Sludge Treatment and Disposal

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 Introduction

• Sludge management is complex and costly

process…20-60% of the total operation cost of
wastewater treatment
• Sludge: solid by-products from wastewater
treatment plant
• Biological treatment: organic matter converted
into microbial biomass = bio-solid
• Primary sludge: consists of suspended solids
• Secondary sludge: consists of biological solids
(biomass)

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 Sludge treatment
• Objective is to concentrate impurities into solids
and then removal of solids from bulk liquid
• Concentration of solids = sludge = contain
objectionable materials need to be dispose off
properly
• Major contaminants in sludge
a. Metals
b. Organics
c. Pathogenic microorganisms

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 1. Sludge Stabilization
• Sludge is rich in pathogenic microorganisms.
• Easily putrescible (Liable to decay).
• Rapidly develop unpleasant smell.
• Become rotten.
• Stabilization is used to stabilize the biodegradable
fraction of organic matter in sludge.
• It stop natural fermentation of sludge (chemical
changes through enzymes).
• This reduce the risk of putrefaction and also diminish
the concentration of pathogenic microorganisms.

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• Stabilization can be divided into

A. Biological stabilization: specific bacteria

promote the stabilization of biodegradable
fraction of organic matter

B. Chemical stabilization: Chemical oxidation of

organic matter accomplished sludge
stabilization… by lime, pH is raised above 12.
High pH and high temperature reduce
pathogens

C. Physical stabilization: Heat stabilize the organic

fraction of sludge
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 A. Biological Stabilization
a. Anaerobic digestion
b. Aerobic digestion
c. Composting

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 a. Anaerobic digestion
• Most common process use for
primary sludge
• Primary sludge contains organics
that induce rapid growth of biomass
in aerobic conditions.
• Anaerobic digestion treated sludge
by producing liquids and gases and
minimum biomass.
• Variety of organics ….. Variety of
microorganisms involved
• Organic……alcohol/acid/CO2/H2……
methane

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 b. Aerobic digestion
• Organisms metabolize
their own protoplasm.
• Mineralized sludge is
produced at the end
which contains mostly
non-biodegradable cell
fragments.
• Energy consumption is
more than anaerobic
digestion.

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 Sludge Digestion
• Biological degradation is most common
method.
• Solids are converted to non-cellular products.
• Volume of thickened sludge is reduced further

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c. Composting
• Composting can be defined as the aerobic thermophilic decomposition of
organic wastes.
• Composting is an process of mixing sewage sludge with agricultural byproduct
sources of carbon such as straw or wood chips.
• In the presence of oxygen, bacteria digesting both the sewage sludge and the
plant material generate heat to kill disease-causing microorganisms and
parasite
• Its most valuable features are moisture retaining and humus forming
properties.
• Compost benefits the soil by providing useful nutrients and minerals.
• It has been commonly applied to parks and gardens because it increases the
soil water absorbing capacity and improves the soil structure.
• The most important criteria for successful composting are:
(1) Complete mixing of organic solids
(2) Uniform particle size
(3) Adequate aeration
(4) Proper moisture content
(5) Proper temperature and pH
(6) Proper carbon-nitrogen ratio in the raw solids

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 2. Sludge Thickening
• Volume reduction
A. Vacuum filtration….. most widely used method in the
treatment of sludge
B. Centrifugation…. uses the action of centrifugal force to
promote accelerated settling of particles in a solid-liquid
mixture
C. Gravity thickening…similar to suspended growth system,
deeper tanks are used to provide more thickening
capacity
D. Dissolved air flotation….water is aerated at high pressure,
this water is released near the bottom of tank of sludge
Air is released in the form of bubble that float the solids to
the surface. Sludge is skimmed off at the top of the tank.
Liquid is removed from the bottom.
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 3. Sludge Drying / Dewatering
• Reduction of the sludge weight by sludge drying …… by
evaporating the bound water in the sludge.
• Sludge drying is based on contact, convection or radiation
procedures.
a. During the contact drying, the warmth is supplied by the
contact between the damp product and a heated wall.
b. Convection drying is by treating the sludge with hot-air.
• Air is heated to a high temperature with a burner or steam
heat exchanger and brought in contact with the sludge in a
drum or belt dryer.
c. The radiation drying is that the warmth is supplied through
radiation to the sludge…….solar radiation or infrared heating
elements.

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 Dewatering can be done naturally (dry beds by filtration and
evaporation)

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 Sludge drying: low temperature
• Dryness of dried sludge :
80 to 90%
• Very low temperature
technology : 40°C-60°C
• No smells
• No contaminated air
• Very high quality of
condensate
• Allowing heat recovery,
possibility to use recycled
energy

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 Hot air drying:

Indirectly heating the insulated hot air chamber with steam or gas. Heat is transferred
through the walls of the process chamber and into the material in process

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 Solar drying

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 Solar drying

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Sludge Disposal
• The sludge is a resource that can be recycled or reused.

• All the sewage sludge produced at a treatment plant

must be disposed of.

• Treatment processes may reduce its volume or so

change its character as to facilitate its disposal, but still
leave a residue which in most cases must be removed
from the plant site.

• There are two broad methods for the disposal of

sludge:
(1) disposal in water
(2) disposal on land
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1. Disposal in Water

• An economical but uncommon method

• Depends on the availability of bodies of
water
• Sludge is pumped to barges and carried to sea
to be dumped in deep water far enough off
shore for dilution and prevent ill effects along
shore.

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2. Disposal on Land

• Under land disposal the following methods

may be included :
a. Burial
b. Fill
c. Application as fertilizer or soil conditioner

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a. Burial

• Used for raw sludge, serious odour are created.

• The sludge is run into trenches two to three feet wide and
about two feet deep.

• The raw sludge in the trenches covered by at least 12 inches

of earth.
• Large land area required.

• When large areas of land are available, burial of raw sludge is

the most economical method of sludge disposal as it
eliminates the costs of all sludge treatment processes.
• The sludge in the trenches remain moist and smelly for years
and area once used cannot be reused for the same purpose
or for any other purpose for a long period of time.

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b. Fill
• Used for digested sludge which can be exposed to the
atmosphere without creating serious odour.
• Wet sludge … sludge lagoon.
• When used as a method of disposal, the lagoon area is used
only until filled, and then abandoned.
• Sludge is added in successive layers until the lagoon is
completely filled.

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c. Soil Conditioning or Fertilizer

• Sewage sludge contains many elements essential to plant life:

N, P, K, and minor nutrients B, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, S, and Zn.

• The sludge humus, benefits the soil by increasing the water

holding capacity. It also reduces soil erosion.

• The elements essential for plant growth divided into two

groups : those which come from the air and water freely (C, H
and O) and those which are found in the soil (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S,
Fe, Mn).

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• The major fertilizing elements are N, P and K.

• N is required for leaf development. It is of great value in fertilizing

grass, radishes, lettuce, spinach, and celery.

• P is essential of plant growth. It speed up ripening, encourages

root growth and increases resistance to disease.

• K develops the woody parts of stems and pulps of fruits.

• Dried or dewatered sewage sludge makes an excellent soil

conditioner.

• Heat-dried sludge is considered safe for use under all conditions

because of the destructive action of heat upon bacteria.

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