Nano-CaO_(2)Promotes the Release of Carbon Sources from Municipal Sludge and the Preparation of Double-Network Hydrogels with High Swelling Ratios

In this study,hydrogels were prepared from municipal sludge to recycle and realize the value-added utilization of the carbon components in this abundant waste material.The carbon sources were extracted from the municipal sludge using synthesised nano CaO_(2)as an oxidant,and the carbon sources were graft copolymerised with acrylic acid monomer using N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinking agent and ammonium persulfate as an initiator.The factors influencing the hydrogel preparation were investigated by single-factor experiments.Based on the results of the single-factor experiments,a hydrogel with a swelling ratio of up to 19768.4%at 12 h was prepared with an oxidant dosage of 0.20 g,a monomer dosage of 5.8 g,a neutralisation degree of the monomer of 70%,an initiator dosage of 0.15 g,and a crosslinking agent dosage of 0.15 g.The hydrogel preparation conditions were optimized using the response surface method,and the interactions between the different reaction conditions were analysed to obtain the best preparation conditions.X-ray diffraction results showed that hydrogels were amorphous in structure.Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the SiO_(2)particles from the sludge acted as crosslinking points between different layers of hydrogel chains.The crosslinking polymerisation and crosslinking agent worked together to form hydrogels with an inorganic-organic double network structure,and this structure was highly stretchable,resulting in hydrogels with good swelling properties.

Potato absorption and phytoavailability of Cd, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb in sierozem soils amended with municipal sludge compost

Effects of sludge utilization on the mobility and phytoavailability of heavy metals in soil-plant systems have attracted broad attention in recent years. In this study, we analyzed the effects of municipal sludge compost （MSC） on the solubility and pIant uptake of Cd, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb in a soil-potato system to explore the mobility, potato plant uptake and enrichment of these five heavy metals in sierozem soils amended with MSC through a potato cultivation trial in Lanzhou University of China in 2014. Ridge regression analysis was conducted to investigate the phytoavailability of heavy metals in amended soils. Furthermore, CaC12, CH3COONH4, CH3COOH, diethylene triamine pentacetic acid （DTPA） and ethylene diamJne tetraacetic acid （EDTA） were used to extract the labile fraction of heavy metals from the amended soils. The results show that the MSC could not only improve the fertility but also increase the dissolved organic carbon （DOC） content of sierozem soils. The total concentrations and labile fraction proportions of heavy metals increase with increasing MSC percentage in sierozem soils. In amended soils, Cd has the highest solubility and mobility while Ni has the lowest solubility and mobility among the five heavy metals. The MSC increases the concentrations of heavy metals in the root, stem, peel and tuber of the potato plant, with the concentrations being much higher in the stem and root than in the peel and tuber. Among the five heavy metals, the bioconcentration factor value of Cd is the highest, while that of Ni is the lowest. The complexing agent （DTPA and EDTA） extractable fractions of heavy metals are the highest in terms of phytoavailability. Soil properties （including organic matter, pH and DOC） have important impacts on the phytoavailability of heavy metals. Our results suggest that in soil-potato systems, although the MSC may improve soil fertility, it can also increase the risk of soils exposed to heavy metals.

Study on microwave-induced thin-layer drying of municipal sludge for fuel reclamation

Since the adverse factors such as deficient penetration and long reaction time have restricted the complete microwave-used drying of municipal sludge, the microwave-induced drying is considered, which has advantages in such aspects. The investigation of the microwave-induced drying to uncover the mechanism bears great meaning for its development and utilization. The effects of temperature and microwave cracking in municipal sewage sludge drying characteristics are stud- ied through municipal sewage sludge drying experiment. Experiments shows that higher drying temperature would lead to a more acutely changing drying rate （DR）. The DR had increased from 0.005 g/（g.min） to 0.060 g/（g·min）, which was 12 times enlarged, while the temperature rose from 70℃ to 160 ℃. The higher the temperature was, the earlier the peak value of DR appeared. The experiments indicated that the temperature was the decisive factor affecting the DR. The microwave-induced sludge reached the highest DR at the moisture rate （MR） of 40%, with a 20% grade promotion compared with that of the original one. The molecular fracture caused by microwave radiation had obviously accelerated the drying process and the DR was rising in proportion to the microwave radiation dose. The diffusion coefficient had been calculated according to Fick＇s law. In com- parison to that of the original one, the diffusion coefficient of microwave-induced sludge was obviously enlarged more than two times. By fit examinations, Model Weibull was proven to be the most fit one for thermal thin-layer drying of municipal sludge. By means of Arrhenius equation, the obtained average activation energy of municipal sludge was 37.1 kJ/（mol·K）.

