soil fauna in the performed field trials indicate influences of abiotic factors on the different locations. Besides these influences there is a decrease of the number of Collemboles and Mites on the plots with 800 m 3 /ha treated sewage sludge. There is a remarkable high decrease in the plots with irradiated sewage sludge after an application of 800 m 3 /ha. Physical and chemical studies indicated, depending on the soil type, an increase in the effective field capacity after the application of sewage sludge, while there were sometimes the best effects with irradiated sewage sludge. Relative high aggregate values were observed in the plots with irradiated sewage sludge. (orig./MG) [de

Regulatory impact analysis of the part 503 sewage sludge regulation. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burris, S.

1992-01-01

The report evaluates the costs, benefits, and economic impacts of the final 40 CFR Part 503 regulation governing the use of disposal of sewage sludge generated during the treatment of domestic sewage in a treatment works and domestic septage. The report begins by describing some relevant characteristics of treatment works and domestic septage haulers. The report focuses on the costs, risks, and benefits of the Part 503 regulation

Profiles and removal efficiency of polybrominated diphenyl ethers by two different types of sewage treatment work in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Man, Yu Bon; Chow, Ka Lai; Man, Ming; Lam, James Chung Wah; Lau, Frankie Tat Kwong; Fung, Wing Cheong; Wong, Ming Hung

2015-02-01

This study was to investigate removal efficiencies and profiles of 14 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners by two different types of sewage treatment work (STW) in Hong Kong: Stonecutters Island STW (SCISTW) which uses chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) process and Sha Tin STW (STSTW) which adopts biological treatment. The results indicated that both SCISTW and STSTW had a high total removal efficiency for BDE-47, BDE-99 BDE-209 and total PBDEs (SCISTW: 71.6 ± 15.8, 84.7 ± 12.3, 96.0 ± 2.62 and 87.4 ± 8.02%, respectively; STSTW: 74.8 ± 9.5, 90.7 ± 9.14, 96.2 ± 2.41 and 89.3 ± 2.62%, respectively) and PBDEs were chiefly removed by sorption. However, the profile of PBDEs demonstrated that the relative proportions of BDE-28 and BDE-47 in total PBDEs markedly increased, while that of BDE-209 decreased in the effluent samples of the two sewage treatment works, especially in STSTW. The percentage of BDE-209 in total PBDEs in effluent (49.3%) of SCISTW was 21.2% lower than that in influent (70.5%), and the percentage of BDE-209 in total PBDEs in effluent (13.8%) of STSTW was 34.1% reduced from influent (47.9%). Despite overall removal, the percentage of BDE-47 in total PBDEs in effluent (17.6%) of SCISTW was 6.85% higher than that in influent (10.7%), and the percentage of BDE-47 in total PBDEs in effluent (33.5%) of STSTW was 18.1% increased from influent (16.8%). The increase in proportion of BDE-47 in the effluent might raise environmental and public health concerns. Our study is a first attempt in reporting the PBDE congener profiles in different phases of sewage treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Performance of a pilot-scale constructed wetland for stormwater runoff and domestic sewage treatment on the banks of a polluted urban river.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Weijie; Li, Zhu; Cheng, Shuiping; Liang, Wei; He, Feng; Wu, Zhenbin

2014-01-01

To examine the performance of a constructed wetland system on stormwater runoff and domestic sewage (SRS) treatment in central east China, two parallel pilot-scale integrated constructed wetland (ICW) systems were operated for one year. Each ICW consisted of a down-flow bed, an up-flow bed and a horizontal subsurface flow bed. The average removal rates of chemical oxygen demand (CODCr), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia (NH4(+)-N), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were 63.6, 91.9, 38.7, 43.0 and 70.0%, respectively, and the corresponding amounts of pollutant retention were approximately 368.3, 284.9, 23.2, 44.6 and 5.9 g m(-2) yr(-1), respectively. High hydraulic loading rate (HLR) of 200 mm/d and low water temperatures (<15 °C) resulted in significant decrease in removals for TP and NH4(+)-N, but had no significant effects on removals of COD and TSS. These results indicated that the operation of this ICW at higher HLR (200 mm/d) might be effective and feasible for TSS and COD removal, but for acceptable removal efficiencies of nitrogen and phosphorus it should be operated at lower HLR (100 mm/d). This kind of ICW could be employed as an effective technique for SRS treatment.

Selected Aspects of Functioning of the Sewage Treatment Plant in Szczawnica in Terms of Receiver Water Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewa Wąsik

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This article includes an assessment of the impact of sewage exiting from the sewage treatment plant in Szczawnica before and after the modernization of the facility, the physicochemical composition and the quality of the water of their receiver - Dunajec River. The work was carried out on the basis of analysis of samples taken from raw and purified sewage and receiver waters. The Dunajec water intake was above and below the point of sewer discharge from the WWTP. The range of contaminated indicators included 14 physicochemical parameters and two bacteriological indicators. On the basis of the research conducted, it was stated that the Szczawnica Forest Enterprise after its modernization in 2016 functioned correctly. The purified sewage on it complies with the requirements of a water permit, which translates directly into effective protection against the pollution of receiver waters. This was confirmed by the results of the Kruskal-Wallis test that showed statistically significant differences between the median values of overall nitrogen concentrations before and after the refurbishment of the facility. For the remaining pollutant indices (total suspensions, BOD5, CODCr, total phosphorus, no statistically significant differences were found between the medians. In addition, it was found that the physico-chemical composition of Dunajec waters was similar in both examined sections. The purified effluent discharged from the Szczawnica treatment plant to the Dunajec River did not contribute to deterioration of its water quality in the case of physico-chemical indicators. Based on the classification of these elements, it was determined that in the analyzed period, the Dunajec water in the section directly above and below the WWTP meets the requirements for category A1 of waters intended for the supply of the population (very good quality water. In the case of microbiological classification based on the number of bacteria of the coli group and

Occurrence of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in a sewage treatment plant and its effluent-receiving river.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jian; Xu, Yan; Wang, Hongmei; Guo, Changsheng; Qiu, Huiyun; He, Yan; Zhang, Yuan; Li, Xiaochen; Meng, Wei

2015-01-01

The extensive use of antibiotics has caused the contamination of both antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. In this study, the abundance and distribution of antibiotics and ARGs from a sewage treatment plant (STP) and its effluent-receiving river in Beijing China were characterized. Three classes of antibiotics including tetracycline, sulfonamide and quinolone were quantified by LC-MS/MS. In the secondary effluent they were detected at 195, 2001 and 3866 ng L(-1), respectively, which were higher than in the receiving river water. A total of 13 ARGs (6 tet genes: tetA, tetB, tetE, tetW, tetM and tetZ, 3 sulfonamide genes: sul1, sul2 and sul3, and 4 quinolone genes: gryA, parC, qnrC and qnrD) were determined by quantitative PCR. For all ARGs, sulfonamide resistance genes were present at relatively high concentrations in all samples, with the highest ARG concentration above 10(-1). ARGs remained relatively stable along each sewage treatment process. The abundances of detected ARGs from the STP were also higher than its receiving river. Bivariate correlation analysis showed that relative tet gene copies (tetB/16S-rRNA and tetW/16S-rRNA) were strongly correlated with the concentrations of tetracycline residues (r(2)>0.8, pgenes. A negative correlation between the relative abundance of quinolone resistance gene (qnrC/16S-rRNA) and the concentrations of enrofloxacin (ENR) was also determined. The difference of ARGs levels in the raw influent and secondary effluent suggested that the STP treatment process may induce to increase the abundance of resistance genes. The results showed that the sewage was an important repository of the resistance genes, which need to be effectively treated before discharge into the natural water body. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of sewage sludge for agriculture in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumazawa, K.

1997-01-01

In Japan, the use of sewage sludge and composted sewage sludge is gradually increasing. They are applied not only to agricultural land, but also to golf courses, parks, etc. The presence of heavy metals and pathogens poses a major problem for such utilization of sludge. Composting is a traditional method of sewage treatment. Laws have been introduced and guidelines prepared for proper and safe use of these materials by farmers. Public acceptance plays a crucial role. At a time when environmental preservation is a major issue in almost every aspect of life, greater emphasis will have to be placed on making sludge and compost hygienically acceptable with minimum contamination from pathogenic organisms and heavy metals. The advantages of using sludges as fertilizer for improving and sustaining soil fertility and crop production are many. This paper reviews studies conducted on the use of sewage sludge in agriculture in japan. (author)

Sewage sludge as a biomass energy source

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavel Kolat

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The major part of the dry matter content of sewage sludge consists of nontoxic organic compounds, in general a combination of primary sludge and secondary microbiological sludge. The sludge also contains a substantive amount of inorganic material and a small amount of toxic components. There are many sludge-management options in which production of energy is one of the key treatment steps. The most important options are anaerobic digestion, co-digestion, incineration in combination with energy recovery and co-incineration in coal-fired power plants. The goal of our applied research is to verify, if the sludge from waste water treatment plants may be used as a biomass energy source in respect of the EU legislation, which would comply with emission limits or the proposal of energy process optimizing the preparation of coal/sludge mixture for combustion in the existing fluid bed boilers in the Czech Republic. The paper discusses the questions of thermal usage of mechanically drained stabilized sewage sludge from the waste water treatment plants in the boiler with circulated fluid layer. The paper describes methods of thermal analysis of coal, sewage sludge and its mixtures, mud transport to the circulating fluidised bed boiler, effects on efficiency, operational reliability of the combustion equipment, emissions and solid combustion residues.

Sewage Treatment Systems of Cruise Ships and The Parameters Affect on Dilution of Effluent at Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volkan ŞAHİN

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Cruise ships play an inevitable role in tourism sector across the world. Increasing in cruise ship tourism accompanies with significant environmental problems. Due to both size of cruise ships and the amount of passengers and consumables, cruise ships have a great potential for producing considerable amounts of wastes. Various types of wastes are produced in cruise ships depending on the daily consumptions of these wastes. Sewage, which consists mainly the toilet wastes, is the most important problem. Sewage contains various types of heavy metal, chemicals and pathogens that have harmful effects on marine species and ecosystem. Many national and international regulations and conventions are established in order to prevent the harmful effects of wastes. Studies on preventing and minimizing ship-related pollution contribute to both developing new waste management systems and forming new procedures for removing the wastes in both ship and port. In this study, Marine Sanitation Device (MSD and Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT and treatment procedures are investigated. ‘Dilution factor’ obtained by theoretical and experimental studies is explained in detail and variation of dilution factor depending on ship dimensions and velocity is investigated.

A microbiological study on sewage sludge treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sermkiattipong, Ngamnit; Ito, Hitoshi; Hashimoto, Shoji.

1990-09-01

Isolation and identification of salmonellae in sewage sludge cake and radiation sensitivities of the isolated strains were studied. Disinfection of the sludge by heat or radiation and effect of such treatment on composting were also carried out. Five groups of O-antigen and seven serotypes of salmonellae were identified from the sludge cakes. D 10 values of the salmonellae in phosphate buffer were ranged from 0.16 to 0.22 kGy and those in sludge were about three times larger. Total bacterial counts and coliforms in the sludges were determined to be 4.6 x 10 7 - 5.1 x 10 9 and 1.3 x 10 5 - 1.1 x 10 9 colony forming unit (cfu/g). After irradiation at 20 kGy by gamma ray or electron beam, decrease of total bacterial count was 5 - 7 log cycles and a dose of 5 kGy was enough to eliminate all of the coliforms. Coliforms decreased rapidly by heating at 65degC, but only one log cycle decrease was observed in total bacterial count. By heating at 100degC, total bacterial count decreased rapidly. Two peaks were observed in CO 2 evolution curves of radiation disinfected sludge composting, but only one peak in heat disinfected sludge composting. (author)

Experimental Study on the Treatment of low C/N ratio disposal of sewage with BAF

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, W. J.; Ma, T.; Cheng, W.

2010-03-01

The Biological Aerated Filter (BAF) is a simple, high-efficient, low-consumptive for new biological membrane method correspond to the situation of china, will be one of the main technical measures to solve the progressive deterioration of water environment problem faced china especially medium and small towns. This paper focuses on the experimental study and mechanism analysis in which the up flow, cocurrent gas-water, single-stage BAF was adopted on treatment domestic wastewater, the results showed that BAF has good performance in treating domestic sewage, and it had steady treatment effect with different pollution loads.

Using nitrogen stable isotope ratios ({delta}{sup 15}N) of macroalgae to determine the effectiveness of sewage upgrades: changes in the extent of sewage plumes over four years in Moreton Bay, Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costanzo, Simon D. [National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology, University of Queensland, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, QLD 4108 (Australia)]. E-mail: s.costanzo@uq.edu.au; Udy, James [Marine Botany, Centre for Marine Studies, University of Queensland, 4072 (Australia); Longstaff, Ben [Environmental Protection Agency, 80 Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, QLD 4058 (Australia); Jones, Adrian [University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, P.O. Box 775, Cambridge, MD 21613, USA (United States)

2005-07-01

Nitrogen loading to aquatic ecosystems from sewage is recognised worldwide as a growing problem. The use of nitrogen stable isotopes as a means of discerning sewage nitrogen in the environment has been used annually by the Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program in Moreton Bay (Australia) since 1997 when the technique was first developed. This ('sewage plume mapping') technique, which measures the {delta}{sup 15}N isotopic signature of the red macroalga Catenella nipae after incubation in situ, has demonstrated a large reduction in the magnitude and spatial extent of sewage nitrogen within Moreton Bay over the past 5 years. This observed reduction coincides with considerable upgrades to the nitrogen removal efficacy at several sewage treatment plants within the region. This paper describes the observed changes and evaluates whether they can be attributed to the treatment upgrades.

SewageLCI 1.0 - A first generation inventory model for quantification of chemical emissions via sewage systems. Application on chemicals of concern

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gallice, Aurélie; Birkved, Morten; Kech, Sébastien

obtained applying SewageLCI 1.0 model reveal that it’s possible to account for many of the variations in emission quantities of chemicals, caused by variations in the chemical fate properties and in the composition of national waste water treatment grids. The results indicate that the total emission...... treatment is emission to surface water recipients, other environmental compartments such as agricultural soil may receive considerable loads of chemicals emitted by the national specific waste water grids. The SewageLCI 1.0 presentation and case study reveal how broad inclusion of chemicals emitted......Lack of inventory data on chemical emissions often forces life cycle assessors to rely on crude emissions estimates (e.g. 100 % of the applied chemical mass is assumed emitted) or in the worst case to omit chemical emissions due to lack of emission data. The inventory model SewageLCI 1.0, provides...

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in influents, suspended particulate matter, sediments, sewage treatment plant and effluents and biota from the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boer, de J.; Wester, P.G.; Horst, van der A.; Leonards, P.E.G.

