Sludge

Treatment
& Disposal
Airish Fe I. Navera
Sewage sludge treatment
describes the process
used to manage and
dispose sewage sludge
produced during sewage
treatment.

Sludge - refers to residual, semi-solid

material left from industrial/municipal
wastewater.
Sewage Treatment - refers to the process
of removing contaminants from
wastewater.
Importance of Sludge Treatment & Disposal
• Sludge treatment is focused on
reducing sludge weight and
volume to reduce disposal cost
and on reducing potential health
risks of disposal options.
Composition of
Sludge
Composition of Sludge
• Sewage sludge consists of
organic and inorganic solids
present in the raw waste.
• Inorganic fraction have a
specific gravity of about 2.5
• Organic matter has a specific
gravity of 1.01 to 1.06
• The quantity of suspended
solids in raw domestic
wastewater is typically 90
g/day per capita
• And concentration about 200
to 250 mg/l
Composition of Sludge
• Sludge from plain sedimentation tank –
settable solids (raw sludge). This gray in
color contain garbage, fecal solids, debris,
and has bad odor.
• Sludge from secondary settling tank
following a trickling filter consists of partially
decomposed organic matter. Dark brown in
color, less odor than raw sludge
Types of
Sludge
Types of Sludge
o Primary sludge
- 3% to 8% solids
- About 70% organic material
o Secondary sludge
- Wasted microbes and inert materials
- 90% organic material
o Tertiary sludge
- If secondary clarifier is used to remove
phosphate
- This sludge contain chemical precipitation
Sludge Treatment & Disposal includes:
Sludge Treatment & Disposal

Objectives

- To reduce volume of the material to be handled by removal of liquid

portion

- To decompose the organic matter and inorganic compounds for reduction

of the total solids
Goals of Sludge Treatment & Disposal
o Volume reduction o Recycling of substances
- Thickening - reduction of odor
- Dewatering - nutrients, fertilizer
o Elimination of pathogenic germs - humus
- If used in agriculture as fertilizer or - biogas
compost
o Stabilization of organic substances
- Gas production
- Reduction of dry content
- Improvement of dewatering
Sludge Treatment
Processes
Sludge Treatment & processes
1.Primary operations
2.Thickening
3.Stabilization
4.Conditioning
5.Dewatering
6.Drying & Combustion

7. Disposal
Primary
Operations
Primary Operations
This process includes:
- Grinding : particle size reduction
- Screening : removal of fibrous material
- Degritting : grit removal
- Blending : homogenization
- Storage : flow equalization
Advanced Primary Treatment
• Uses high dosage of chemical
coagulant/flocculent to remove not only
suspended solids but also the soluble
organic matter.
• APT will also provide persistent sulfide
absorption
• APT program requires addition of Ferric
Chloride (3 to 15 ppm ferric iron) at a point
just upstream of the primary clarifier
• In general, the higher the dosage of
coagulant the more BOD will be removed,
but dosage will be limited by amount of
alkaline available and by economy.
Thickening
Thickening
- To increase solid content
percentage of sludge by
removing a portion of liquid
fraction.
- Volume reduction of
approximately 30-80%

Methods:
1. Gravity thickening
2. Flotation thickening
Gravity Thickening
- Gravity separation, similar to
settling tank
- Additional mechanic stirring to
enhance flocculation and extraction
of water and gas
- For an efficient thickening process,
the development of gas bubbles
must be prevented
Gravity Sludge Thickener
Design of Gravity
Sludge Thickeners
• Should be based upon settling tests
• In the absence of an existing plant,
design is based upon solid flux rates as
shown
• Surface overflow rate is typically 15 to
35 m/day
• Detention times are 3 to 4 hours
Flotation Thickening
- Pre-treatment : mostly chemical
flocculation
- Sludge is placed in contact with air-
saturated water
- Air bubbles attach to solid particles
- Floating sludge bubble compounds is
collected at the surface
- Water is removed under the scum
baffle
Design of Flotation
Sludge Thickeners
• Should be designed upon the basis
of laboratory tests
• Design considerations are:
air/solids ratio, the basin surface
area, the detention time, and the
cycle rate.
Stabilization
Digestion
Sludge digestion is a biological process in
which organic solids are decomposed
into stable substances. Digestion reduces
the total mass of solids, destroys
pathogens, and makes it easier to
dewater or dry the sludge. Digested
sludge is inoffensive, having the
appearance and characteristics of a rich
potting soil.
Objectives
1. Reduce pathogens
2. Eliminate offensive odors
3. Reduce potential for
putrefaction (rotting/decaying)
4. Production of usable gas

