Sludge Management

BS 8th Semester CEES

Sludge & its Composition
• Suspended solids removed from wastewater during
sedimentation, and concentrated further for disposal or use
is known as sludge.

• If sludge is used for beneficial reuse (e.g. fertilizer) then it is

commonly known as biosolids
• The process of disposing, treating or reusing waste water
solids is known as sludge or bio solids management
• The composition and characteristics of sewage sludge vary
but basic components remain same.
• Sludge produced in waste water treatment can be
categorized as:
• Primary Sludge: from primary settling tank; grey,
coarse, highly obnoxious odor
• Secondary Sludge: from secondary settling tanks,
mostly comprises of microorganism, brownish color,
earthy odor
• Tertiary Sludge: From tertiary treatment, nature
depends on the technique being used in tertiary
treatment
 Sludge Water
Water makes up 92-99% of the composition and exists in different forms:
• Free water:.
• Water that is not attached to sludge solids in any way and can drain freely
under gravity.
• Floc water: water that is trapped within the floc and travels with them.
Its removal is possible by mechanical dewatering.

• Capillary water: water that adheres to the individual particles and can be
drained by squeezing action.

• Particle water: water that is chemically bound to the individual particles

and can’t be removed without special treatment.
 Sludge Solids
Solid matter forms 1-8% of the total sludge composition
• Waste water solids are of two categories: organic and inorganic
• Organic solids constitute what was once living matter, and that would
volatilize at 550oC
• Percentage of organic matter in sludge shows how unstable it is
• By products produced by organic matter’s decomposition and the toxic
organics themselves pose issues for sludge disposal
• Inorganic solids determines the stability of sludge as they are not
biodegradable
• Inorganic content comprises of non-living matter, and does not
volatilize
• Inorganic content such as heavy metals pose environmental threats
 Main Contaminants in Sludge

• Metals (Hg, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cd, Zn, Mn, As etc.)

• Trace Organic contaminants (benzene, toluene, cyanide, phenols,

Tetrachloroethylene etc)

• Pathogenic organism (mostly from municipal effluents containing human and

animal excreta: helminths, protozoa, fungi, viruses, bacteria)

Why is Sludge Treated?

The conversion of wastewater sludge into a form that can be handled
economically and disposed of without damaging the environment or creating
nuisance conditions.
 Sludge Pumping Calculations
Estimating Sludge Pumping Rate:

• Helps in determining an initial pumping rate or to evaluate the

adequacy of the current withdrawal rate of sludge. Its units are gpm.
The sludge withdrawn from the primary settling tank
contains 1.4% of solids. The unit influent contains 285
mg/L TSS and the effluent contains 140 mg/L TSS. If the
influent flow rate is 5.55 MGD, what is the estimated
sludge withdrawal rate in gallons per minute (assuming the
pump operates continuously)?
 Sludge Pumping Time
• The sludge pumping time is the total time the pump operates
during a 24-h period in minutes:

Pump Operating Time= Time/cycle (min) x Frequency (cycle/d)

Stages of Sludge Treatment
1.Sludge Thickening

• Unit process used to increase the solids content of the sludge and
reduce the sludge volume
• Done by removing a portion of the liquid fraction.
• By increasing the solids content, more economical treatment of the
sludge can be effected.
• Sludge thickening processes include:
Gravity thickeners
Floatation thickeners
Solids concentrators
a. Gravity Thickeners
• Most useful for primary sludge
• Sludge is pumped into the central
area of thickener
• Solids buildup creates a blanket and
its weight compresses the solids at
the bottom and squeezes the water
out
• Performance depends on factors
like: Type of sludge, Condition of
influent sludge, Temperature,
Blanket depth, Solids loading,
Hydraulic loading
b. Flotation thickeners
• Most useful for biological sludge
• Air (and sometimes chemicals) are
mixed with the water and then
introduced in the floatation thickener
• Water rapidly releases air in the form
of bubbles which attach with the solid
particles, and lift them up to form
float cake
• More particles float up to form a
blanket
• The solids are removed from the top
via scraper
c. Solid Concentrators:
• Makes use of a moving porous belt
• The process residual flow is chemically treated and then
spread evenly over the surface of the moving porous belt.
• As the flow is carried down the belt the solids are
mechanically turned or agitated and water drains through
the belt.
• This process is primarily used in facilities where space is
limited.
2.Sludge Stabilization/Digestion
• To reduce pathogens to allow for reuse
• Eliminate odors
• Inhibit, reduce, and eliminate decomposition potential
• To reduce the volume of the sludge generated
• Sludge may be stabilized by aerobic digestion, by anaerobic digestion, or by use of lime,.
a. Aerobic Digestion
• Suitable for sludge from trickling filters or activated sludge process
• Degrades insoluble solids in an aerobic environment
• Simple CSTRs (Continuously Stirred Tanks), comprising of an aeration tank just like an
activated sludge tank
• Aeration is provided, and then solids are allowed to settle and supernatant liquid is
decanted and settled sludge is removed
b. Anaerobic Digestion
• Anaerobic microorganisms are used for
stabilizing the sludge
• Useful, since lesser biomass is produced
as most is converted into methane and
carbon dioxide
• Comprises of a sealed digester with fixed
or floating cover
• Digestion occurs in two stages: Sugars,
starches, and carbohydrates are
converted to
• volatile acids, carbon dioxide, and
hydrogen sulfide. The volatile acids are
then converted to methane gas.
c. Lime Stabilization
• In lime stabilization, process residuals are mixed with lime to
achieve a pH of 12.
• This pH is maintained for at least 2 h.
• This significantly reduces odor and helps in the destruction of
pathogens
• The treated solids can then be dewatered for disposal or
directly land applied
3.Sludge Dewatering
• Sludge from digester is liquid, hence needs water removal to
reduce the volume
• Done via drying beds, rotary vacuum filters, centrifuges, filter
presses
• In drying beds, solids are pumped to sand and gravel beds where
they are allowed to dry
• Water removed by percolating through sand and by evaporation
• In rotary vacuum filters, sludge is sent to a rotating drum to
which vacuum is hen applied which removes the water
• In belt press filter, sludge is applied between two porous belts,
pressure is applied to plates and water is squeezed out
Belt filter press
4. Sludge Incineration
• Solids are pumped to incinerator
• A source of heat is required for ignition and the temperature is raised
to about 100oC
• Solids are dried and burned, organic matter is converted into CO2 and
water vapors and inorganic matter is left behind
• Ash is either reused or disposed off
5.Land Application

• Helps in disposing of treated biosolids in environmentally safe manner

by recycling nutrients and soil conditioners
• Nevertheless, the biosolids must comply with the local or federal
standards
• Biosolids must not have any public health or environmental
repercussions
• Nitrogen level of biosolids is important to be determined before land
application.