2003-01-01

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been determined in 133 samples of suspended particulate matter (SPM), sediments, sewage treatment plant (STP) influents and effluents, fish and mussels from various locations in The Netherlands, as a part of a large Dutch national study on estrogenic

Monitoring anthropogenic sewage pollution on mangrove creeks in southern Mozambique: A test of Palaemon concinnus Dana, 1852 (Palaemonidae) as a biological indicator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penha-Lopes, Gil; Torres, Paulo; Cannicci, Stefano; Narciso, Luis; Paula, Jose

2011-01-01

Tropical coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, have a great ecological and socioeconomic importance for adjacent systems and local populations, but intensive environmental impact monitoring is still lacking, mainly in East Africa. This study evaluated the potential anthropogenic disturbance on Palaemon concinnus population structure and fitness. Palaemon concinnus populations from one peri-urban (domestic sewage impacted) and two pristine mangrove creeks were studied by sampling nearly 100 shrimps per location every 15 days for 12 months. The shrimps at the peri-urban location were larger, experienced longer reproductive periods, presented higher proportion of ovigerous females and better embryo quality when compared with shrimps inhabiting pristine locations. Physiological indices (RNA/DNA ratio) were similar between shrimps at pristine and peri-urban mangroves. However, a higher level of parasitation by a Bopyridae isopod, Pseudione elongata indicated some degree of stress on the host at the peri-urban mangrove, with potential effects on the host population dynamics. -Research highlights: → Domestic sewage discharges at low concentrations increase fauna mangrove population parameters, due to the nutrient limitations. → Shrimps in the peri-urban mangrove location were larger, had longer reproductive periods, higher ovigerous females proportions and better embryo. → Physiological indice analysis (RNA/DNA ratio) between pristine and peri-urban mangroves. → Within the peri-urban mangrove, high levels of parasitation by Pseudionee longata caused stress and potential effects on the host population dynamics. → The effects of sewage on P. concinnus population increased the choice of possible bioindicators in East African coastal water. - The identification of the effects of the peri-urban conditions on P. concinnus increases the choice of possible bioindicators in East African coastal waters.

Monitoring anthropogenic sewage pollution on mangrove creeks in southern Mozambique: A test of Palaemon concinnus Dana, 1852 (Palaemonidae) as a biological indicator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Penha-Lopes, Gil, E-mail: gil.penha-lopes@fc.ul.p [Laboratorio Maritimo da Guia, Centro de Oceanografia, FCUL, Avenida Na Senhora do Cabo, No 939, 2750-374 Cascais (Portugal); Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M (Denmark); Torres, Paulo, E-mail: biol.paulo@gmail.co [Laboratorio Maritimo da Guia, Centro de Oceanografia, FCUL, Avenida Na Senhora do Cabo, No 939, 2750-374 Cascais (Portugal); Cannicci, Stefano, E-mail: stefano.cannicci@unifi.i [Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica, Universita degli Studi di Firenze, via Romana 17, I-50125 Firenze (Italy); Narciso, Luis, E-mail: lfnarciso@fc.ul.p [Laboratorio Maritimo da Guia, Centro de Oceanografia, FCUL, Avenida Na Senhora do Cabo, No 939, 2750-374 Cascais (Portugal); Paula, Jose, E-mail: jppaula@fc.ul.p [Laboratorio Maritimo da Guia, Centro de Oceanografia, FCUL, Avenida Na Senhora do Cabo, No 939, 2750-374 Cascais (Portugal)

2011-02-15

Tropical coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, have a great ecological and socioeconomic importance for adjacent systems and local populations, but intensive environmental impact monitoring is still lacking, mainly in East Africa. This study evaluated the potential anthropogenic disturbance on Palaemon concinnus population structure and fitness. Palaemon concinnus populations from one peri-urban (domestic sewage impacted) and two pristine mangrove creeks were studied by sampling nearly 100 shrimps per location every 15 days for 12 months. The shrimps at the peri-urban location were larger, experienced longer reproductive periods, presented higher proportion of ovigerous females and better embryo quality when compared with shrimps inhabiting pristine locations. Physiological indices (RNA/DNA ratio) were similar between shrimps at pristine and peri-urban mangroves. However, a higher level of parasitation by a Bopyridae isopod, Pseudione elongata indicated some degree of stress on the host at the peri-urban mangrove, with potential effects on the host population dynamics. -Research highlights: Domestic sewage discharges at low concentrations increase fauna mangrove population parameters, due to the nutrient limitations. Shrimps in the peri-urban mangrove location were larger, had longer reproductive periods, higher ovigerous females proportions and better embryo. Physiological indice analysis (RNA/DNA ratio) between pristine and peri-urban mangroves. Within the peri-urban mangrove, high levels of parasitation by Pseudionee longata caused stress and potential effects on the host population dynamics. The effects of sewage on P. concinnus population increased the choice of possible bioindicators in East African coastal water. - The identification of the effects of the peri-urban conditions on P. concinnus increases the choice of possible bioindicators in East African coastal waters.

Recycling of sewage in Swedish municipalities - Policy implications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soederberg, H

1998-12-31

The construction of sewage treatment plants, which increased dramatically during the sixties in Sweden, was based on the idea that sewage is a waste, despite the fact that it contains considerable amounts of nourishment. Environmental research today, focuses more and more on recycling and on the potential resource inherent in sewage. This chapter deals with how to manage a change from problem elimination to recycling of resources, and discuss such from an institutional perspective. A shift towards recycling implies a shift of techniques, decision-makers and process strategies. Implementation of recycling will need strategic principles, and thereby results from research focusing common property resource management can be used in the policy process 32 refs, 5 figs

Recycling of sewage in Swedish municipalities - Policy implications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soederberg, H.

1997-12-31

The construction of sewage treatment plants, which increased dramatically during the sixties in Sweden, was based on the idea that sewage is a waste, despite the fact that it contains considerable amounts of nourishment. Environmental research today, focuses more and more on recycling and on the potential resource inherent in sewage. This chapter deals with how to manage a change from problem elimination to recycling of resources, and discuss such from an institutional perspective. A shift towards recycling implies a shift of techniques, decision-makers and process strategies. Implementation of recycling will need strategic principles, and thereby results from research focusing common property resource management can be used in the policy process 32 refs, 5 figs

The effect of sewage urban and industrial sludge on the development of wheat and colza

Science.gov (United States)

Lasoued, Najla; Bilal, Essaid; Rejeb, Saloua; Guénole-Bilal, Issam; Rejeb, Nejib

2013-04-01

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of two types of sludge from sewage treatment urban and industrial plants on the wheat and colza. These sludge is made at different doses (5, 25, 50 and 100 t / ha). We are therefore interested in the growth and absorption of heavy metals by plants and follow the fate of the latter in the ground to prevent pollution events and toxicity. The soil is characterized by an alkaline pH; conductivity ranging from 1.06 to 1.52mmho/cm resulting low salinity and soil saturation is between 30.4 and 31.8ml/100g. The sand is the most representative size fraction in this soil which is a sandy loam soil texture. The percentages of limestone in the different horizons are less than 5% so it is a non-calcareous soil, with organic matter content very low. Contents of total nitrogen are relatively low. The C/N ratio is about 7 at the first horizon (0-10cm) indicates that organic matter will be quickly mineralized. The mean levels of heavy metals found in the soil are organized in the following order: Fe >> Mn> Zn> Pb> Cu> Ni> Co> Cd mean concentrations of heavy metals introduced by the sludge. With the addition of sludge, there is a parallel increase in the number of ears and an increased number of grains per m². The ears and grains also increases with increasing dose of sludge, whatever the type of sludge made. The increase in the number of grains with the addition of sludge has the consequence of decrease in PMG this can be explained by the decrease in weight and grain quality response to stress. The numbers of feet of wheat increases dice the contribution of 5t/ha sludge, this increase is more pronounced with the addition of urban sludge. The leaf area increases with the contribution of sludge as well as for urban or industrial sludge's. The leaf surface of this crop varies between 15.77cm2 of the oldest leaf to 3.78cm2 for the youngest leaf in the control soil. The leaf surface increases by 10cm² for 5BI and 11cm² 5BU

Joint NRC/EPA Sewage Sludge Radiological Survey: Survey Design & Test Site Results

Science.gov (United States)

This report contains the results of a radiological survey of nine publicly POTWs around the country, which was commissioned by the Sewage Sludge Subcommittee, to determine whether and to what extent radionuclides concentrate in sewage treatment wastes.

Amendment of the EC Sewage Sludge Regulation and the German Sewage Sludge Ordinance; Novellierung der EG-Klaerschlammrichtlinie und der deutschen Klaerschlammverordnung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergs, C.G.; Krebsbach, A. [Bundesministerium fuer Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, Berlin (Germany)

2001-03-01

The EC Sewage Sludge Guideline of 12 June 1996 laid down the boundary conditions for sewage sludge utilisation in agriculture. The purpose of the regulation was the standardisation of member states regulations on sewage sludge treatment and the harmonisation of limiting values for pollutant emissions in the EC member states. [German] Mit der 'Richtlinie des Rates vom 12. Juni 1996 ueber den Schutz der Boeden bei der Verwendung von Klaerschlamm in der Landwirtschaft' (86/278/EWG) hat die Europaeische Kommission EU-weite Rahmenvorgaben fuer die landwirtschaftliche Klaerschlammverwertung geschaffen. Ziel der Richtlinie war es, eine Rechtsangleichung der Regelungen ueber die Klaerschlammverwertung und eine Harmonisierung der Schadstoffgrenzwerte in den Mitgliedstaaten zu erreichen. (orig.)

Volatile Fatty Acids Production from Codigestion of Food Waste and Sewage Sludge Based on β-Cyclodextrins and Alkaline Treatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xue; Liu, Xiang; Chen, Si; Liu, Guangmin; Wu, Shuyan; Wan, Chunli

2016-01-01

Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are preferred valuable resources, which can be produced from anaerobic digestion process. This study presents a novel technology using β -cyclodextrins ( β -CD) pretreatment integrated alkaline method to enhance VFAs production from codigestion of food waste and sewage sludge. Experiment results showed that optimized ratio of food waste to sewage sludge was 3 : 2 because it provided adequate organic substance and seed microorganisms. Based on this optimized ratio, the integrated treatment of alkaline pH 10 and β -CD addition (0.2 g/g TS) performed the best enhancement on VFAs production, and the maximum VFAs production was 8631.7 mg/L which was 6.13, 1.38, and 1.57 times higher than that of control, initial pH 10, and 0.2 g β -CD/g TS treatment, respectively. Furthermore, the hydrolysis rate of protein and polysaccharides was greatly improved in integration treatment, which was 1.18-3.45 times higher than that of other tests. Though the VFAs production and hydrolysis of polymeric organics were highly enhanced, the primary bacterial communities with different treatments did not show substantial differences.

Design of sewage treatment system by applying fuzzy adaptive PID controller

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Liang-Ping; Li, Hong-Chan

2013-03-01

In the sewage treatment system, the dissolved oxygen concentration control, due to its nonlinear, time-varying, large time delay and uncertainty, is difficult to establish the exact mathematical model. While the conventional PID controller only works with good linear not far from its operating point, it is difficult to realize the system control when the operating point far off. In order to solve the above problems, the paper proposed a method which combine fuzzy control with PID methods and designed a fuzzy adaptive PID controller based on S7-300 PLC .It employs fuzzy inference method to achieve the online tuning for PID parameters. The control algorithm by simulation and practical application show that the system has stronger robustness and better adaptability.

SimpleTreat 3.0: a model to predict the distribution and elimination of Chemicals by Sewage Treatment Plants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Struijs J; ECO

1996-01-01

The spreadsheet SimpelTreat 3.0 is a model to predict the distribution and elimination of chemicals by sewage treatment. Simpeltreat 3.0 is an improved version of SimpleTreat, applied in the Netherlands in the Uniform System for the Evaluation of Substances (USES version 1.0, 1994). Although in the

Studies on land application of sewage sludge and its limiting factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xin; Chen Tao; Ge Yinghua; Jia Yongfeng

2008-01-01

Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of sewage sludge application on the heavy metal content in soils and grasses. The sewage sludge was obtained from Northern Shenyang Wastewater Treatment Plant, China, and applied at 0, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 150 t ha -1 . Native grasses Zoysia japonica and Poa annua were chosen as experimental plants. The experimental results showed that nutrient content of the soil, especially organic matter, was increased after sewage sludge application. The grass biomass was increased and the grass growing season was longer. Heavy metal concentrations in the soil also increased; however, the Zn content did not exceed the stringent Chinese environmental quality standard for soil. Pb and Cu did not exceed the standard for B grade soil, but Cd concentration in soil amended by sewage sludge has exceeded the B grade standard. Therefore, it is suggested that the sewage sludge produced from the wastewater treatment plant should not be applied to farmland, for which B grade soil or better is required. The sludge is suitable for application to forestry and grasslands or nurseries where food chain contamination with cadmium is not a concern

Antibiotic resistant bacteria in urban sewage: Role of full-scale wastewater treatment plants on environmental spreading.

Science.gov (United States)

Turolla, A; Cattaneo, M; Marazzi, F; Mezzanotte, V; Antonelli, M

2018-01-01

The presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) in wastewater was investigated and the role of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in promoting or limiting antibiotic resistance was assessed. Escherichia coli (E. coli) and total heterotrophic bacteria (THB) resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol and tetracycline was monitored in three WWTPs located in Milan urban area (Italy), differing among them for the operating parameters of biological process, for the disinfection processes (based on sodium hypochlorite, UV radiation, peracetic acid) and for the discharge limits to be met. Wastewater was collected from three sampling points along the treatment sequence (WWTP influent, effluent from sand filtration, WWTP effluent). Antibiotic resistance to ampicillin was observed both for E. coli and for THB. Ampicillin resistant bacteria in the WWTP influents were 20-47% of E. coli and 16-25% of THB counts. A limited resistance to chloramphenicol was observed only for E. coli, while neither for E. coli nor for THB tetracycline resistance was observed. The biological treatment and sand filtration led to a decrease in the maximum percentage of ampicillin-resistant bacteria (20-29% for E. coli, 11-21% for THB). However, the conventionally adopted parameters did not seem adequate to support an interpretation of WWTP role in ARB spread. Peracetic acid was effective in selectively acting on antibiotic resistant THB, unlike UV radiation and sodium hypochlorite. The low counts of E. coli in WWTP final effluents in case of agricultural reuse did not allow to compare the effect of the different disinfection processes on antibiotic resistance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two-step upflow anaerobic sludge bed system for sewage treatment under subtropical conditions with posttreatment in waste stabilization ponds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seghezzo, L.; Trupiano, A.P.; Liberal, V.; Todd, P.G.; Figueroa, M.E.; Gutierrez, M.A.; Silva Wilches, Da A.C.; Iribarnegaray, M.; Guerra, R.G.; Arena, A.; Cuevas, C.M.; Zeeman, G.; Lettinga, G.

2003-01-01

A pilot-scale sewage treatment system consisting of two upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactors followed by five waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) in series was studied under subtropical conditions. The first UASB reactor started up in only 1 mo (stable operation, high chemical oxygen demand

Towards spatially smart abatement of human pharmaceuticals in surface waters: defining impact of sewage treatment plants on susceptible functions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gils, J.A.G.; Coppens, L.J.C.; Laak, ter T.L.; Raterman, B.W.; Wezel, van A.P.

2015-01-01

For human pharmaceuticals, sewage treatment plants (STPs) are a major point of entry to surface waters. The receiving waters provide vital functions. Modeling the impact of STPs on susceptible functions of the surface water system allows for a spatially smart implementation of abatement options at,

Towards spatially smart abatement of human pharmaceuticals in surface waters : Defining impact of sewage treatment plants on susceptible functions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coppens, Lieke J C; van Gils, Jos A G; Ter Laak, Thomas L|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304831026; Raterman, Bernard W; van Wezel, Annemarie P|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/141376074

2015-01-01

For human pharmaceuticals, sewage treatment plants (STPs) are a major point of entry to surface waters. The receiving waters provide vital functions. Modeling the impact of STPs on susceptible functions of the surface water system allows for a spatially smart implementation of abatement options at,

2015 Annual Wastewater Reuse Report for the Idaho National Laboratory Site's Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, Michael George

2016-01-01

This report describes conditions, as required by the state of Idaho Wastewater Reuse Permit (#LA-000141-03), for the wastewater land application site at the Idaho National Laboratory Site's Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant from November 1, 2014, through October 31, 2015.

