Waste Treatment Processes

(CHEM4015/CIVE4140)
Week 11
Tertiary Treatment and Solid waste management
Sludge and Solids handling

Lecturer Name: Dr Nitin Raut

Dr Amal Al Saadi
Prof Rajamohan Natarajan
Academic Year: 2023-2024
INTRODUCTION

Major component of operation and design

 Sludge handling, treatment and disposal can be more complex than
wastewater treatment itself
Main challenges:
 low solids conc., 4 to 10 g/L for 2° sludge
 composition = function of source, ww treatment, etc.
 potentially hazardous / pathogenic
 becomes offensive quickly if left untreated
 may contain toxic substances (metals etc.)
 P can be released from BNR sludge under anaerobic conditions
 Return liquors are significant plant loads

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SOURCES OF SLUDGE
1º
Primary sludge
Typically 3% ds (up to 5%)
Primary cause of site odour Bio

ds: Dry solids

2º
1º
Primary sludge Tertiary
Secondary sludge Bio
Humus typically 2% ds (1-
3% )
2º
SAS typically 0.6% ds
(0.25-1.25% )
Tertiary
SOURCES OF SLUDGE
Primary sludge 1º
Secondary sludge Bio
Co-settled sludge
Typically 2% ds 2º
Tertiary
1º
Primary sludge
Secondary sludge Bio
Co-settled sludge

Tertiary sludge 2º
Normally returned as
backwash liquor
Tertiary
Sludge Characteristics

Return Liquor Strengths

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Unit Operations

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Unit Operations
 Thickening – to reduce volume prior to subsequent treatment or disposal [Gravity
thickener or table, flotation (eg. DAF), centrifugation]
 Stabilisation – to reduce pathogens, odours and organics [Aerobic or anaerobic
digestion, heat treatment (eg. pasteurisation), chemical stabilisation (eg. Lime),
composting]
 Conditioning – to increase handleability [Chemical conditioning (coagulants,
polymers), heat treatment]

 Dewatering – to reduce volume [Vacuum/ pressure filtration, belt filtration (belt

filter press), centrifugation, sludge lagoon]
 Drying – to reduce volume [Evaporation, spray drying, rotary drying, drying bed]
 Thermal reduction – [Incineration/ combustion, wet-air oxidation]
 Final disposal – [Landfill, land application, reclamation]

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 Thickening
 Gravity thickener
(picket fence)
Concentration increase
from 2-4% to 4-8% ds
Loading typically 50 –
100 kg/m2.d
Most effective on 1°
sludge (up to 10% ds
achievable)

Flotation thickeners

 Achieves float solids of 3 – 6% ds

 Loading: 50 – 120 kg/m2.d without
polymer up to 250 kg/m2.d with
polymer
 Mostly dissolved air flotation (DAF) 8

used
 Typical Thickener
Performance

Sludge Stabilisation A. Anaerobic Digestion

 Completely enclosed tank, optional heating
 Mixing by internal mixers or gas injection or sludge recirculation
 Advantages (reliable process, low operating costs, odour control, produces useful
byproduct)
 Disadvantages (high capital cost, low pathogen reduction, recovers slowly from
upsets, difficult to operate for WAS alone)
 Typical VSS removal: 50 – 70% 9

 Gas production: 0.8 – 1.1 m3/kg VSS removed (65 – 70% methane)
Aerobic Digestion

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Lime Addition (N-Viro)
 Advantages: low capital cost, rapid
implementation, good pathogen
Composting
reduction
 Disadvantages: high odour
potential (ammonia), high
operating costs, final product not
suited to alkaline soils, increased
truck movements (to/from)

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Conditioning
 Used to improve dewaterability of sludge
 Chemical conditioning with ferric chloride, alum, lime or organic polymers.
Polymer dosage = f(sludge type, dewatering method)
1° sludge = 1 – 5 kg polymer/ t ds
2° sludge = 5 – 15 kg polymer/ t ds
 Heat treatment (up to 260°C and 30 bar) has only limited application due to high
capital and operating costs

Dewatering
A. Justification
 Reduces sludge volume for transport and/ or storage
 Improves handling as sludge is no longer liquid
 Required for some disposal methods eg. Incineration, composting, some landfills
and land applications (soil conditioner)
 Selection often f(pilot-scale studies)
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Belt filter
 Commonly used for 1° and 2° sludges
 Low complexity, maintenance requirements and energy consumption
 High P machines produce very dry cake
 Belt width: 0.5 – 3.5 m (2 m typical)
Loading: 90 – 680 kg ds/(m belt width.h)
Hydraulic throughput: 1.6 – 6.3 L/m.s
 1° sludge: feed 3 – 7% cake 28 – 44% ds
WAS: feed 1 – 4% cake 12 – 20% ds

Centrifuge
 Advantages (minimal odour problems, low capital cost to capacity ratio, fast start-
up and shut-down)
 Disadvantages (high energy requirement, high level of skilled maintenance,
moderately high level of SS in centrate)
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Sludge Disposal

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• Well treated sludge (Biosolids) can be:
- soil conditioner
- slow release fertilizer (N, P, trace metals)
- main component in topsoil/ pot mixtures
• Land application where feasible
- loading = f(N required for plant growth)
- regulation = f(contaminants, pathogen reduction)

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References

1. Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. (2003). Wastewater engineering:

treatment, disposal and reuse.4th edition, McGraw Hill, Inc.,
New York, NY
2. https://studylib.net/doc/5496826/wastewater-characterization

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