Methods of Stabilization
1. Alkaline Stabilization
2. Aerobic Digestion
3. Anaerobic Digestion
Stabilization
• Alkaline Stabilization • Anaerobic Digestion
- Lime is added to untreated sludge, to - is a bacterial process that is carried out
raise the pH to 12 or higher in the absence of oxygen
- Retards microbial reaction - Bacteria converts volatile solids into
- Materials such as cement kiln dust or fly
carbon dioxide, methane and ammonia
ash are used instead of lime
• Aerobic Digestion
- is a bacterial process occurring in the
presence of oxygen
- Bacteria converts organic matter into
Carbon Dioxide
Aerobic Digestion
Advantages
 Lower BOD concentrations in
supernatant liquor
 Produce odorless, humus-like,
biologically stable end
 Easy operation
 Lower capital cost
Disadvantages
 High power cost is associated
with supplying the required
oxygen
 A digested sludge is produced
with poor mechanical
dewatering characteristics
 A useful by-product such as
methane is not recovered
Aerobic Digestion
Design
 Solid reduction
 Hydraulic retention time
 Oxygen requirements
 Energy requirements for
mixing
 Environmental condition
such as pH and temperature
Anaerobic Digestion
Advantages Disadvantages
- Low solid production - High capital cost
- Usable methane gas is produced - Mechanical complexity

Design
o Mean Cell Residence Time
o Volumetric Loading Factor
o Observed Volume Reduction
o Loading Factors based on Populations
Anaerobic Digestion
Anaerobic Disgestion
Mechanisms occurring
• HYDROLYSIS PROCESS
Conversion of insoluble high molecular
compounds (lignin, carbohydrates, fats) to lower
molecular compound
• ACIDOGENESIS PROCESS
Conversion of soluble lower molecular
components of fatty acids, amino acids and
sugars (monosaccharide) to lower molecular
intermediate products (volatile acids, alcohol,
ammonia, )
• ACETOGENESIS PROCESS
Breakdown of volatile acids to acetate and
hydrogen
• METHANOGENESIS PROCESS
Acetate formaldehyde, hydrogen and
carbon dioxide are converted to methane and
water.
Conditioning
 Conditioning
• Sludge conditioning is a process whereby sludge Methods:
solids are treated with chemicals or various other 1. Chemical Conditioning
means to prepare the sludge for dewatering
2. Thermal Conditioning
processes, in other words, to improve
dewatering characteristics of the sludge.
3. Freeze-Thaw Conditioning