Environmental and economic life cycle assessment for sewage sludge treatment processes in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jinglan; Hong, Jingmin; Otaki, Masahiro; Jolliet, Olivier

2009-02-01

Life cycle assessment for sewage sludge treatment was carried out by estimating the environmental and economic impacts of the six alternative scenarios most often used in Japan: dewatering, composting, drying, incineration, incinerated ash melting and dewatered sludge melting, each with or without digestion. Three end-of-life treatments were also studied: landfilling, agricultural application and building material application. The results demonstrate that sewage sludge digestion can reduce the environmental load and cost through reduced dry matter volume. The global warming potential (GWP) generated from incineration and melting processes can be significantly reduced through the reuse of waste heat for electricity and/or heat generation. Equipment production in scenarios except dewatering has an important effect on GWP, whereas the contribution of construction is negligible. In addition, the results show that the dewatering scenario has the highest impact on land use and cost, the drying scenario has the highest impact on GWP and acidification, and the incinerated ash melting scenario has the highest impact on human toxicity due to re-emissions of heavy metals from incinerated ash in the melting unit process. On the contrary, the dewatering, composting and incineration scenarios generate the lowest impact on human toxicity, land use and acidification, respectively, and the incinerated ash melting scenario has the lowest impact on GWP and cost. Heavy metals released from atmospheric effluents generated the highest human toxicity impact, with the effect of dioxin emissions being significantly lower. This study proved that the dewatered sludge melting scenario is an environmentally optimal and economically affordable method.

Treatment of sewage sludge by hydrothermal carbonization as part of a sustainable recycling management; Hydrothermale Karbonisierung zur weitergehenden Klaerschlammaufbereitung als Baustein einer nachhaltigen Kreislaufwirtschaft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallmann, Rainer; Loewen, Achim; Hoebel, Wanja [HAWK Hochschule fuer angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst, Fachhochschule Hildesheim/Holzminden/Goettingen (DE). Fachgebiet Nachhaltige Energie- und Umwelttechnik (NEUTec)

2010-07-15

An analysis of up-to-date research on hydrothermal carbonization HTC shows that extensive basic investigation has been conducted and the process has proven to be of relevance. First results published indicate a wide range of applications for HTC and open up the path for large scale utilization. The application of HTC in technical scale is most promising for liquid media such as sewage sludge or fermentation residues deriving from waste and waste water treatment or from bioenergy processes. Especially municipal sewage sludge offers great potential. Due to the current amendment of the regulation on sewage sludge, an increasing demand for alternative treatment processes has developed. The mass flow distribution is of special importance with respect to preventive soil protection. Also, a sustainable handling of nutrient rich biomass is require d for reasons of climate and resource protection. In this regard, HTC can offer a relevant contribution. However, there is still significant demand for further research. (orig.)

Effect of bioleaching on hydrogen-rich gas production by steam gasification of sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Hanhui; Chen, Zhihua; Huo, Chan; Hu, Mian; Guo, Dabin; Xiao, Bo

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Bioleaching can modify the physicochemical property of sewage sludge. • The enhancement is mainly hydrogen. • Bioleaching can enhance the gas production in gasification of sewage sludge. • Study provides an insight for future application of bioleached sewage sludge. - Abstract: Effect of bioleaching on hydrogen-rich gas production by steam gasification of sewage sludge was carried out in a lab-scale fixed-bed reactor. The influence of sewage sludge solids concentrations (6–14% (w/v) in 2% increments) during the bioleaching process and reactor temperature (600–900 °C in 100 °C increments) on gasification product yields and gas composition were studied. Characterization of samples showed that bioleaching treatment, especially in 6% (w/v) sludge solids concentration, led to metal removal effectively and modifications in the physicochemical property of sewage sludge which was favored for gasification. The maximum gas yield (49.4%) and hydrogen content (46.4%) were obtained at 6% (w/v) sludge solids concentration and reactor temperature of 900 °C. Sewage sludge after the bioleaching treatment may be a feasible feedstock for hydrogen-rich gas product.

Nutrient sequestration, biomass production by microalgae and phytoremediation of sewage water.

Science.gov (United States)

Renuka, N; Sood, A; Ratha, S K; Prasanna, R; Ahluwalia, A S

2013-01-01

The present work was aimed at analysing the role of inoculated microalgae in nutrient dynamics, bioremediation and biomass production of sewage water. Preliminary microscopic analyses of sewage water revealed the presence of different algal groups, with predominance of Cyanophyta. Among the inoculated strains, Calothrix showed highest dry cell weight (916.67 mg L(-1)), chlorophyll and carotenoid content in tap water + sewage water (1:1) treatment. Significant removal of NO3-N ranging from 57-78% and PO4-P (44-91%) was recorded in microalgae inoculated tap water + sewage water. The total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity of tap water + sewage water after incubation with Calothrix sp. decreased by 28.5 and 28.0%, accompanied by an increase in dissolved oxygen from 4.4 to 6.4 mg L(-1) on the 20th day. Our investigation revealed the robustness of Calothrix sp. in sequestering nutrients (N and P), improving water quality and proliferating in sewage water.

Energetic assessment of air-steam gasification of sewage sludge and of the integration of sewage sludge pyrolysis and air-steam gasification of char

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gil-Lalaguna, N.; Sánchez, J.L.; Murillo, M.B.; Atienza-Martínez, M.; Gea, G.

2014-01-01

Thermo-chemical treatment of sewage sludge is an interesting option for recovering energy and/or valuable products from this waste. This work presents an energetic assessment of pyrolysis and gasification of sewage sludge, also considering the prior sewage sludge thermal drying and the gasification of the char derived from the pyrolysis stage. Experimental data obtained from pyrolysis of sewage sludge, gasification of sewage sludge and gasification of char (all of these performed in a lab-scale fluidized reactor) were used for the energetic calculations. The results show that the energy contained in the product gases from pyrolysis and char gasification is not enough to cover the high energy consumption for thermal drying of sewage sludge. Additional energy could be obtained from the calorific value of the pyrolysis liquid, but some of its properties must be improved facing towards its use as fuel. On the other hand, the energy contained in the product gas of sewage sludge gasification is enough to cover the energy demand for both the sewage sludge thermal drying and the gasification process itself. Furthermore, a theoretical study included in this work shows that the gasification efficiency is improved when the chemical equilibrium is reached in the process. - Highlights: • 4 MJ kg −1 for thermal drying of sewage sludge (SS) from 65 to 6.5 wt.% of moisture. • 0.15 MJ kg −1 for thermal decomposition of sewage sludge during fast pyrolysis. • Not enough energy in gases from SS pyrolysis and char gasification for thermal drying. • Enough energy in SS gasification gas for thermal drying and gasification process. • Gasification efficiency improves when equilibrium is reached in the process

Electron beam disinfection of sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashimoto, Shoji

1992-01-01

Electron beam treatment of dehydrated sewage sludge for safe reutilization was performed. Ranges of total bacterial counts and total coliforms in the sludge were from 1.5 x 10 8 to 1.6 x 10 9 and from 2.2 x 10 7 to 1.5 x 10 8 per wet gram, respectively. Total bacterial counts decreased about 5 log cycles after irradiating 5 kGy and irradiation with 2 kGy was enough to kill all coliforms in sewage sludge. The survival curves of total bacteria, obtained by irradiation in oxygen atmosphere, approached to that in nitrogen atmosphere with the increase of sludge thickness. No effects of dose rate and electron energy were found when the sludge layers were thin enough. Continuous disinfection of sewage sludge cake, with the maximum feed rate of 300 kg-sludge/hr, was successfully performed with a Cockcroft-Walton type electron accelerator, a sludge pump and a flat nozzle. (J.P.N.)

Technical and economical feasibility study of a sewage sludge disinfection plants by irradiation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas Bustos, Gustavo

1999-01-01

This report presents a technical and economical evaluation for a disinfection plant of sewage sludge based on irradiation. The process starts after sludge stabilization which is achieved by anaerobic digestion. It includes two stages, plus an optional: the first corresponds to dewatering of sewage sludge up to a solids content between 20 and 25 %, the second stage corresponds to disinfection by gamma or electron beam irradiation, and the third, which is optional, corresponds to the drying of sewage sludge up to a water content of 50%, which allows to diminish significantly the volumes of solids to be transported. If this stage is not accomplished the final product corresponds to a sewage sludge with 25 % of dry solids, which can also be disposed in agricultural land. Process was designed to treat 60 tons per day of sewage sludge (dry matter basis). The report presents the design of process equipment, principal and auxiliary, the investment and operational cost estimations as well as the total cost of treatment per ton of sewage sludge. A sensitivity analysis is also included to determine the influence of operational process parameters in operational and investment costs. The results showed that a sewage sludge plant including dewatering and disinfection process through gamma irradiation, achieves a capital investment of about US$ 12.000.000 with a treatment cost per ton of dry sludge of US$140. Including the optional air-drying stage, the total cost of treatment is about US$148 per ton of dry matter. In the case of electron beam irradiation the capital investment achieves a value of US$ 11 millions with a total treatment cost of US$ 136 per ton of dry matter. These values resulted quite similar to the cost of alternative treatment, i.e., disposal in a dedicated landfill. (L.V.)

Enantioselective degradation of Bromocyclene in sewage plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bester, K [Duisburg-Essen Univ. (Germany). FG Siedlungswasser- und Abfallwirtschaft/Inst. fuer Umweltanalytik

2004-09-15

Bromocyclene has been utilised as insecticide against ectoparasites, however the production in Germany was stopped around 1995. Until that time it was used in pet care as well as in sheep farming. Due to its high bioaccumulation it was detected not only in sewage systems and sewage treatment plants, but also in fresh water fish. Enatioselective determination at that time was used to obtain results on the biodegradation of Bromocyclene in fish. Considering the long time period since the phase out of Bromocyclene it was surprising it was easily identified in sludge samples from 2002.

Application of radiation technology to sewage sludge processing: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jianlong; Wang Jiazhuo

2007-01-01

Sewage sludge is unwanted residual solid wastes generated in wastewater treatment and its management is one of the most critical environmental issues of today. The treatment and disposal of sludge contribute a considerable proportion of the cost for running a wastewater treatment plant. The increasing amount of swage sludge and more and more legislative regulation of its disposal have stimulated the need for developing new technologies to process sewage sludge efficiently and economically. One ideal consideration is to recycle it after proper treatment. Radiation technology is regarded to be a promising alternative for its high efficiency in pathogen inactivation, organic pollutants oxidation, odor nuisance elimination and some other characteristics enhancement, which will facilitate the down-stream process of sludge treatment and disposal. Here we present a brief review of application of radiation technology on sewage sludge processing. Some basic information of two currently available irradiation systems and fundamental radiation chemistry are introduced firstly; then the world-wide application of this promising technology is reviewed; various effects of radiation on sludge is discussed in detail; and some concluding remarks are given and some future directions are also proposed

Pharmaceutical concentration variability at sewage treatment plant outlets dominated by hydrology and other factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunsch, Andrea F; Ter Laak, Thomas L; Rijnaarts, Huub; Christoffels, Ekkehard

2018-04-01

A study was conducted in which the effluent at four small to medium sized sewage treatment plants (STP) in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany was monitored for three pharmaceutical compounds (carbamazepine, diclofenac, metoprolol) over a period of four years. Grab sampling and auto sampling campaigns were accomplished with respect to various weather conditions in the catchment area. Flow volumes and hydraulic retention times (HRT) from various sampling dates which provide information on processes causing emission changes were additionally taken into account. Monitoring results showed that concentration scattering in the effluent is related to HRT in the sewage treatment plants. Dilution effects following rain events in the catchment area were analysed for the three investigated substances. Short-term emission changes explained by dilution only could be well determined by the mathematical relation between discharge and concentration, and for carbamazepine to be solely determined by the dilution effects at all HRTs. For metoprolol, a clear decrease in concentrations was observed at HRTs above 80 h, and a significant contribution of biodegradation was supported by independent biodegradation tests. For three out of the four STPs, a decrease in concentrations of diclofenac was observed at hydraulic retention times above 80 h, indicating removal, whereas the relationship between concentration and HRT of the other STP could be explained by dilution only. The study shows that emissions can vary with weather conditions, hampering the assessment of emissions and estimation of concentrations in surface waters from generic removal rates only. Furthermore, it illustrates the importance of HRT of rather stable substances in wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wastes disposal on board a ship. Disposal of sewage and waste water; Senjo no haikibutsu shori. Osui oyobi haisui no shori ni tsuite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakamura, K. [Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1996-07-25

This paper describes technologies and devices suitable for disposing of sewage and waste water produced in a ship. Methods for disposing of sewage in a ship include such physico-chemical disposition methods as disinfection and sterilization, and such biological disposition methods as activated sludge sewage disposition and catalytic oxidation (biological membrane treatment). Sewage treatment devices include a storage tank type sewage treatment device often used in inner sea liners such as ferry boats, and a biological treatment device (aeration device) used as a mainstream in merchant ships, large passenger liners, and governmental ships. With the storage tank type sewage treatment device, sewage is stored in a storage tank provisionally while a ship is cruising in a discharge prohibited sea area, and discharged in a sea area allowing the discharge or when the ship enters a port. The method is simple, but limited in storage volume. An activated sludge sewage treatment device consists of a tank divided into an aeration chamber, a sedimentation chamber and a disinfection chamber, an air compressor, a chlorine dissolving apparatus, and a screen. Sewage is digested and decomposed by activated sludge, and the top clear water is disinfected by chlorine, and then discharged. 1 tab.

Leaching of Heavy Metals Using SPLP Method from Fired Clay Brick Incorporating with Sewage Sludge

Science.gov (United States)

Kadir, Aeslina Abdul; Salim, Nurul Salhana Abdul; Amira Sarani, Noor; Aqma Izurin Rahmat, Nur

2017-05-01

Sewage sludge is a by-product generate from wastewater treatment process. The sewage sludge contains significant trace metal such as Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb which are toxic to the environment. Sewage sludge is disposed of by landfilling method. However, this option not suitable because of land restriction and environmental control regulations imposed. Therefore, sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plant was incorporated into fired clay brick to produce good quality of brick as well as reducing heavy metals from sludge itself. Sewage sludge with 0%, 1%, 5%, 10% and 20% of were incorporated into fired clay bricks and fired at 1050°C temperature with heating rates of 1°C/min. The brick sample then crushed and sieved through 9.5 mm sieve for Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP). From the results, incorporation up to 20% of sewage sludge has leached less heavy metals and compliance with USEPA standard.

Composting of sewage sludge irradiated

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashimoto, Shoji; Watanabe, Hiromasa; Nishimura, Koichi; Kawakami, Waichiro

1981-01-01

Recently, the development of the techniques to return sewage sludge to forests and farm lands has been actively made, but it is necessary to assure its hygienic condition lest the sludge is contaminated by pathogenic bacteria. The research to treat sewage sludge by irradiation and utilize it as fertilizer or soil-improving material has been carried out from early on in Europe and America. The effects of the irradiation of sludge are sterilization, to kill parasites and their eggs, the inactivation of weed seeds and the improvement of dehydration. In Japan, agriculture is carried out in the vicinity of cities, therefore it is not realistic to use irradiated sludge for farm lands as it is. The composting treatment of sludge by aerobic fermentation is noticed to eliminate the harms when the sludge is returned to forests and farm lands. It is desirable to treat sludge as quickly as possible from the standpoint of sewage treatment, accordingly, the speed of composting is a problem. The isothermal fermentation experiment on irradiated sludge was carried out using a small-scale fermentation tank and strictly controlling fermentation conditions, and the effects of various factors on the fermentation speed were studied. The experimental setup and method are described. The speed of composting reached the maximum at 50 deg C and at neutral or weak alkaline pH. The speed increased with the increase of irradiation dose up to 30 Mrad. (Kako, I.)

Biogeochemistry and community ecology in a spring-fed urban river following a major earthquake.