Research Progress and Development Trend of Disposal Technology for Municipal Sludge in China

At present,main sludge disposal manners of China contain landfill,composting,natural drying and incineration. A large number of sludge does not obtain standardized processing,which directly causes"secondary pollution"and seriously threatens eco-environment. Therefore,how to rationally treat municipal sludge is one of problems that need urgent solution at present. In this paper,current mainstream pretreatment technique of municipal sludge and backend disposal technique are explored,and mainstream backend disposal technique is introduced. Moreover,key problems in municipal sludge disposal field are analyzed,which has certain reference significance for further understanding the current development of municipal sludge disposal field in China.

Benzo[a]pyrene and Phenanthrene in Municipal Sludge from the Yangtze River Delta, China

To evaluate the contaminated conditions of benzo[alpyrene （B[a]P） and phenanthrene （PA） in sludge and to ascertain whether B[a]P limit for land application of sludge exists, the contents of B[a]P and PA in 46 sludge samples from 15 cities in the Yangtze River Delta area of China were determined using high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） coupled with a fluorescence detector after ultrasonic extraction and silica gel cleanup. B[a]P contents ranged from non-detectable to 1.693 mg kg^-1 dry weight （DW）, averaged 0.402 mg kg^-1 DW, and were 〈 1.0 mg kg^-1 DW in most of the sludge samples. PA was found in all the sludge samples analyzed; its contents ranged between 0.028 and 1.355 mg kg^-1 DW, with an average value of 0.298 mg kg^-1 DW. Most of the sludge samples contained 〈 0.5 mg kg^-1 DW PA. All 46 municipal sludge samples analyzed in this study showed B[a]P contents 〈 3.0 mg kg^-1 DW, which is the limit value for sludge applied to agricultural lands in China. The contents and distributions of B[a]P and PA in municipal sludge were related to sludge types, sources and treatment technologies, along with the physical and chemical properties of these pollutants.

Research on Characteristic of Fe²⁺/S₂O^2-<sub style="margin-left:-7px;">8</sub>Composite CaO Synergetic Conditioning for Municipal Sludge

For the problem as high energy consumption and sludge increment during the municipal sludge management process with advanced oxidation technology of sulfate radical, the Fe2+/S2O2-8 composite CaO reaction system was set up. Meanwhile, systematical studies had been carried out for coordinated conditioning of municipal concentrated sludge. The scientific process parameters were determined with the help of sludge capillary suction time, sewage sludge moisture content and other core indicators and the effect of traditional polyacrylamide flocculation method, Fenton method and activated persulfate method were compared. The results showed that in the neutral concentrated sludge conditioning, there were outstanding advantages for Fe2+/S2O2-8 composite CaO reaction system compared with Fenton, CPAM, and SO-4 methods and the optimal parameters for dosage were as follows: Fe2+/S2O2-8: 80 - 120 mg·g-1 DS, n(Fe2+):n(SPS) = 0.8:1, CaO: 200 mg·g-1 DS. To achieve similar performance index, the dosage of Fe2+ per ton for sludge could be reduced by 20%, the loss rate for iron in filtrate was 0.5%, dewatering of sludge by suction filtration was within 50 s and the moisture content for dewatering cake was 53.7%, which significantly improved the economy and practicability of SO-4 advanced oxidation technology, and the results were expected to form a useful supplement to the popularization and application of SO-4 advanced oxidation technology.

Rapid and real-time detection of municipal sludge moisture content based on microwave reflection principle

The moisture content(MC)of municipal sludge is the key factor affecting sludge treatment and disposal technologies,while the vast majority of existing measurement methods are off-line and time-consuming.To realize rapid online detection for the MC of sludge,a detection method based on the microwave reflection principle is proposed:experiments are carried out and the MC computation model of the sludge is derived using the resonant frequency and the permittivity(e').The results reveal that the detection accuracy of granular sludge with a thickness of 10 mm is higher.The theoretical model between the MC and the real part of e'is developed,and the relationship between the resonant frequency and e'is expressed by a cubic polynomial.The average error and the root mean square error(RMSE)of sludge are 2.06%and 2.49%,respectively.The prediction model for the MC of sludge is also given,and the determination coefficient and RMSE are 0.981 and 2.06%,respectively.

