Main objectives-

Digestion of organic matter by Common methods.

Destruction of pathogenic organisms.
Reduction in the volume of sludge for disposal by
removing some of the water
Safe and aesthetically acceptable disposal of sludge.
 By product of methane is used as fuel & and helps in
controlling temperature and also generates power.
Sludge and Its Moisture Content
The sludge, which is deposited in a primary
sedimentation tank, is called raw sludge.
The sludge which is deposited in a secondary
clarifier is called Secondary Sludge.
Raw sludge and Secondary sludge is odorous,
contains highly putrescible organic matter, and
is, thus, very offensive
 Sludge and Its Moisture Content
 Characteristics of sludge
 Putriscibility
Raw sewage is more putrescible than stale sewage
 high moisture content
The higher the moisture content the more bulky the sewage will be sludge with 99%
moisture contains 1 liter of solids in 100 liters of sludge
The smaller the moisture content the lesser will be the volume of the sludge
Source of Sludge
Sludge Digestion Process
 The process of stabilization of organic matter in anaerobic condition
is called the sludge digestion
 In the process, sludge gets broken into the following three forms:
 Digested sludge
Stabilized, free from pathogen and smaller in volume
 Supernatant liquor
It includes the liquefied and finely divided solid matter, and is having
high BOD (about 3000ppm).
 Gases of decomposition:
hydrogen sulphide
carbon dioxide
nitrogen
methane
The digested sludge is dewatered, dried up, and used as fertilizer; while
the gases produced are also used for fuel or for driving gas engines
Factors Affecting Sludge Digestion and Their Control
The important factors which affect the process of sludge digestion, and are,
therefore, controlled in a digestion tank, are:
 Temperature:
the sludge can be quickly digested, if the temperature in the digestion tank is kept high.
 pH value :
The acidity increases,
with the overdosing of raw sludge;
with the over withdrawal of digested sludge; and
with the sudden admission of industrial wastes

 Seeding with digested sludge

 Mixing and stirring of the raw sludge with digested sludge
 SLUDGE DIGESTION PROCESS
Main Types of Sludge Treatment
Thickening or concentration
1. Reduction of moisture content of raw sludge.
2. Helps in reducing capacity of digestion tank and
provides control of digestion condition.
3. It can produce sludge of less than 10% solid content.
4. Units of thickening are gravity thickener, floatation
thickener, elutriation thickener.
The purposes of sludge thickening are to reduce
the sludge volume to be handled .
Sludge thickening is a procedure used to remove
water and increase the solids content.
Digestion or Stabilization
1.Results in reduction of organic content.
2. Improved drain ability.
3. Greatly reduces odor of the pollutant matter
4. Overall reduction in the volume of the sludge finally
to be deposed.
5. Units of digestion are– anaerobic & aerobic
Factors Affecting Sludge Digestion and Their
Control are:-
Temperature, pH value, Seeding with digested
sludge, Mixing and stirring of the raw sludge with
digested sludge.
 Dewatering
produces sludge of greater than 10% solid content and
is used after digestion process.
 sludge drying beds.
 Centrifugation
 mechanical methods by vacuum filtration.
 Cont.
 Drying beds are generally used for dewatering of well digested
sludges. Attempts to air dry raw sludge usually result in odor
problems.
 Sludge drying beds consist of perforated or open joint drainage
pipe laid within a gravel base.
 Anaerobic digestion
 converts sludge into liquid & gases and also reduces
odor, volume, putrescence & produces gases.
 Bacteria like saprophytic organisms are present that
react on complex organic matter and decomposed.
 Methods of Disposals
Partial disposal
Incineration—sludge burnt in incinerator.
Ultimate disposal
 disposal by crops land
disposal by oceans
 The capacity of the digestion tank is a function of
 sludge production,
 digestion period,
 degree of digestion required,
 loss of moisture, and
 conversion of organic matter
Two stage digestion gives the following advantages compared to single stage digestion:
 Avoids short circuit
 Better treatment
 Cost effective
This method of sludge disposal is quite cheap (as no digestion tanks are required),
but the greatest drawback is the evolution and eruption of foul gases, polluting the
environment.
Its use is, therefore, restricted only to non residential areas.
Disposal of Dewatered Sludge
Dumping into the Sea
Burial into the Trenches
Incineration
fertilizer
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