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, Naomi S; Clough, Tim J; Condron, Leo M; Baisden, W Troy; Harding, Jon S; Dong, Y; Lewis, G D; Lear, Gavin

2013-11-01

In February 2011 a MW 6.3 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand inundated urban waterways with sediment from liquefaction and triggered sewage spills. The impacts of, and recovery from, this natural disaster on the stream biogeochemistry and biology were assessed over six months along a longitudinal impact gradient in an urban river. The impact of liquefaction was masked by earthquake triggered sewage spills (~20,000 m(3) day(-1) entering the river for one month). Within 10 days of the earthquake dissolved oxygen in the lowest reaches was urban natural disasters. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals (HMs) in Sewage Sludge of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in Shanxi, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Baoling; Liu, Fenwu; Zhang, Wuping; Zheng, Haixia; Zhang, Qiang; Li, Xiaomei; Bu, Yushan

2015-12-11

Heavy metals (HMs) in sewage sludge have become the crucial limiting factors for land use application. Samples were collected and analyzed from 32 waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Shanxi Province, China. HM levels in sewage sludge were assessed. The multivariate statistical method principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to identify the sources of HMs in sewage sludge. HM pollution classes by geochemical accumulation index I(geo) and correlation analyses between HMs were also conducted. HMs were arranged in the following decreasing order of mean concentration: Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > As > Hg > Cd; the maximum concentrations of all HMs were within the limit of maximum content permitted by Chinese discharge standard. I(geo) classes of HMs pollution in order from most polluted to least were: Cu and Hg pollution were the highest; Cd and Cr pollution were moderate; Zn, As and Pb pollution were the least. Sources of HM contamination in sewage sludge were identified as three components. The primary contaminant source accounting for 35.7% of the total variance was identified as smelting industry, coking plant and traffic sources; the second source accounting for 29.0% of the total variance was distinguished as household and water supply pollution; the smallest of the three sources accounting for 16.2% of the total variance was defined as special industries such as leather tanning, textile manufacturing and chemical processing industries. Source apportionment of HMs in sewage sludge can control HM contamination through suggesting improvements in government policies and industrial processes.

ECOLOGICAL SEWAGE MANAGEMENT SOLUTION AND HEATING IN THE MONASTERY IN ZWIERKI

OpenAIRE

Katarzyna Ignatowicz; Joanna Smyk

2014-01-01

The study focused on the effectiveness of household sewage treatment plant in Zvierki. Were tested wastewater from the septic tank, the well with a diffuser, from the well of sludge, wa-stewater after filtrationthrough filterwith plants and the receiver of treated sewage – the pond. Checked the ability to remove a treatment with respect to BOD5, COD, ammonia nitrogen, nitrates and phosphates. Based on the results high efficiencyremoval of BOD5, COD, ammo-nia nitrogen and phosphate. Unfortunat...

Co-digestion to support low temperature anaerobic pretreatment of municipal sewage in a UASB–digester

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lei Zhang,; Hendrickx, T.L.G.; Kampman, C.; Temmink, B.G.; Zeeman, G.

2013-01-01

The aim of this work was to demonstrate that co-digestion improves soluble sewage COD removal efficiency in treatment of low temperature municipal sewage by a UASB–digester system. A pilot scale UASB–digester system was applied to treat real municipal sewage, and glucose was chosen as a model

Synergy of sewage water treatment plants and processing of manure; Synergie RWZI en mestverwerking

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bisschops, I.; Weijma, J.; Van Eekert, M.; Spanjers, H. [Lettinga Associates Foundation LeAF, Wageningen (Netherlands); Timmerman, M.; Fe Buisonje, F. [Wageningen UR Livestock Research WLR, Wageningen (Netherlands)

2011-05-15

The goal of this study is to explore profitable ways of processing manure in sewage water treatment plants. Technological options are explored for processing manure, the availability of manure in the surroundings, the space taken up by manure digestion and annual costs and benefits [Dutch] Het doel van deze studie is te verkennen hoe mest op rendabele wijze in rwzi's (rioolwaterzuiveringsinstallaties) verwerkt kunnen worden. Er is gekeken naar de technologische mogelijkheden om mest te kunnen verwerken, de beschikbaarheid van mest in de omgeving, ruimtebeslag van mestvergisting, en jaarlijkse kosten en opbrengsten.

Combining multimedia models with integrated urban water system models for micropollutants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Keyser, W.; Gevaert, V.; Verdonck, F.

2010-01-01

Integrated urban water system (IUWS) modeling aims at assessing the quality of the surface water receiving the urban emissions through sewage treatment plants, combined sewer overflows (CSOS) and stormwater drainage systems However, some micropollutants tend to appear in more than one environmental...... medium (air, water, sediment, soil, groundwater, etc) In this work, a multimedia fate and transport model (MFTM) is "wrapped around" a dynamic IUWS model for organic micropollutants to enable integrated environmental assessment The combined model was tested on a hypothetical catchment using two scenarios...... on the one hand a reference scenario with a combined sewerage system and on the other hand a stormwater infiltration pond scenario, as an example of a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) A case for Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was simulated and resulted in reduced surface water concentrations...

Combining multimedia models with integrated urban water system models for micropollutants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Keyser, W.; Gevaert, V.; Verdonck, F.

2009-01-01

Integrated urban water system (IUWS) modelling aims at assessing the quality of the surface water receiving the urban emissions through sewage treatment plants, combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and stormwater drainage systems. However, some micropollutants have the tendency to occur in more than one...... environmental medium. In this work, a multimedia fate and transport model (MFTM) is “wrapped around” a dynamic IUWS model for organic micropollutants to enable integrated environmental assessment. The combined model was tested on a hypothetical catchment using two scenarios: a reference scenario...... and a stormwater infiltration pond scenario, as an example of a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS). A case for Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was simulated and resulted in a reduced surface water concentration for the latter scenario. However, the model also showed that this was at the expense...

Evaluation of methodology for quantifying radiopharmaceuticals in tertiary-treated sewage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krieger, H.; Frishkorn, G.; Martin, E.; Jacobs, B.

1980-01-01

The production and utilization of radioactive pharmaceuticals and radionuclides for medical diagnosis and therapy warrant consideration of their fate and their radiation hazard to the population after discharge. Some of these nuclides represent curies of activity from a single facility that are being released to the sewers over a years's time. Although their relatively short half-life and the large sewer dilution may reduce the activity in the waste by several orders of magnitude at the point of treatment, the unpredictable range of decontamination by normal sewage treatment practices means that some will remain in the final effluent. Even after tertiary treatment operations, necessary when sewage effluents are to be used as coolants for nuclear reactors, and the confirmation of the nuclides in these effluents becomes of major concern as possible radiation hazards. Methodology to identify and measure the activity of five radionuclides - 131 I, 85 Sr, 57 Co, 51 Cr, and 75 Se - was developed and tested. Chemical yields agreed with radiochemical yields, and the chemical yields were at least 70%. Since the normal activity levels of each of these nuclides will be low, the required precision and accuracy can best be satisfied by radiochemical analysis of large volumes. Analyses on the influents, sludges, and treated effluents will indicate the overall efficiency of the entire sewage treatment process, provide evidence of the fate of each nuclide discharged into the sewage stream, and indicate whether a potential radiation hazard exists

Applying Sewage Sludge to Eucalyptus grandis Plantations: Effects on Biomass Production and Nutrient Cycling through Litterfall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Da Silva, P.H.M.; Poggiani, F.; Laclau, J.P.

2011-01-01

In most Brazilian cities sewage sludge is dumped into sanitary landfills, even though its use in forest plantations as a fertilizer and soil conditioner might be an interesting option. Sewage sludge applications might reduce the amounts of mineral fertilizers needed to sustain the productivity on infertile tropical soils. However, sewage sludge must be applied with care to crops to avoid soil and water pollution. The aim of our study was to assess the effects of dry and wet sewage sludges on the growth and nutrient cycling of Eucalyptus grandis plantations established on the most common soil type for Brazilian eucalypt plantations. Biomass production and nutrient cycling were studied over a 36-month period in a complete randomized block design. Four experimental treatments were compared: wet sewage sludge, dry sludge, mineral fertilizer, and no fertilizer applications. The two types of sludges as well as mineral fertilizer increased significantly the biomass of Eucalyptus trees. Wood biomass productions 36 months after planting were similar in the sewage sludge and mineral fertilization treatments (about 80 tons ha - '1) and 86 % higher than in the control treatment. Sewage sludge application also affected positively leaf litter production and significantly increased nutrient transfer among the components of the ecosystem.

Applying Sewage Sludge to Eucalyptus grandis Plantations: Effects on Biomass Production and Nutrient Cycling through Litterfall

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Henrique Müller da Silva

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In most Brazilian cities sewage sludge is dumped into sanitary landfills, even though its use in forest plantations as a fertilizer and soil conditioner might be an interesting option. Sewage sludge applications might reduce the amounts of mineral fertilizers needed to sustain the productivity on infertile tropical soils. However, sewage sludge must be applied with care to crops to avoid soil and water pollution. The aim of our study was to assess the effects of dry and wet sewage sludges on the growth and nutrient cycling of Eucalyptus grandis plantations established on the most common soil type for Brazilian eucalypt plantations. Biomass production and nutrient cycling were studied over a 36-month period in a complete randomized block design. Four experimental treatments were compared: wet sewage sludge, dry sludge, mineral fertilizer, and no fertilizer applications. The two types of sludges as well as mineral fertilizer increased significantly the biomass of Eucalyptus trees. Wood biomass productions 36 months after planting were similar in the sewage sludge and mineral fertilization treatments (about 80 tons ha−1 and 86% higher than in the control treatment. Sewage sludge application also affected positively leaf litter production and significantly increased nutrient transfer among the components of the ecosystem.

Use of sewage sludge - nitrogen availability and heavy metal uptake into rape

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerzabek, M. H.; Lombi, E.; Herger, P.

1998-07-01

The results of a three years experiment with large pots in the field evaluating the effects of sewage sludge (sterilised by γ-irradiation or not sterilised) on rape growth, heavy metal-and N-uptake, using the 15 N-dilution technique, are presented. Mobile fractions of Cd, Cu and Zn increased significantly in the substrate due to sewage sludge treatments. However heavy metal transfer into rape plants did not respond clearly. Rape growth was clearly enhanced in the first and third year due to sewage sludge applications. The average N-utilization by rape from sewage sludge in a three years period decreased from 7.4 % (first year), 1.8 % (second year) to 1.1 % (third year), resulting in an overall utilization of 10.3 % of sewage sludge - N t by rape plants. Irradiation of sewage sludge did not result in any significant effect on the investigated parameters. (author)

Tests in excess sludge minimization through cell membrane break-up by means of ozone at a municipal sewage treatment plant; Versuche zur Ueberschussschlamm-Minimierung durch Zellaufschluss mit Ozon auf einer kommunalen Klaeranlage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ried, A.; Peters, B. [WEDECO Umweltdienstleistungen GmbH, Herford (Germany)

1999-07-01

Disposing of sewage sludge involves high cost. Therfore, processes to reduce sewage sludge are more and more in demand. One such process is the treatment with ozone. The company WEDESCO GmbH is also concerned with ozonification of sewage sludge and carries out tests on a technical scale at a municipal sewage treatment plant. The objective is to reduce the amount of sewage sludge by approximately 50 %, corresponding, in the present case, to the organic sludge portion. (orig.) [German] Da die Entsorgung dieses Klaerschlamms hohe Kosten verursacht, gewinnen Verfahren zur Klaerschlammreduzierung zunehmend an Bedeutung. Eine Moeglichkeit der Reduzierung des Klaerschlamms besteht in der Behandlung mit Ozon. Auch die WEDECO GmbH befasst sich mit der Ozonung von Klaerschlamm und fuehrt Versuche im grosstechnischen Massstab auf einer kommunalen Klaeranlage durch. Ziel dieser Versuche ist es, den anfallenden Klaerschlamm um ca. 50% zu reduzieren, was in diesem Anwendungsfall dem organischen Anteil des Schlamms entspricht. (orig.)

Mathematical experimental modeling for muffle furnace drying process of municipal sewage sludge in Beijing and Osaka

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xinyi; Takaoka, Masaki; Zhu, Fenfen; Oshita, Kazuyuki; Mizuno, Tadao; Morisawa, Shinsuke

2010-01-01

Over the past two decades, China has experienced rapid urbanization, which also leads to a lot of environmental problems including those of sewage sludge. As the amount of sewage sludge increases, conventional methods of treatment, such as compost and landfill, are facing the problems of limitations in demands or land. Considering that the demand of constructive materials in China keeps increasing, reusing municipal sewage sludge (MSS) in cement manufactory plant as fuels and raw materials is another practicable way to deal with it. The aim of this study is to describe the process of the heating of sewage sludge under different atmospheres of nitrogen and oxygen, and to find out some relation between the moisture of MSS and the heating time under different surrounding temperature by means of a mathematical model. In this study, we compared 4 kinds of MSS sampled in Beijing and Osaka. First of all, we defined the differences in those fundamental physical properties, such as concentration of various elements, calorific values and so on. Then the macroscopical thermal properties of the sludges were observed by means of thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. Both pyrolysis and combustion of 4 samples of MSS were studied by TG dynamic runs carried out at 10K/m. Visual observation of the heating profiles shows three stages in the heating process, which have been characterized. At last, we focused on batch processing drying tests using muffle furnace under temperature of 200, 250 and 300 degrees Celsius. The volatile matters loss besides moisture during heating process was evaluated and the experimental drying curves were matched with a mathematical model. (author)

Presence of radioactivity in a sewage system: a proposal for radioactivity control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serradell, Vicente; Ballesteros, Luisa; Ortiz, Josefina

2008-01-01

Most hospitals use radioisotopes in diagnostics and to a lesser extent in therapy. The liquid residues thus generated are usually subjected to treatment before being discharged into the sewage system. Nevertheless, a certain amount of these residues escape from the treatment system and are poured directly into the sewer. In addition, other radioactive products used for research and industrial purposes may also be disposed of in the same way. The waste waters in many sewage systems can therefore be expected to be radiologically contaminated and the need for at least a basic control system in such situations seems obvious. When designing a procedure to measure radioactivity, certain conditions should be borne in mind: 1) The control program has to be simple and inexpensive; 2) Samples must be taken from the appropriate places; 3) Short life radionuclides will probably be present in significant amounts, so that specific recipes should be prepared; 4) Iodine is also frequently present. Special precautions should be taken to keep it in solution. In recent years, the Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory of the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (Spain) has carried out a series of tests on the Valencia city sewage system and sewage treatment plant in order to design a permanent program to control radioactive contamination of the city's sewage system. This paper presents a proposal which we believe can provide the answer to this problem. (author)

Practical aspects of the pasteurization of sewage sludge by electron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tauber, M.; Hofmann, E.G.; Offermann, B.P.

1975-01-01

Recently the demand for disinfection of sewage sludge has increased. Investigations have shown that the radiation pasteurization of sludge is the most preferable treatment. Up to now most of these investigations have been made with 60 Co radiation sources. However, it is not easy to run an economic and safe process line for the irradiation of sewage sludge with such isotope sources. Powerful electron accelerators are now available and the main features of the irradiation of sewage sludge with fast electrons are discussed and the design parameters of such installations described. From the standpoint of the limited electron penetration into the material it is desirable to use high-energy electrons (up to 1.5 MeV) whereas from an economic standpoint it may be better to use electrons of lower energies (0.5 to 1 MeV) and to homogenize the sewage sludge to the required thickness. The following parameters must be considered for a commercial process line: effectivity of the electron radiation process; limited penetration of electrons into the material to be irradiated; beam power of electron accelerators required for sewage sludge treatment; safety aspects; economics of the process with regard to electron energy, power and homogenization of the material; and environmental aspects of the installations. The practical aspects of commercial process lines for electron irradiation of sewage sludge and the design of handling equipment are discussed in relation to these parameters. (author)

Removal of pathogenic bacteria from sewage-treated effluent and biosolids for agricultural purposes

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Gheethi, A. A.; Efaq, A. N.; Bala, J. D.; Norli, I.; Abdel-Monem, M. O.; Ab. Kadir, M. O.