Migration of harmful elements in municipal sludge under hightemperature oxidation conditions

Municipal sludge is produced in large amounts and is difficult to treat.Incineration is the most direct and thorough treatment method.In order to study the feasibility of sintering for municipal sludge treatment,the municipal sludge reforming process was studied under high-temperature oxidation conditions.The results showed that the sludge reforming process could be divided into four stages:the precipitation and evaporation of adsorbed water,the precipitation and combustion of the volatile,the combustion of the residual volatile and solid carbon,and the decomposition of salts and the melting of sludge.An increase in the heating rate resulted in more intense sludge combustion and improved the sludge reaction capacity and combustion performance.After burning at 1300℃,Si,Ca,Mg,Al,K,Na,and Cu formed new phases and entered the slag.75%of P remained in the slag.80%of the S formed SO_(2) and entered the flue gas.Cl formed gaseous chlorides like HCl upon combustion and entered the flue gas.As sintering is a feasible method for treating municipal sludge,care must be taken to limit the amount of P that ends up in the ore.

Biodiesel production from microbial lipid obtained by intermittent feeding of municipal sludge and treated crude glycerol

In the present study,municipal secondary sludge and purified glycerol(obtained after acid treatment of crude glycerol)were used together for lipid production using intermittent feeding strategy.Intermittent sludge feeding strategy(sludge SS 30 g/L)resulted in a higher biomass(54.99 g/L)and lipid concentration(25.35 g/L)at 96 h when compared to 35 g/L SS single sludge feeding or control strategy(45.67 g/L biomass&19.16 g/L lipid).Moreover,the intermittent sludge feeding strategy significantly reduced foaming and requirement of anti-foam during fermentation when compared to control strategy.The energy balance of biodiesel production from lipid obtained by intermittent sludge feeding strategy(30 g/L SS)was energeti-cally favorable.It was also revealed from yield coefficients and energy balance that sludge had an important contribution in microbial lipid and biodiesel production.

The Hydrochar Characters of Municipal Sewage Sludge Under Different Hydrothermal Temperatures and Durations

Innovative measure is a urgent requirement for managing the huge volume of municipal sewage sludge. The hydrothermal carbonation （HTC） shows some potential advantages for using hydrochar as a soil conditioner. The aim of this work was to investigate the properties of hydrochars, by means of the HTC of municipal sewage sludge under different temperatures （190 and 260~C） and reaction hours （1, 6, 12, 18 and 24 h）. The HTC led to the decreases of N, O and H contents by more than 54.6, 37.9 and 10.0%, respectively, and slight changes of C content. The Py-GC-MS analysis showed that a large proportion of fatty acids, in particular hexadecanoic acid, transferred into alkenes, olefins and aromatic compounds. The 13C-NMR and fourier transform infrared spectra （FTIR） confirmed the transformation and changes in chemical structure in which hydrochar contained lower oxygen-containing organic C of O-alkyl, carboxylic and carbonyl C and aliphaticity, but higher aromatic C and aromaticity. The rich hydrophobic functions induced in high positive charges in the charred sludge. The HTC facilitated the pore structure development, proved by higher specific surface area and specific pore volume, with a maximum of 17.30 and 0.83 cm^3 g^-1, respectively. The availabilities of N, P and K markedly reduced during HTC treatment. The activities of most heavy metals were depressed though they accumulated in the hydrochar. Further work is required to investigate the values and risk of the charred sludge amended to soil.

Static aerobic composting of municipal sewage sludge with forced ventilation:Using matured compost as bulking conditioner

Static aerobic composting of municipal sewage sludge with forced ventilation or air ventilation using matured compost as bulking conditioner was investigated. Physical and chemical parame ,eters, e.g., temperature, moisture content, VSS, CODcr, pH, and germination index （GI）, were analyzed to characterize the composting process. Fermentation starts quickly in both forced and air ventilation compost heaps and reaches high-temperature stage after 2 d, owing to the bulking function of matured compost. Compared to air ventilation, however, forced ventilation enables the high-temperature stage to last longer for approximately 7 d. The moisture content of both compost bodies decreases from 62% to about 50% as a result of evaporation, and it decreases slightly faster in forced ventilation compost heap after 13 d due to the higher temperature and better ventilation condition. Although no obvious differences of VSS and pH are observed between both compost heaps, the soluble CODcr and GI show differences during the second half period of fermentation. In forced ventilation compost, the soluble CODcr has a small rebound after 13 d, and GI decreases from 46% to 35% but then increases. These results show that in general, the matured compost is a good conditioner and force ventilation with a proper air supply strategy can be more efficient than air ventilation.