- In this process sludge solids are treated with

chemicals or other means to prepare sludge for
dewatering
- It improves the drainability of digested sludge.
Sludge becomes more amenable to dewatering.
- It can be achieved by various methods such as
elutriation, chemical conditioning, heat
treatment, freezing etc.
Chemical Conditioning
• Prepares the sludge for better and Factors Affecting Chemical Conditioning
more economical treatment with 1. Source
vacuum filters or centrifuges.
2. Solids concentration
• Chemicals used are sulfuric acid,
alum, chlorinated copper, ferrous 3. Particle size and distribution
sulfate, and ferric chloride with or 4. pH and alkanility
without lime, and etc.
5. surface charge and degree of
• Can reduce moisture content from hydration
90-99% to 65-85%
6. other physical factors
• Results in coagulation of solids and
release of the absorbed water
Typical dosages for ferric chloride and lime
Thermal Conditioning
• Has two basic processes: wet air Wet air oxidation – is the flameless
oxidation and heat treatment oxidation of sludges at temperature of
• Advantage is that a more readily 450-550°F. It reduces the sludge to an
ash.
dewaterable sludge is produced
than with chemical conditioning Heat treatment – is similar but
• Provides effective disinfection of carried out at temperatures of 350-
400°F. It improves the dewaterability
sludge
of sludge.
• Unfortunately, this process ruptures
the cell walls of biological organisms
releasing not only the water but
some bound organic material.
Thermal Conditioning process
Freeze-Thaw Conditioning
• Enhances their dewatering
characteristics
• Convert the jellylike consistency of
the residuals to a granular-type that
drains readily
• But results in compaction of the floc
particles and poor drainage
following thawing.
Elutriation
- Is the term applied to the washing of sludge to remove fine solids and lower its
alkalinity, thereby improving its dewaterability.
- It is sometimes applied to anaerobically digested sludges prior to dewatering
- Design criteria for elutriation systems usually specify a mixing time of about 1
min followed by settling in a gravity thickener for 3 to 4 hours.
Dewatering
Dewatering
• Dewatering aims to reduce water Methods of Dewatering
content further 1. Drying beds
• The sludge can be handled like a
2. Vacuum filters
solid
3. Pressure filters
• Dewatering can be done
mechanically using filter press 4. Centrifuges
(employing pressure or vacuum), or 5. Belt filters
a centrifuge
• Also can be done using drying beds
Drying beds
- Most popular method
- Consists of a 30 cm bed of sand with an
under-drainage
- Sludge is applied on the sand bed and is
allowed to dry by evaporation and
drainage of water over a period of several
weeks depending on climatic conditions
- Bacterial decomposition of the sludge
takes place during drying process while
moisture content is sufficiently high
Vacuum filters
- Consists of a rotating drum covered
with a filter medium (usually cloth) and
partially immersed in a basin which the
sludge is gently mixed.
- Selection of filter medium and an
appropriate rate should be made based
upon laboratory tests of sludge
Pressure filters
- Consists of a filter press
- Filter support plates hold a medium
similar to that used on vacuum filters
and the sludge is pumped against the
medium and its support
Centrifuges
- For separating liquids of different densities,
thickening slurries
- May be used as thickening device or as
dewatering device
- The screw conveyor or scroll rotates at a
speed slightly more than that of the bowl
and thus carries the solids through the
device and up the ramp to the sludge-cake
outlet.
Basket Centrifuge
General solids recovery
vs cake solids curve for
a centrifuge
The machine must operate along the
curve at whatever combination of
concentration and recovery is acceptable.
The only way in which the operator can
move off the machine curve is by
changing the characteristics of the sludge
through physical, chemical, or biological
treatment.
Belt filter press
- Uses principle of gravity drainage and
mechanically applies pressure
Dual Cell Gravity Filter
Waste sludge is dewatered by gravity in
the first cell and when it is sufficiently dry,
is carried by the belt to the second cell
where it is rolled into a ball expressing
further moisture.
Multi-roll Sludge Press
The sludge exiting from the dual cell
gravity filter may be further dewatered by
passage through a multi-roll sludge press.
Combination of Gravity-pressure System
Combination Gravity,
Vacuum, and Pressure
Sludge Dewatering
System
This system employs gravity and vacuum,
low-pressure filtration, high-pressure
filtration, and provides continuous belt
backwashing like that in vacuum filters.
Drying and
Combustion
Drying and Combustion includes:
1. Drying
2. Wet oxidation
3. Pyrolysis
4. Clyclonic incinerators
5. Electric (infrared) furnaces
6. Fluidized bed incinerators
7. Multiple hearth incinerators
1. Drying – consists of dispersing
the sludge in stream of hot dry
air and then separating the dried
solids in a cylone.
Drying and Combustion
2. Wet oxidation – under these
conditions the sludge is oxidized with
production of a clear liquid stream
which is far lower in BOD than that
from the sludge conditioning process
3. Pyrolysis – is a destructive
distillation technique which produces
a carbon residue and a variety of gas
and liquid products which may be
economically recoverable.
4. Clyclonic incinerators – introduce
preheated air tangentially, at high
velocity, into a combustion chamber
with very hot walls
5. Electric (infrared) furnaces –
employ infrared lamps to initiate and
maintain combustion of dewatered
sludge.
Fluidized bed
incinerators
- Contain a bed of sand which is fluidized
by the upward flow of injected sludge
and air.
- Wastes are quickly and uniformly
incinerated with the utilizing thermal
capacity of hot fluidizing sand
Multiple hearth
incinerators
- Are the most widely used sludge
incineration device and are available in
capacities of 90-3600 kg solids per
hour.
- Dewatered sludge to dry ash
Disposal
Disposal
• Sewage sludge contains both
compounds of agricultural value and
pollutants
• Agricultural value – organic matter,
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
• Pollutant – heavy metals, organic
pollutants and pathogens
Methods of Disposal
1. Spreading on farmland
2. Dumping (in abandoned quarries)
3. Land filling (sanitary)
4. Composting
5. Disposing in inland water bodies
or sea
Spreading on farmland
Landfill
• A site for disposal of waste materials by
burial and is the oldest form of waste disposal
• Some landfills are also used for waste
management purposes, such as temporary
storage, consolidation and transfer, or
processing of waste material
• Problems with this method is that many
landfills are filling up, and towns are having
trouble finding spaces to put new ones
Composting
Disposal on sea