2018-05-01

The reuse of treated sewage for irrigation is considered as an important alternative water source in the new water management strategy of the countries that face a severe deficiency of water resources such as the Middle East countries. The organic material and fertilizing elements contained in biosolids are essential for maintaining soil fertility. However, both treated sewage and biosolids contain a large diversity of pathogens that would be transmitted to the environment and infect human directly or indirectly. Therefore, those pathogens should be reduced from the treated sewage and biosolids before the reuse in the agriculture. This paper reviews the considerations for reuse of treated sewage and biosolids in agriculture and further treatments used for reduction of pathogenic bacteria. The treatment methods used for the reduction of pathogens in these wastes have reviewed. It appeared that the main concern associated with the reduction of pathogenic bacteria lies in their ability to regrow in the treated sewage and biosolids. Therefore, the effective treatment method is that it has the potential to destruct pathogens cells and remove the nutrients to prevent the regrowth or recontamination from the surrounded environment. The removal of nutrients might be applicable in the sewage but not in the biosolids due to high nutrient contents. However, the reduction of health risk in the biosolids might be carried out by regulating the biosolid utilization and selecting the plant species grown in the fertilized soil with biosolids.

Changes in bacterial and eukaryotic communities during sewage decomposition in Mississippi river water.

Science.gov (United States)

Korajkic, Asja; Parfrey, Laura Wegener; McMinn, Brian R; Baeza, Yoshiki Vazquez; VanTeuren, Will; Knight, Rob; Shanks, Orin C

2015-02-01

Microbial decay processes are one of the mechanisms whereby sewage contamination is reduced in the environment. This decomposition process involves a highly complex array of bacterial and eukaryotic communities from both sewage and ambient waters. However, relatively little is known about how these communities change due to mixing and subsequent decomposition of the sewage contaminant. We investigated decay of sewage in upper Mississippi River using Illumina sequencing of 16S and 18S rRNA gene hypervariable regions and qPCR for human-associated and general fecal Bacteroidales indicators. Mixtures of primary treated sewage and river water were placed in dialysis bags and incubated in situ under ambient conditions for seven days. We assessed changes in microbial community composition under two treatments in a replicated factorial design: sunlight exposure versus shaded and presence versus absence of native river microbiota. Initial diversity was higher in sewage compared to river water for 16S sequences, but the reverse was observed for 18S sequences. Both treatments significantly shifted community composition for eukaryotes and bacteria (P treatments for both 16S (R = 0.50; P > 0.001) and 18S (R = 0.91; P = 0.001) communities. A comparison of 16S sequence data and fecal indicator qPCR measurements indicated that the latter was a good predictor of overall bacterial community change over time (rho: 0.804-0.814, P = 0.001). These findings suggest that biotic interactions, such as predation by bacterivorous protozoa, can be critical factors in the decomposition of sewage in freshwater habitats and support the use of Bacteroidales genetic markers as indicators of fecal pollution. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dried gamma-irradiated sewage solids use on calcareous soils: crop yields and heavy metals uptake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCaslin, B.D.; Sivinski, J.S.

1980-01-01

The fertilizer values of gamma-irradiated digested sewage solids (RDSS) and gamma-irradiated undigested sewage solids (RUSS) have been examined on calcareous soils. Previously published data from Sandia Laboratories have shown that approximately 1 mega-rad of gamma-irradiation effectively destroys pathogenic bacteria, parasites and plant seeds in dried sewage solids. Greenhouse experiments directly comparing gamma-irradiated and non-irradiated undigested and digested dried sewage solids as fertilizers indicate little or no effect of 1 mega-rad gamma radiation treatment on plant yield or plant-nutrient uptake and demonstrated considerable benefit from using sewage solids on calcareous soils. Plant response to undigested sewage solids was considerably greater than to digested sewage solids when applied at levels that were isonitrogenous. The calcareous soils in New Mexico typically range in pH from 7.5 to 9.0, limiting the plant-availability of many elements, especially heavy metals. Soils irrigated with sewage-effluent for 40 years demonstrated beneficial use of supplied plant-nutrients with no apparent increase in plant-uptake of heavy metals. RDSS applied to a calcareous soil low in plant-available iron increased plant growth in the greenhouse considerably more than treatments with equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and iron applied as common fertilizer materials. Plant tissue concentrations of Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu showed that RDSS was a good source of these nutrients. Results also indicated that the total soluble salt concentration of the RDSS was the factor most limiting plant growth. Chromium, Cd, Ni and Pd plant-tissue concentrations were apparently not increased by RDSS treatments. (Auth.)

Sewage reflects the distribution of human faecal Lachnospiraceae

Science.gov (United States)

McLellan, Sandra L.; Newton, Ryan J.; Vandewalle, Jessica L.; Shanks, Orin C.; Huse, Susan M.; Eren, A. Murat; Sogin, Mitchell L.

2014-01-01

Summary Faecal pollution contains a rich and diverse community of bacteria derived from animals and humans, many of which might serve as alternatives to the traditional enterococci and Escherichia coli faecal indicators. We used massively parallel sequencing (MPS) of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize microbial communities from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent sewage from 12 cities geographically distributed across the USA. We examined members of the Clostridiales, which included the families Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae for their potential as sewage indicators. Lachnospiraceae was one of the most abundant groups of faecal bacteria in sewage, and several Lachnospiraceae high-abundance sewage pyrotags occurred in at least 46 of 48 human faecal samples. Clone libraries targeting Clostridium coccoides (C. coccoides) in sewage samples demonstrated that Lachnospiraceae-annotated V6 pyrotags encompassed the previously reported C. coccoides group. We used oligotyping to profile the genus Blautia within Lachnospiraceae and found oligotypes comprised of 24 entropy components that showed patterns of host specificity. These findings suggest that indicators based on Blautia might have the capacity to discriminate between different faecal pollution sources. Development of source-specific alternative indicators would enhance water quality assessments, which leads to improved ecosystem health and reduced human health risk due to waterborne disease. PMID:23438335

Changes in the Concentration of Heavy Metals (Cr, Cd, Ni During the Vermicomposting Process of Sewage Sludge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aušra Zigmontienė

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Sewage sludge treatment and utilization is an important issue for a biodegradable waste management strategy. Heavy metals in sewage sludge complicate its use. Vermicomposting is one of the ways to improve the characteristics of sewage sludge and to reduce the residual concentrations of heavy metals. Study on changes in the concentration of heavy metals (Chromium, Nickel and Cadmium, when vermicomposting sewage sludge, was performed using Californian earthworms (Eisenia fetida. For that purpose, 60 kg of sewage sludge from Vilnius Waste Water Treatment Plant were taken thus inserting 1.5 kg of Californian earthworms into it. Optimal conditions for work (optimum temperature, moisture, pH for earthworms to survive were maintained in the course of the study that lasted 120 days and was conducted in June – August. The samples of sewage sludge and earthworms were taken every 10 days. The concentrations of heavy metals in sewage sludge were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Use of process observers at sewage treatment plants; Einsatz von Prozessbeobachtern fuer Klaeranlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jumar, U.; Alex, J. [Institut fuer Kommunikation und Automation e.V. Magdeburg (IFAK), Barleben (Germany); Rosenwinkel, K.H.; Obenaus, F. [Hannover Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Siedlungswasserwirtschaft und Abfalltechnik

1999-07-01

The paper describes the use of online simulation for prognosticating plant behaviour, training plant operators, and for obtaining state data not to be obtained otherwise. Whereas, for the mathematical modelling of the process, the established approaches Activated Sludge Model (ASM) 1 and 2 could be reverted to, new methodics needed to be developed for continuous model tracking in order to solve the conflict between a large number of parameters in the model and scarce online measuring data on the spot. The result is a practicable solution which harnesses available knowledge concerning the significance of suitable parameters for model adaptation. First of all, essential demands on and objectives of a process observer for sewage treatment plants are elaborated. Then a software system is described with reference to successful pilot installations which permits model-based process control and remote monitoring of sewage treatment plant. (orig.) [German] Der Beitrag beschreibt die Nutzung der Online-Simulation fuer die Prognose des Anlagenverhaltens, das Training der Anlagenfahrer und die Gewinnung ansonsten nicht messbarer Zustandsinformationen. Waehrend fuer die mathematische Modellierung des Prozesses auf die etablierten Ansaetze ASM 1 und 2 (Activated Sludge Model) zurueckgegriffen werden konnte, musste fuer die laufende Modellnachfuehrung eine neue Methodik entwickelt werden, um den Konflikt zwischen grosser Parameteranzahl im Modell und geringer Online-Messinformation vor Ort zu loesen. Das Ergebnis ist eine praktikable Loesung, die das vorhandene Wissen um die Signifikanz zur Modellanpassung geeigneter Parameter ausnutzt. In den folgenden Ausfuehrungen werden zunaechst wesentliche Anforderungen und Zielstellungen eines Prozessbeobachters fuer Klaeranlagen herausgearbeitet. Unter Bezugnahme auf erfolgreiche Pilotinstallationen wird anschliessend ein Software-System vorgestellt, das eine modellgestuetzte Betriebsfuehrung und Fernueberwachung von Klaeranlagen

Comparative analysis of the efficiency, reliability, technical feasibility and costs of methods to convert sewage sludge to a hygienically safe condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuhrmann, D.; Leschber, R.; Mueller, G.; Jaeger, B.; Neumann, U.

1981-01-01

Due to the development of sewage treatment technology and the construction of new and sewage works and enlargement of older ones, increasing amounts of sewage sludge have been produced. Agricultural use of municipal sewage sludge is a practicable way of utilization which, however, is often limited for reasons of hygienic safety. The present study intends to describe methods of sewage sludge disinfection which have been used in practice or tested extensively, as well as technical innovations in this field, and to give information on their performance with respect to hygienic and technical requirements. A direct comparison of processes has turned out to be extremely difficult because disinfection of sewage sludge is only one of the stages of sewage treatment. For comparison, numerous factors have to be taken into account such as plant size, type of sewage and sludge treatment processes, energy costs, sales potential for agricultural use etc. This study is meant as an aid in such work. (orig.) [de

Data on treatment of sewage wastewater by electrocoagulation using punched aluminum electrode and characterization of generated sludge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinita Khandegar

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The electrocoagulation setup must be optimized in order to design an economically feasible process. Therefore, in this work, the effect of the punched aluminum electrode on the performance of the electrocoagulation (EC has been investigated. A series of experiments were performed for treatment of sewage wastewater using plane electrode and compare with punched electrodes. Effect of contact time, voltage, electrode spacing and stirring speed has been optimized for removal of Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD and Total dissolved solids (TDS. It was observed that the performance of electrocoagulation process increased using punched electrode. Also, the less operating cost noticed in punched electrode as compared to a plane electrode for (70–80% removal of BOD and TDS. These data would be useful in designing of an EC reactor to obtain high removal efficiency at low energy consumption. Keywords: Electrocoagulation, Sewage wastewater, Aluminum, Plane, Punched electrode

Fate and distribution of pharmaceuticals in wastewater and sewage sludge of the conventional activated sludge (CAS) and advanced membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Radjenović, Jelena; Petrović, Mira; Barceló, Damià

2009-02-01

In this paper we report on the performances of full-scale conventional activated sludge (CAS) treatment and two pilot-scale membrane bioreactors (MBRs) in eliminating various pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) belonging to different therapeutic groups and with diverse physico-chemical properties. Both aqueous and solid phases were analysed for the presence of 31 pharmaceuticals included in the analytical method. The most ubiquitous contaminants in the sewage water were analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs ibuprofen (14.6-31.3 microg/L) and acetaminophen (7.1-11.4 microg/L), antibiotic ofloxacin (0.89-31.7 microg/L), lipid regulators gemfibrozil (2.0-5.9 microg/L) and bezafibrate (1.9-29.8 microg/L), beta-blocker atenolol (0.84-2.8 microg/L), hypoglycaemic agent glibenclamide (0.12-15.9 microg/L) and a diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (2.3-4.8 microg/L). Also, several pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen, ketoprofen, diclofenac, ofloxacin and azithromycin were detected in sewage sludge at concentrations up to 741.1, 336.3, 380.7, 454.7 and 299.6 ng/g dry weight. Two pilot-scale MBRs exhibited enhanced elimination of several pharmaceutical residues poorly removed by the CAS treatment (e.g., mefenamic acid, indomethacin, diclofenac, propyphenazone, pravastatin, gemfibrozil), whereas in some cases more stable operation of one of the MBR reactors at prolonged SRT proved to be detrimental for the elimination of some compounds (e.g., beta-blockers, ranitidine, famotidine, erythromycin). Moreover, the anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine and diuretic hydrochlorothiazide by-passed all three treatments investigated. Furthermore, sorption to sewage sludge in the MBRs as well as in the entire treatment line of a full-scale WWTP is discussed for the encountered analytes. Among the pharmaceuticals encountered in sewage sludge, sorption to sludge could be a relevant removal pathway only for several compounds (i.e., mefenamic acid, propranolol, and loratidine). Especially in the

The key to sewage sludge disposal. Wohin mit dem Klaerschlamm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Florin, G. (Sulzer-Escher Wyss GmbH, Fliessbett-Technik, Ravensburg (Germany))

1994-01-01

At the sewage treatment plant in Dornbirn (Austria), the quality of the treated effluent is so good that trout can be seen swimming in the outfall. Nevertheless, the quantity of removed polluting matter has posed a real problem for the persons responsible. In their efforts to find a means for reducing the volume of sewage sludge, they came across the so-called fluidbed drying process. (orig.)

Detection of radionuclides originating from a nuclear power plant in sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puhakainen, M.; Suomela, M.

1999-01-01

Sewage sludge is a sensitive indicator of radionuclides entering the environment. Radionuclides originating in nuclear power stations have been detected in sludge found at wastewater treatment plants in communities near the power plants (NPP). The main contributor is the radionuclide discharges of the NPPs into the atmosphere, but workers may transmit small amounts through their clothes or skin, or from internal contamination. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the amounts of radionuclides in sewage sludge and to obtain information on transport of the radionuclides from the NPPs to the wastewater treatment plants. Under normal operating conditions and during annual maintenance and refuelling outages at the Loviisa and Olkiluoto NPPs, sewage sludge samples were taken at wastewater treatment plants in communities located in the vicinity of the plants. With the exception of 131 I, the most significant activities in discharges into the air from the Loviisa NPP were due to 110 mAg. The latter was also noted most frequently in the sewage sludge at the wastewater treatment plant in the town of Loviisa about 10 km from the Loviisa pressurised water reactor (PWR) NPP. The other nuclides probably originating from the Loviisa NPP were 51 Cr, 54 Mn, 58 Co, 59 Fe, 60 Co, 110 mAg and 124 Sb. In the wastewater treatment plant in the town of Rauma, about 10 km from the Olkiluoto boiling water reactor (BWR) NPP, the only nuclides possibly origination from the NPP were 54 Mn, 58 Co and 60 Co. In the wastewater treatment plant, the variation in concentration of 60 Co in sludge did not correlate with the activities measured in precipitation. The occurrence of the nuclide in the treatment plant did not correlate over time with the amounts of discharge from the NPP. This suggests that at least some of the activity was transported to the wastewater treatment plant via routes other than precipitation. Small amounts may be transported within NPP workers to sewage

Occurrence of emerging pollutants in urban wastewater and their removal through biological treatment followed by ozonation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosal, Roberto; Rodríguez, Antonio; Perdigón-Melón, José Antonio; Petre, Alice; García-Calvo, Eloy; Gómez, María José; Agüera, Ana; Fernández-Alba, Amadeo R

2010-01-01

This work reports a systematic survey of over seventy individual pollutants in a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) receiving urban wastewater. The compounds include mainly pharmaceuticals and personal care products, as well as some metabolites. The quantification in the ng/L range was performed by Liquid Chromatography-QTRAP-Mass Spectrometry and Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry. The results showed that paraxanthine, caffeine and acetaminophen were the main individual pollutants usually found in concentrations over 20 ppb. N-formyl-4-amino-antipiryne and galaxolide were also detected in the ppb level. A group of compounds including the beta-blockers atenolol, metoprolol and propanolol; the lipid regulators bezafibrate and fenofibric acid; the antibiotics erythromycin, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, the antiinflammatories diclofenac, indomethacin, ketoprofen and mefenamic acid, the antiepileptic carbamazepine and the antiacid omeprazole exhibited removal efficiencies below 20% in the STP treatment. Ozonation with doses lower than 90 microM allowed the removal of many individual pollutants including some of those more refractory to biological treatment. A kinetic model allowed the determination of second order kinetic constants for the ozonation of bezafibrate, cotinine, diuron and metronidazole. The results show that the hydroxyl radical reaction was the major pathway for the oxidative transformation of these compounds. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decentralised treatment of concentrated sewage at low temperature in a two-step anaerobic system: two upflow-hybrid septic tanks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elmitwally, T.A.; Sayed, S.; Groendijk, L.; Lier, van J.B.; Zeeman, G.; Lettinga, G.

2003-01-01

The decentralised treatment of concentrated sewage (about 3,600 mgCOD/1) at low temperature was investigated in a two-step anaerobic system: two-anaerobic hybrid (AH) septic tanks (each 0.575 m(3)). The two reactors were placed in a temperature controlled-room and the HRT was 2.5 days for each

Evaluation of sludge properties in a pilot-scale UASB reactor for sewage treatment in a temperate region.

Science.gov (United States)

Syutsubo, K; Yoochatchaval, W; Tsushima, I; Araki, N; Kubota, K; Onodera, T; Takahashi, M; Yamaguchi, T; Yoneyama, Y

2011-01-01

In this study, continuous operation of a pilot-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor for sewage treatment was conducted for 630 days to investigate the physical and microbial characteristics of the retained sludge. The UASB reactor with a working volume of 20.2 m(3) was operated at ambient temperature (16-29 °C) and seeded with digested sludge. After 180 days of operation, when the sewage temperature had dropped to 20 °C or lower, the removal efficiency of both total suspended solids (TSS) and total biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) deteriorated due to washout of retained sludge. At low temperature, the cellulose concentration of the UASB sludge increased owing to the rate limitation of the hydrolytic reaction of suspended solids in the sewage. However, after an improvement in sludge retention (settleability and concentration) in the UASB reactor, the process performance stabilized and gave sufficient results (68% of TSS removal, 75% of total BOD removal) at an hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 9.7 h. The methanogenic activity of the retained sludge significantly increased after day 246 due to the accumulation of Methanosaeta and Methanobacterium following the improvement in sludge retention in the UASB reactor. Acid-forming bacteria from phylum Bacteroidetes were detected at high frequency; thus, these bacteria may have an important role in suspended solids degradation.

Bioleaching of heavy metals from sewage sludge using Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Ye-Ming; Lin, Hong-Yan; Wang, Qing-Ping; Chen, Zu-Liang

2010-11-01

Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans was isolated from sewage sludge using the incubation in the Waksman liquor medium and the inoculation in Waksman solid plate. It was found that the optimum conditions of the bioleaching included solid concentration 2%, sulfur concentration 5 gṡL-1 and cell concentration 10%. The removal efficiency of Cr, Cu, Pb and Zh in sewage sludge, which was obtained from waste treatment plant, Jinshan, Fuzhou, was 43.65%, 96.24%, 41.61% and 96.50% in the period of 4˜10 days under the optimum conditions, respectively. After processing using the proposed techniques, the heavy metals in sewage sludge did meet the requirement the standards of nation.

Solid State Culture Conditions for Composting Sewage Sludge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.A. Kabbashi

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Composting is applied to treat sewage sludge from treatment plants to enhance its quality and suitability for agricultural use. In this work the optimal conditions for composting sewage sludge from domestic wastewater treatment plants in a horizontal drum bioreactor (HDB were investigated. This study investigated the physico-chemical conditions affecting the use of filamentous fungi in composting. The average number of faecal coliforms was 2.3  107 bacteria/g waste dry weight at the beginning of the composting process, and decreased considerably to 8.2  103, 8.1  103, 8.5  103, 8.0  103,and 8.4  103 bacteria/g, respectively for experiments T1 to T5. This decrease was presumably the result of raising temperature. The phase of hygienisation was marked by a very significant decrease in the number of E. coli cells (1.8  107, to 3.7  103, 3.8  103, 3.3  103, 3.2  103, and 3.6  103 bacteria/g for T1 to T5 experiments, respectively: A second aspect was the investigation of a possible reduction of hazardous pollutants.  The highest concentration was for Fe and the lowest for Pb, showing that Fe is the most loosely bound to the sewage sludge organic matrix and Pb the most strongly bound, the Cd reduction by composting was more than 50%.Keywords: Sewage sludge, compost, horizontal drum bioreactor, hazardous.

Capability of microalgae for local saline sewage treatment towards biodiesel production

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, K.-C.; Yau, Y.-H.; Ho, K.-C.

2017-08-01

Seawater flushing was introduced in Hong Kong since 1950’s. High salinity has an inhibitory effect on nitrification and biological phosphorus uptake of microorganisms. Therefore, saline sewage has impact on traditional biological wastewater treatment. Saline conditions of domestic wastewater then pose opportunity to use algal technology in wastewater treatment. During the treatment (phycoremediation), biodiesel can be produced. This study aims to give an in-depth investigation and development on application of local microalgal strains on biodiesel production. Dunaliella tertiolecta was selected the appropriate algal species with high potential for phycoremediation then biodiesel production. D.tertiolecta was further investigated by optimizing its growth in different process condition in preliminary effluent as based medium. The optimized process condition were acclimated culture with medium initial cell number (5.0 ×105 cells mL-1), under 5% CO2 aerations in preliminary effluent adjust to 15 psu (denoting practical salinity unit). Results showed that lipid content increased from 30.2% to 42%, and biomass productivity reached 463.3 mg L-1day-1 by Fatty acid Methyl Ester (FAME) profile was found for biodiesel production in optimized stage. The treatment period of preliminary effluent was shortened from 15d in original design (unacclimated culture, low initial cell number (5.0 ×105 cells mL-1), without CO2 aeration) to 4d.

Nutrient inputs in soil cultivated with coffee crop fertigated with domestic sewage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Tauzene Afonso Matangue

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Fertigation with wastewaters is a great option for reuse of effluents in agriculture. Domestic effluent can be reused after primary treatment, reducing treatment costs and pollution, also providing water and nutrients to crops. This work aimed to quantify the nutrients income in coffee crop fertigated with domestic sewage. Five treatments were used. T1 received only clean water, and treatments T2, T3, T4 e T5 received 180, 350, 480 and 638 mm of sewage, respectively, during four months. Monthly soil analyses allowed to quantify nutrient inputs of 67.45 kg ha-1 of N, 81.89 kg ha-1 of P, 33.34 kg ha-1 of K+, 173.24 kg ha-1 of Ca2+, 49.18 kg ha-1 of Mg2+, 161.56 kg ha-1 of Na+ and 116.19 kg ha-1 of S. Even though the treatments promoted reductions in fertilization and liming, it was still necessary to complement fertilization of coffee crop fertigated with domestic sewage.

Evaluation of urban and industrial wastewater treatment plants using radioactive tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandao, Luis Eduardo Barreira

2001-07-01

A methodology for studies and evaluation of sewage treatment plants with radioactive tracers is presented.. Radioisotopes as 82 Br ( for the liquid phase), 110m Ag and 140 La, (for the solid phase) was used to evaluate sewage flow rates, mixing pattern in equalization tank and test effluent treatment units. The tracer was injected in the unit (instantaneously or in a constant rate with a pump) and NaI-scintillation detectors measured the output signal. The Fortran program TRACADORES was developed to analyze the response function of the units in form of residence times distribution curves (RTD), which represents the probability of an element of the material to interact with the unit, and calculate the mean residence time γ, the central moment of this distribution function. This fundamental parameter characterizes the tank and serves as a quantitative evaluation for its performance. With the radiotracer techniques was possible to identify dead zone, channeling, internal circulation of the solid phase inside the tanks. The technique represents a guideline for redesign a imperfect unit and eliminate the problem. (author)

SMART MANAGEMENT OF THE WATER URBAN CYCLE

OpenAIRE

Sánchez Zaplana, Antonio

2014-01-01

Aguas Municipalizadas de Alicante, AMAEM, is the company in charge of managing the urban water cycle in Alicante and several neighbour towns: San Vicente, Sant Joan, Petrer, Monforte and El Campello. More specifically, AMAEM provides the water distribution service in all of them, and is responsible for the sewage service in Alicante, Sant Joan and Monforte. The population served amounts to 750,000 inhabitants, supplied by a 2,000 km water distribution network and 700 km of sewage drains. AMAE...

Research Regarding the Accumulation in Soybeans of Heavy Metals from Anaerobic Composted Sewage Sludge Used as Organic Fertilizer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benoni Lixandru

2010-10-01

Full Text Available In sewage sludge from urban wastewater treatment stations can often be find high levels of Ni, Pb, Cu, Zn, Mn andCd. Aerobic or anaerobic composting of this sewage sludge does not eliminate the possibility of bioaccumulation ofthese metals in plants through metabolic processes of phytoextraction type. Researches regarding the accumulationdegree of heavy metals through phytoextraction processes were performed on soybean plants (Glycine max, Condorvariety. Plants were fertilized with anaerobic composted sludge in amounts of 25 t of / ha, 50 t / ha and 100 t / ha.The chemical analysis was done on an average sample of three repetitions. Metal concentration in soybeans wasanalyzed by reporting to the maximum allowance level for sheep, considered one of the most sensitive farm speciesto heavy metal toxicity. Our results showed a higher level than normal with 5.8 mg / kg only in the case of copperions. Zn, Pb, Mn and Cd concentration in soybeans was below the maximum allowance limits set by the rules offeeding farm animals. Also, heavy metal content of soybeans was not affected by the amount of composted sludgeused as fertilizer.

75 FR 29757 - New York State Prohibition of Discharges of Vessel Sewage; Final Affirmative Determination

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-27

..., 4 dispose of wastes to an on-site septic system, 21 dispose to a holding tank and 62 dispose to a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Thus all vessel sewage will be either discharge into State approved and regulated septic tanks or holding tanks for transport to a sewage treatment plant. Online maps are...

Metal fractionation in sludge from sewage UASB treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Braga, A F M; Zaiat, M; Silva, G H R; Fermoso, F G

2017-05-15

This study evaluates the trace metal composition and fractionation in sludge samples from anaerobic sewage treatment plants from six cities in Brazil. Ten metals were evaluated: Ni, Mn, Se, Co, Fe, Zn, K, Cu, Pb and Cr. Specific methanogenic activity of the sludge was also evaluated using acetic acid as the substrate. Among the essential trace metals for anaerobic digestion, Se, Zn, Ni and Fe were found at a high percentage in the organic matter/sulfide fraction in all sludge samples analyzed. These metals are less available for microorganisms than other metals, i.e., Co and K, which were present in significant amounts in the exchangeable and carbonate fractions. Cu is not typically reported as an essential metal but as a possible inhibitor. One of the samples showed a total Cu concentration close to the maximal amount allowed for reuse as fertilizer. Among the non-essential trace metals, Pb was present in all sludge samples at similar low concentrations and was primarily present in the residual fraction, demonstrating very low availability. Cr was found at low concentrations in all sludge samples, except for the sludge from STP5; interestingly, this sludge presented the lowest specific methanogenic activity, indicating possible Cr toxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of treated sewage reuse potential and membrane-based water reuse technology for the Bangkok Metropolitan area.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiemchaisri, Chart; Chiemchaisri, Wilai; Prasertkulsak, Sirilak; Hamjinda, Nutta Sangnarin; Kootatep, Thammarat; Itonaga, Takanori; Yamamoto, Kazuo

2015-01-01

Only 3.4% of total water use in the Bangkok Metropolitan area is reused treated sewage. This study anticipates that further treated-sewage reuse in industrial sectors, commercial buildings and public parks, in addition to present in-plant and street cleaning purposes, would increase total water reuse to about 10%. New water reuse technologies using membrane bioreactor (MBR) and microfiltration (MF) as tertiary treatment were implemented to assess their potential for their application in the Bangkok Metropolitan area. The MBR was applied to the treatment of raw sewage in a central treatment plant of the Bangkok Metropolitan area. The MF membrane was used for polishing the effluent of the treatment plant. The results show the quality of treated water from MBR and tertiary MF treatment could meet stringent water reuse quality standard in terms of biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids and biological parameters. Constant permeate flux of the membrane was achieved over long-term operation, during which inorganic fouling was observed. This is due to the fact that incoming sewage contains a considerable amount of inorganic constituents contributed from storm water and street inlet in the combined sewerage systems. The total cost of the MBR for sewage treatment and production of reuse water is estimated to be about USD1.10/m3.

Examination of sewage sludge for specific organic pollutants and their effect on the agriculture usage of sewage sludge; Untersuchung von Klaerschlamm auf ausgewaehlte Schadstoffe und ihr Verhalten bei der landwirtschaftlichen Klaerschlammverwertung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hartmann, E.; Bischoff, W.A.; Kaupenjohann, M.; Bundschuh, R.; Koehler, S.; Schmidt, B.; Kleiner, M.; Schraitle, T.

2001-12-01

In this research report, 50 different kinds of sewage sludges appropriate for the utilization in agriculture were tested for the organic pollutants that are not regulated in the official sewage sludge directive: organo tin compounds, mineral oil hydrocarbons, the tensides LAS and nonylphenol, as well as chlorinated paraffins. The analysis of mineral oil hydrocarbons was performed using the gaschromatografic method, which is based on DIN-proposal H 53. The analysis data was evaluated according to the size of the waste water treatment plant, its degree of usage to full capacity, the employed cleaning and sewage treatment methods and the industrial discharges. Investigations of sewer slime were conducted in the duct systems of two selected waste water treatment plants and tested for organo tin compounds. The dependence from domestic as well as from certain industrial and commercial sources was examined. In the second part of this research project, organo tin compounds and mineral oil hydrocarbons were tested in field trials and laboratory column experiments for the effects of the distribution of sewage sludge into agriculture. For the column experiments, ground soil samples were taken from two selected areas with muddy and sandy ground. The samples were then compounded with wet sludge and exposed to rain under strictly defined conditions. At the same time, the selected areas were exposed to the maximum amount of sewage sludge permitted and then planted with carrots. After a vegetation period, the carrots were harvested, adsorption bodies (SIA-system-method) were brought into the soil before the sewage sludge fertilization was examined, and several soil samples were taken and analysed for the selected parameters. In these examinations, a minor shift of organo tin compounds from the sewage sludge deeper into the ground can be detected and a shift of mineral oil hydrocarbons cannot be detected. (orig.)

Vitellogenin concentrations in feral Danish brown trout have decreased: An effect of improved sewage treatment in rural areas?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morthorst, Jane Ebsen; Mathiesen, Karsten Korsholm; Holbech, Henrik

2018-01-01

biomarkers for estrogenic exposure, and feminized fish have been observed downstream WWTP outlets in many countries. Danish central WWTPs reduce effluent estrogenicity effectively by advanced sewage treatment, and feminizations have not been observed downstream central WWTP outlets. However, between 2000......Feminization of male and juvenile fish caused by exposure to estrogens or estrogenic chemicals in effluents from central wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) is a worldwide issue of concern. Intersex and induction of the female yolk protein, vitellogenin, in male and juvenile fish are robust...

Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (CPs) Dominate in Australian Sewage Sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandsma, Sicco H; van Mourik, Louise; O'Brien, Jake W; Eaglesham, Geoff; Leonards, Pim E G; de Boer, Jacob; Gallen, Christie; Mueller, Jochen; Gaus, Caroline; Bogdal, Christian

2017-03-21

To simultaneously quantify and profile the complex mixture of short-, median-, and long-chain CPs (SCCPs, MCCPs, and LCCPs) in Australian sewage sludge, we applied and further validated a recently developed novel instrumental technique, using quadrupole time-of-flight high resolution mass spectrometry running in the negative atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mode (APCI-qTOF-HRMS). Without using an analytical column the cleaned extracts were directly injected into the qTOF-HRMS followed by quantification of the CPs by a mathematical algorithm. The recoveries of the four SCCP, MCCP and LCCP-spiked sewage sludge samples ranged from 86 to 123%. This APCI-qTOF-HRMS method is a fast and promising technique for routinely measuring SCCPs, MCCPs, and LCCPs in sewage sludge. Australian sewage sludge was dominated by MCCPs with concentrations ranging from 542 to 3645 ng/g dry weight (dw). Lower SCCPs concentrations (<57-1421 ng/g dw) were detected in the Australian sewage sludge, which were comparable with the LCCPs concentrations (116-960 ng/g dw). This is the first time that CPs were reported in Australian sewage sludge. The results of this study gives a first impression on the distribution of the SCCPs, MCCPs, and LCCPs in Australia wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).

The Territorial Dimension of Sewage Networks: the Case of Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Mendes, Thiago Monteiro; Barcellos, Christovam

2018-02-01

The urban suburbs of Brazilian cities have grown without an adequate sanitation infrastructure. Different social groups try to overcome these shortcomings seeking local sanitation alternatives at individual or community levels, contrasting with the universal model of sewage networks. This study was developed in the suburban neighborhood of Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in order to analyze the installation process of the sewage system under a territorial approach. Data facilitated the construction of territorial schemes related to conflicts during the implementation of sewage networks in this neighborhood, where middle class groups and favela residents coexist with environmental preservation areas, beaches and commercial activities. This work revealed the need for contextualized sanitation information made available by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and state sewage collection company, which conceal these conflicts or the representation of residents about their sanitation problems. Overlapping territorial managing functions should be considered as one of the factors responsible for the conflicts identified in the neighborhood. Further studies are suggested as methodological complementation and data update.

Thermal utilisation and disposal of sewage sludge; Thermische Klaerschlammverwertung und -Beseitigung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dichtl, N. [Technische Univ. Braunschweig (Germany). Inst. fuer Siedlungswasserwirtschaft

2004-07-01

In view of the increasing difficulty of getting rid of sewage sludge under the new legal specifications, thermal methods of sewage sludge treatment will become more important. While sewage sludge contains useful material such as carbon, nitrogen, or phosphorus, there are also harmful constituents like heavy metals and organic compounds. Thermal processes will handle these critical constituents, provided that they are really eliminated in the process and not emitted again with the flue gases. Even if thermal processes meet the rigid emission criteria, it should be kept in mind that other useful constituents, especially phosphorus, will remain unused. (orig.)

Urban runoff and combined sewer overflow. [Wastewater treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moffa, P.E. (Calocerinos and Spina, Liverpool, NY); Freedman, S.D.; Owens, E.M.; Field, R.; Cibik, C.

1982-06-01

The control, treatment and management of urban runoff and sewer overflow are reviewed. Simplified modeling and monitoring techniques are used to characterize urban runoff and to assess control alternatives. (KRM)

Sewage sludge - arisings, composition, disposal capacities; Klaerschlamm - Mengen, Zusammensetzung, Entsorgungskapazitaeten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faulstich, M.; Rabus, J. [Technische Univ. Muenchen, Garching (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Wasserguete- und Abfallwirtschaft; Urban, A.I.; Friedel, M. [Kassel Univ. (Gesamthochschule) (Germany). Fachgebiet Abfalltechnik

1998-09-01

One of the main disposal paths for sewage sludge in the past was landfilling. This option was severely restricted by the issue of the Technical Code on Household Waste in 1993. In its agricultural applications sewage sludge serves as a fertiliser and a soil improvement agent. Estimates on potential thermal treatment capacities have shown that there are enough public power plants to accommodate and provide thermal treatment for the total of sewage sludge arisings in Germany. As can be seen from the estimates presented in this paper, it would not even be necessary to restrict oneself to public power plant capacities. The paper points out possibilities of using plant capacities already existing in industrial firing plants and certain production sectors. It uses a comparison to show that sewage sludge would have to be dried in order to permit its thermal treatment in these private facilities. Aside from this, there are a number of new techniques entering the market which from the technical viewpoint also appear to be well suited for thermal sewage sludge treatment. [Deutsch] Ein wesentlicher Entsorgungsweg von Klaerschlamm war in der Vergangenheit die Verbringung auf eine Deponie. Diese Moeglichkeit ist durch die TA Siedlungsabfall von 1993 stark eingeschraenkt. Bei der landwirtschaftlichen Verwertung wird durch den Klaerschlamm eine Duengewirkung sowie eine Bodenverbesserung erreicht. Eine Abschaetzung der potentiellen thermischen Behandlungskapazitaeten zeigt, dass die gesamte bundesdeutsche Klaerschlammenge in oeffentlichen Kraftwerken unterzubringen und thermisch zu behandeln waere. Wie die hier dargestellten Abschaetzungen gezeigt haben, ist man durchaus nicht allein auf die Nutzung oeffentlicher Kraftwerkskapazitaeten angewiesen. Es wurden Moeglichkeiten zur Nutzung vorhandener Anlagenkapazitaeten in industriellen Feuerungsanlagen und in Produktionsbereichen aufgezeigt. Wie aus einem Vergleich erkennbar wird, ist allerdings eine Trocknung der Klaerschlaemme

Characterization of sewage sludge generated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and perspectives for agricultural recycling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alan Henrique Marques de Abreu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Sanitary sewage collection and treatment is a serious environmental problem in Brazilian cities, as well as the destination of solid waste resulting from this process, i.e. the sewage sludge, a substance rich in organic matter and nutrients, which is normally discarded in landfills. The aim of this study was to characterize the sewage sludge generated in four treatment stations in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil and check if they meet the legal criteria of the National Environment Council (CONAMA, Resolution No. 375/2006. It also focused on analyzing the perspectives for its agricultural recycling based on the potential demand for main agricultural crops grown in Rio de Janeiro State. Samples from eight sewage sludge lots from four treatment stations located in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro were analyzed. These stations receive and treat only domestic sewage by activated sludge system. For chemical and biological characterization of these lots, representative samples were collected and analyzed according to parameters of CONAMA Resolution No. 375/2006. In order to analyze the perspectives of agricultural recycling of sewage sludge in Rio de Janeiro State, 10 crops with the largest cultivated area in the state were surveyed and analyzed which of them are apt to receive sewage sludge as fertilizer and/or soil amendment. To determine the potential demand for sewage sludge in agriculture, the area occupied by these crops were multiplied by each fertilizer recommendation considering the sewage sludge as fertilizer. The analyzed sludge presented a high content of nutrients and organic matter and was included in the parameters of heavy metals, pathogenic agents, and bacteriological indicators stipulated by CONAMA Resolution No. 375/2006. The agricultural panorama of Rio de Janeiro State is favorable for agricultural recycling of sewage sludge since there is a great potential demand for this residue and, among the 10 agricultural crops with the

Anaerobic digestion for simultaneous sewage sludge treatment and CO biomethanation: process performance and microbial ecology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luo, Gang; Wang, Wen; Angelidaki, Irini

2013-01-01

Syngas is produced by thermal gasification of both non-renewable and renewable sources including biomass and coal, and it consists mainly of CO, CO2 and H2. In this paper we aim to bio-convert CO in the syngas to CH4. A novel technology for simultaneous sewage sludge treatment and CO biomethanation....... However, the two species were distributed differently in the liquid phase and in the biofilm. Although carboxidotrophic activities test showed that CO was converted by both archaea and bacteria, the bacterial species responsible for CO conversion are unknown....

Sewage sludge irradiators: Batch and continuous flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavale, D.S.; George, J.R.; Shah, M.R.; Rawat, K.P.

1998-01-01

The potential threat to the environment imposed by high pathogenic organism content in municipal wastewater, especially the sludge and the world-wide growing aspirations for a cleaner, salubrious environment have made it mandatory for the sewage and sludge to undergo treatment, prior to their ultimate disposal to mother nature. Incapabilities associated with the conventional wastewater treatments to mitigate the problem of microorganisms have made it necessary to look for other alternatives, radiation treatment being the most reliable, rapid and environmentally sustainable of them. To promote the use of radiation for the sludge hygienization, Department of Atomic Energy has endeavoured to set up an indigenous, Sludge Hygienization Research Irradiator (SHRI) in the city of Baroda. Designed for 18.5 PBq of 60 Co to disinfect the digested sludge, the irradiator has additional provision for treatment of effluent and raw sewage. From engineering standpoint, all the subsystems have been functioning satisfactorily since its commissioning in 1990. Prolonged studies, spanning over a period of six years, primarily focused on inactivation of microorganism revealed that 3 kGy dose of gamma radiation is adequate to make the sludge pathogen and odour-free. A dose of 1.6 kGy in raw sewage and 0.5 kGy in effluent reduced coliform counts down to the regulatory discharge limits. These observations reflect a possible cost-effective solution to the burgeoning problem of surface water pollution across the globe. In the past, sub 37 PBq 60 Co batch irradiators have been designed and commissioned successfully for the treatment of sludge. Characterized with low dose delivery rates they are well-suited for treating low volumes of sludge in batches. Some concepts of continuous flow 60 Co irradiators having larger activities, yet simple and economic in design, are presented in the paper

Modified anaerobic digestion elutriated phased treatment for the anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and food wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Kyung; Lee, Wonbae; Kim, Moonil

2017-02-01

A modified anaerobic digestion elutriated phased treatment (MADEPT) process was developed for investigating anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and food wastewater. The anaerobic digestion elutriated phased treatment (ADEPT) process is similar to a two-phase system, however, in which the effluent from a methanogenic reactor recycles into an acidogenic reactor to elutriate mainly dissolved organics. Although ADEPT could reduce reactor volume significantly, the unsolubilized solids should be wasted from the system. The MADEPT process combines thermo-alkali solubilization with ADEPT to improve anaerobic performance and to minimize the sludge disposal. It was determined that the optimal volume mixing ratio of sewage sludge and food wastewater was 4 : 1 for the anaerobic co-digestion. The removal efficiencies of total chemical oxygen demand, volatile solids, and volatile suspended solids in the MADEPT process were 73%, 70%, and 64%, respectively. However, those in the ADEPT process were only 48%, 37%, and 40%, respectively, at the same hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 7 days. The gas production of MADEPT was two times higher than that of ADEPT. The thermo-alkali solubilization increased the concentration of dissolved organics so that they could be effectively degraded in a short HRT, implying that MADEPT could improve the performance of ADEPT in anaerobic co-digestion.

Response of rice to nitrogenous fertilizer and irradiated sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azam, F.; Lodhi, A.; Sajjad, M.H.

2003-01-01

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of Gamma-irradiated sewage sludge, applied alone or along with /sup 15/N-labelled ammonium sulphate (1.0 atom % /sup 15/N excess), on rice yield and N uptake. Six-kg portions of a clay loam were amended wit sewage sludge to obtain N addition rates of 30, 60, 90 and 120 mg kg/sub -1/ soil. In other treatments nitrogen was applied at 120 mg kg/sup -1/ as /sup 15/N-labelled ammonium sulphate or 120 mg kg/sub -1/ as /sup 15/NH/sub 4/-N + sludge-N in the ratios of 1:3, 1:1, or 3:1. All the treatments were given before transplanting rice. Three healthy seedlings (4-week old) of rice (Oryza sativa L., var. Bas-Pak) were transplanted pot/sup -1/ and the plants harvested at maturity. Application of sewage sludge caused a significant improvement in rice yield. Grain yield increased by 188% at sludge-N of 120 mg N kg/sup -1/. The yield benefit at similar rate of fertilizer N was 304%, the increase being more at higher rates of application. The increase in rice yield was dependent on uptake of N and sewage sludge significantly improved the availability of N to the plants. The additional plant N in sludge treated soil was partially attributable to enhanced mineralization of soil N and N/sub 2/ fixation by free living microorganisms. Application of inorganic N led to a significant increase in the availability of N to plants from soil organic matter and sewage sludge. Results of combined application suggested that substantial savings of fertilizer N can be made by using sewage sludge on rice-fields. (author)

Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Sewage Sludge by Gamma Irradiation with Pasteurization as a Tool for Hygienization

Science.gov (United States)

Priyadarshini, J.; Roy, P. K.; Mazumdar, A.

2014-01-01

In this research work, management of sewage sludge disposal on agricultural soils is addressed. The increasing amount of sewage sludge and more legislative regulation of its disposal have stimulated the need for developing new technologies to recycle sewage sludge efficiently. The research was structured along two main avenues, namely, the efficacy of the irradiation process for removing enteric pathogenic microorganisms and the potential of irradiated sludge as a soil amendment. This study investigated how application of irradiation with heat treatment reduced pathogens in sewage sludge. Raw and pasteurised Sewage sludge was treated at different dose treatment of 1.5, 3 and 5 kilogray (kGy) gamma irradiation individually and for 3 kGy sufficiency was achieved. Decrease in irradiation dose from 5 to 3 kGy was observed for pasteurised sludge resulting in saving of radiation energy. The presence of heavy metals in untreated sewage sludge has raised concerns, which decreases after irradiation.

Sewage sludge ash — A promising secondary phosphorus source for fertilizer production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herzel, Hannes, E-mail: hannes.herzel@bam.de [BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing Richard-Willstätter-Straße 11, 12489 Berlin (Germany); Krüger, Oliver [BAM Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany); Hermann, Ludwig [Outotec GmbH & Co KG, Ludwig-Erhard-Straße 21, 61440 Oberursel (Germany); Adam, Christian [BAM Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany)

2016-01-15

Sewage sludge incineration is extensively practiced in some European countries such as the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. A survey of German sewage sludge ash showed that the recovery potential is high, approx. 19,000 t of phosphorus per year. However, the survey also discovered that the bioavailability of phosphorus in the sewage sludge ash is poor and that more than half of the ashes cannot be used as fertilizers due to high heavy metal content. A new thermochemical process for sewage sludge ash treatment was developed that transforms the ash into marketable fertilizer products. Sewage sludge ash was thermochemically treated with sodium and potassium additives under reducing conditions, whereby the phosphate-bearing mineral phases were transformed into plant available phosphates. High P-bioavailability was achieved with a molar Na/P ratio > 1.75 in the starting materials. Sodium sulfate, carbonate and hydroxide performed comparably as additives for this calcination process. Potassium carbonate and -hydroxide have to be added in a molar K/P ratio > 2.5 to achieve comparable P-solubility. The findings of the laboratory scale investigations were confirmed by an industrial demonstration trial for an ash treatment with sodium sulfate. Simultaneously, the volatile transition metal arsenic (61% removal) as well as volatile heavy metals such as cadmium (80%), mercury (68%), lead (39%) and zinc (9%) were removed via the off-gas treatment system. The product of the demonstration trial is characterized by high bioavailability and a toxic trace element mass fraction below the limit values of the German fertilizer ordinance, thus fulfilling the quality parameters for a P-fertilizer. - Highlights: • Direct use of sewage sludge ashes (SSA) as fertilizer often not possible • New approach of SSA treatment aiming at P-fertilizers with high P-bioavailability • Comparison of different Na- and K-bearing additives for the thermochemical process • Evaporation of

Sewage sludge ash — A promising secondary phosphorus source for fertilizer production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herzel, Hannes; Krüger, Oliver; Hermann, Ludwig; Adam, Christian

2016-01-01

Sewage sludge incineration is extensively practiced in some European countries such as the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. A survey of German sewage sludge ash showed that the recovery potential is high, approx. 19,000 t of phosphorus per year. However, the survey also discovered that the bioavailability of phosphorus in the sewage sludge ash is poor and that more than half of the ashes cannot be used as fertilizers due to high heavy metal content. A new thermochemical process for sewage sludge ash treatment was developed that transforms the ash into marketable fertilizer products. Sewage sludge ash was thermochemically treated with sodium and potassium additives under reducing conditions, whereby the phosphate-bearing mineral phases were transformed into plant available phosphates. High P-bioavailability was achieved with a molar Na/P ratio > 1.75 in the starting materials. Sodium sulfate, carbonate and hydroxide performed comparably as additives for this calcination process. Potassium carbonate and -hydroxide have to be added in a molar K/P ratio > 2.5 to achieve comparable P-solubility. The findings of the laboratory scale investigations were confirmed by an industrial demonstration trial for an ash treatment with sodium sulfate. Simultaneously, the volatile transition metal arsenic (61% removal) as well as volatile heavy metals such as cadmium (80%), mercury (68%), lead (39%) and zinc (9%) were removed via the off-gas treatment system. The product of the demonstration trial is characterized by high bioavailability and a toxic trace element mass fraction below the limit values of the German fertilizer ordinance, thus fulfilling the quality parameters for a P-fertilizer. - Highlights: • Direct use of sewage sludge ashes (SSA) as fertilizer often not possible • New approach of SSA treatment aiming at P-fertilizers with high P-bioavailability • Comparison of different Na- and K-bearing additives for the thermochemical process • Evaporation of

Evaluation of the nutritional value of Irradiated sewage sludges reuse in agriculture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Motaium, R.A.; El-Ammari, M.F.

2006-01-01

Four different sludges were collected from wastewater treatment plants and a farm in greater Cairo area. These sludges represent three different treatments: secondary (Helwan), primary (Abou Rawash), digested (El-Gabal El-Asfar) and raw (El-Gabal El-Asfar farm). Half of the collected sludge was exposed to 6 KGy of gamma radiation and the other half was kept non-irradiated. The different parameters measured for this evaluation were ph, EC, total and available nitrogen, total and available phosphorus, total potassium, organic matter, C/N ratio, micro nutrients (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn) and heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Ni). The data showed that irradiated sewage sludges contain high organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and micro nutrients content. Heavy metals concentrations in the different sludges were less than the international permissible levels for sludge utilization in agriculture. Thus, Egyptian irradiated sewage sludge can be reused for agriculture. Irradiated sewage sludge if applied at 20 t/ha rate can provide plants with their need of macro nutrients (NPK) and micro nutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu). In the meantime, Cd concentration that can be added to the soil at the same application rate is very small; 0.042-0.108 kg/ha for primary and secondary treated sludge, respectively. Sludge that was treated by digestion showed the highest concentrations of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus. Non-significant differences were observed between the ph, EC, OM%, C% and C/N values of irradiated and non-irradiated sewage sludges. In general, no consistent effect of gamma radiation on heavy metals content was recorded. Gamma radiation can impose positive effect on sewage sludge without a reduction of its nutritional value and it is recommended method for sewage sludge treatment

Yield of castor bean fertilized with sewage sludge and potassium and magnesium sulphate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thâmara F. M. Cavalcanti

2015-08-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to evaluate the yield and nutrition of castor bean in response to fertilization with sewage sludge and potassium (K and magnesium (Mg sulphate. The experiment was carried out from January to July 2011. The treatments, in a randomized block design with three replicates, in a Nitosol, corresponded to a factorial scheme (2 x 4 +1: two doses of K and Mg sulphate combined with four doses of sewage sludge (0, 2.60, 5.20 and 10.40 t ha-1, dry basis, applied based on its nitrogen (N content and the N requirement for the crop and an additional treatment with NPK. The castor bean grain yield fertilized with sewage sludge did not differ from conventional fertilization, with the maximum value achieved at a dose of 7.5 t ha-1 of sewage sludge. The fertilization with sewage sludge increased zinc and copper levels in the soil to values close to or higher than those in conventional fertilization, without any influence on the concentrations in the leaf. Fertilization with K and Mg sulphate increased the levels of these cations in the soil without affecting the concentrations in the leaves. The fertilization with sewage sludge increased the contents of organic matter, sulfur, zinc, iron, copper and boron in the soil, and manganese and boron in castor bean leaves.

Zinc Regime in the Sewage Sludge-Soil-Plant System of a City Waste Water Treatment Pond

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lacatusu Radu

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plant of Iasi, a city with 300,000 inhabitants, for domestic and industrial origin, was stored in a mud pond arranged on an area of 18,920 m2. Chemical analyzes of the sludge showed that, of all the chemical elements determined, only Zn is found at pollutant level (5739 mg∙kg-1, i.e. almost 30 times more than the maximum allowable limit for Zn in soil and 45 times more than the Zn content of the soil on which the mud pond has been set. Over time, the content of Zn in the mud pond, but also from soil to which it has been placed, has become upper the normal content of the surrounding soil up to a depth of 260 cm. On the other hand, the vegetation installed on sewage sludge in the process of mineralization, composed predominantly of Phragmites, Rumex, Chenopodium, and Aster species had accumulated in roots, stems and leaves Zn quantities equivalent to 1463 mg Kg-1, 3988 mg Kg-1, 1463 mg Kg-1, respectively, 1120 mg∙Kg-1. The plants in question represents the natural means of phytoremediation, and sewage sludge as such may constitute a fertilizer material for soils in the area, on which Zn deficiency in maize has been recorded. In addition, the ash resulted from the incineration of plants loaded with zinc may constitute, in its turn, a good material for fertilizing of the soils that are deficient in zinc.

Room-Temperature Synthesis of Ni Nanoparticles as the Absorbent Used for Sewage Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Genhua Zhang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The magnetic Ni nanoparticles of 10–30 nm in size were synthesized by the reduction of Ni2+ by NaBH4 at room temperature. The amount of added water in the formation of Ni nanoparticles is a significant factor, which ensures that Ni nanoparticles are not oxidized by oxygen. XRD patterns and FESEM micrographs showed the constituent and structure and micromorphology. Congo red was used as adsorbate to quantitatively examine the adsorption capability of Ni nanoparticles for the organic dyes in industry wastewater. The magnetic hysteresis measurement indicated that the Ni nanoparticles presented ferromagnetic properties. The experimental results showed the as-obtained Ni nanoparticles might be a potential adsorbent in sewage treatment process.

Treatment and use of sewage sludge and liquid agricultural wastes. Review of COST 68/681 programme, 1972-90

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, J.E.; Newman, P.J.; L'Hermite, P.

1992-01-01

This report summarizes the activities of the Community concerted action programme (finally termed COST 681) on the treatment and use of sewage sludge, and latterly of liquid agricultural waste, from its inception in the early 1970s to the end of 1990. It was prepared by WRC of the UK on behalf of DG XII of the Commission of the European Communities. (author). refs., Figs., Tabs

Speciation and fate of copper in sewage treatment works with and without tertiary treatment: the effect of return flows.

Science.gov (United States)

Innaa, D; Lester, J N; Scrimshawb, M D; Cartmell, E

2014-01-01

The removal of metals from wastewaters is becoming an important issue, with new environmental quality standards putting increased regulatory pressure on operators of sewage treatment works. The use of additional processes (tertiary treatment) following two-stage biological treatment is frequently seen as a way of improving effluent quality for nutrients and suspended solids, and this study investigates the impact of how back washes from these tertiary processes may impact the removal of copper during primary sedimentation. Seven sites were studied, three conventional two-stage biological treatment, and four with tertiary processes. It was apparent that fluxes of copper in traditional return flows made a significant contribution to the load to the primary treatment tanks, and that tanks. These return flows had an impact on copper removal in the primary tanks, probably due to their aerobic nature. Returning such aerobic back wash flows to the main process stream after primary treatment may therefore be worth consideration. The opportunity to treat consolidated liquor and sludge.flows in side-stream processes to remove toxic elements, as they are relatively concentrated, low volume flow streams, should also be evaluated.

Sewage disposal using anaerobic membrane reactor. Kenkiseimaku reactor ni yoru gesui shori

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujita, Y. (Dic-Degremont Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan))

1991-11-01

Discussions were given on a small-scale sewage disposal of about bod 200 mg/l, for which no many examples of use have been hitherto available, using a system combining an anaerobic reactor and membrane modules. Experiments had been carried out from 1988 through 1990 as a part of the Aqua-Renaissance Project. The test equipment wza installed in the premises of the Chigasaki Coastal Research Facilities operated by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, which used sewage flowing from the adjoining sewage treatment plant for the southern area of the Fujisawa City. The test facility consisted of a system comprising a pretreatment facility, SS decomposing reactor, fluid-bed reactor, separation membrane modules, nitrogen removing facility and micro-organism activity measurement. The test facility was constucted assuming a treatment of 10 m{sup 3} a day. The system was divided into a composite system, A system and B system to operate the system in simplified flows. As a result of comparing the composite system, A system and B system, it was found that B system can deal with wider range of disposal for a small-scale sewage treatment of about 1000 m{sup 3} a day. 6 refs., 14 figs., 3 tabs.

8. European sewage and refuse symposium. Documentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The subject of the 8. European Sewage and Refuse Symposium is covered under the following headings: collection and control in sewers, industrial waste water management, pretreatment, combined treatment, special cases, industrial waste water sludges disposal and the European waste business. (orig./BBR)

Study on color removal of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP effluent using granular activated carbon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nurfida Anita

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Recycling of sewage treatment plant (STP effluent is one of the attractive solutions to fulfill clean water for hotels and malls in Indonesia. STP effluent has average characteristics as follow: pH 6.8; color (true color 107 PtCo; A254 (UV absorption 0.36 cm-1 and COD 35.9 mg/L. Because of high color and organics contents, STP effluent needs further treatment such as activated carbon adsorption. Batch and continuous treatment of synthetic STP effluent by a commercial granular activated carbon (Filtrasorb 300 were investigated. The results show that adsorption capacity of the Filtrasorb 300 for color body of STP effluent was 184 PCU/g of carbon. Langmuir model is appropriate to describe the isotherm adsorption process in this study, with Qm: 476.2 PCU/g of carbon. The results of isotherm adsorption model evaluation, SEM photograph and FTIR analysis show that color adsorption occurred was physical adsoption.

Vitrification as an alternative to landfilling of tannery sewage sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Celary, Piotr; Sobik-Szołtysek, Jolanta

2014-12-01

Due to high content of heavy metals such as chromium, tannery sewage sludge is a material which is difficult to be biologically treated as it is in the case of organic waste. Consequently, a common practice in managing tannery sewage sludge is landfilling. This poses a potential threat to both soil and water environments and it additionally generates costs of construction of landfills that meet specific environment protection requirements. Vitrification of this kind of sewage sludge with the addition of mineral wastes can represent an alternative to landfilling. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of obtaining an environmentally safe product by means of vitrification of tannery sewage sludge from a flotation wastewater treatment process and chemical precipitation in order to address the upcoming issue of dealing with sewage sludge from the tannery industry which will be prohibited to be landfilled in Poland after 2016. The focus was set on determining mixtures of tannery sewage sludge with additives which would result in the lowest possible heavy metal leaching levels and highest hardness rating of the products obtained from their vitrification. The plasma vitrification process was carried out for mixtures with various amounts of additives depending on the type of sewage sludge used. Only the materials of waste character were used as additives. One finding of the study was an optimum content of mineral additives in vitrified mixture of 30% v/v waste molding sands with 20% v/v carbonate flotation waste from the zinc and lead industry for the formulations with flotation sewage sludge, and 45% v/v and 5% v/v, respectively, for precipitation sewage sludge. These combinations allowed for obtaining products with negligible heavy metal leaching levels and hardness similar to commercial glass, which suggests they could be potentially used as construction aggregate substitutes. Incineration of sewage sludge before the vitrification process lead to

Zinc, copper and manganese availability in soils treated with alkaline sewage sludge from Paraná state (Brazil

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Maristela Dalpisol

Full Text Available ABSTRACT In Paraná, most of the sludge generated in sewage treatment plants is subjected to the prolonged alkaline stabilization process. Although it is known that the alkaline sewage sludge contains micronutrients such as Zn, Cu and Mn, little is known about the availability of these elements in soils treated with this type of sewage sludge. Thus, the objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of alkaline sewage sludge from Paraná on Zn, Cu and Mn availability in soils. Twenty sewage treatment plants were selected throughout Paraná, where alkaline sewage sludge and the most representative agricultural soil of the each region were collected. Each soil was incubated for 60 days with alkaline sewage sludge rates (0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 Mg ha-1 from their region. Subsequently, Zn, Cu and Mn availability was determined using the Mehlich-1 extractant. The alkaline sewage sludge increased Zn availability and decreased Mn availability in most soils. Cu showed intermediate results, with increased availability, primarily in medium texture soils and decrease in most of the clayey soils. In soils with pH close to ideal for the plant growth, the alkaline sewage sludge rate should be carefully calculated so that there is no excessive increase in the pH and Zn, Cu and Mn imbalance.

THE MUNICIPAL SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT EFFLUENT POLISHING IN ULTRAFILTRATION

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Mariusz Dudziak

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The effluent from the municipal sewage treatment plant was comparatively treated in the ultrafiltration process using ceramic and polymer membranes. Filtration was carried out in the cross-flow system under the conditions of the transmembrane process pressure 0.1 MPa - the ceramic membrane and 0.2 MPa – the polymer membrane at a temperature of 20°C. The effectiveness of the process had been assessed by various physical and chemical analyses (pH, turbidity, color, absorbance, TOC and phenol index. There was included the toxicological assessment (by applying as an indicator organism the bioluminescence bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri and microbiological assessment of tested samples. During filtration there was studied the hydraulic efficiency of membranes. Is was specified, that the efficiency of the process depends on the conditions of membrane filtration, wherein the better effects of the removal of organic pollutants had been noted in the case of polymer membrane than ceramic membrane. However, the polymer membrane, in the comparison to the ceramic membrane, was more susceptible to pore blocking, which caused the reduction of hydraulic efficiency. Regardless of what type of membrane the permeats were not toxic and did not contain microorganisms.

Life cycle assessment of sewage sludge management: A review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yoshida, Hiroko; Christensen, Thomas Højlund; Scheutz, Charlotte

2013-01-01

In this article, 35 published studies on life cycle assessment (LCA) of sewage sludge were reviewed for their methodological and technological assumptions. Overall, LCA has been providing a flexible framework to quantify environmental impacts of wastewater and sewage sludge treatment and disposal...... and how they were estimated in the analysis. In order to reduce these choice uncertainties, consolidation of the modelling approach in the following area are recommended: quantification of fugitive gas emissions and modelling of disposal practices. Besides harmonization of the key technical assumptions...

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sewage sludge and effluents of sewage plants from a central region of Germany

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)