Effects of Municipal Sewage Sludge on Fixation of Cr,Ni,Cu,and Zn during Co-processing of Heavy Metal-containing Waste in Cement Kilns

Cement raw meal with MSS and different heavy metals was blended to examine the fixation ratios, chemical species, and cement crystalline phases in clinkers. The results showed that blending MSS could decrease the fixation ratio of Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn in the produced clinker by 5% to 25%. And Cr, Cu, and Zn were mainly incorporated into clinkers as metal silicates, Ni was mainly solubilized in Mg O to form magnesium nickel oxides, and the transition phases were mainly metal aluminum oxides as indicated by X-ray diffraction. The reduction of fixation ratios was likely attributed to the presence of impure elements, such as sodium and phosphorus in MSS. In addition, high concentrations（eg, 1.7 wt%） of chlorine in MSS led to metal chloride formation that could vaporize Cu, Cr, Ni, and Zn. To summarize, introducing MSS would decrease the fixation ratios of heavy metals due to the presence of impure elements, such as sodium and phosphorus and chlorine.

Utilization of coal fly ash and municipal sewage sludge in agriculture and for reconstruction of soils in disturbed lands： results of case studies from Greece and China

Coal fly ash （CFA） and municipal sewage sludge （MSS） management is a great concern worldwide. An alternative gaining high interest, is their use in agriculture and for reclamation of degraded lands. The purpose of this paper was to present very briefly the results of some case studies carried out in China and Greece related to land reclamation and agricultural use of CFA and MSS separately or combined. An experiment in Platanoulia area, central Greece showed clearly that CFA applied together with MSS at appropriate rates increased substantially wheat grain and biomass yield and improved soil quality （increased soil pH, organic matter content, total nitrogen, available P and boron）. In a long-term experiment carried out in Huaibei city, Anhui province, China with a reconstructed soil in a subsided land by using CFA, it was found that physicochemical characteristics （infiltration rate, bulk density, total nitrogen, available P and extractable K） tended to be improved over time. In another experiment in Rodia area central Greece, MSS application improved soil quality of limestone mining spoils from bauxite mining activities. Several other experiments with MSS in Greece showed a clear positive effect on cotton and maize yield and on soil quality.

A Review of Co-processing of Kitchen Waste and Municipal Residual Sludge

In this paper, the methods of kitchen waste disposal in recent years were summed up, and the advantages and disadvantages of the current treatment methods were analyzed. At the same time, it has been found that the co-processing of kitchen waste and residual sludge not only has dealt with both kitchen waste and residual sludge, but also the carbon and nitrogen ratio and moisture content of the mixture are balanced, and increases the processing efficiency significantly. It has a certain processing advantage. At present, most research is about the anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste and residual sludge, and the process is more mature, but the study of VFAs accumulation is still insufficient. Aerobic composting is still in the early stage of development, and there are few studies on it at home and abroad. Meanwhile, prospects for the kitchen waste recycling were made in this article.

Contamination of PAHs in Sludge Samples from the Yangtze River Delta Area

To ascertain the contaminated conditions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） in sludge and to evaluate the risk of application of this sludge for agricultural purposes, 44 sludge samples obtained from 15 cities in the Yangtze River Delta area of China were investigated using capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry （GC/MS） after ultrasonic extraction and silica gel cleanup. PAHs＇ contents ranged from 0.0167 to 15.4860 mg kg^-1 （dry weight, DW） and averaged 1.376 mg kg^-1, with most samples containing 〈 1.5 mg kg^-1. Pyrene （PY）, fluoranthene （FL）, benzo[b]fluoranthene （BbF）, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene （IND）, benzo[a]pyrene （B[a]P）, and benzo[g,h,i]perylene （BghiP） were the most dominant compounds, ranging from 0.1582 to 0.2518 mg kg^-1. Single PAH, such as naphthalene （NAP, 2-benzene rings）, phenanthrene （PA, 3-benzene rings）, PY （4-benzene rings）, and FL （3-benzene rings）, had high detection rates （76.1%-93.5%）. The distribution patterns of PAHs were found to vary with the sludge samples; however, the patterns showed that a few compounds with 2- and 3-benzene rings were commonly found in the samples, whereas those with 4-, 5-, and 6-benzene rings were usually less commonly found. All the 44 sludge samples were within the B[a]P concentration limit for sludge applied to agricultural land in China （〈 3.0 rag kg^-1）. The probable sources of PAH contamination in the sludge samples were petroleum, petroleum products, and combustion of liquid and solid fuel. The concentrations and distributions of the 16 PAHs in sludge were related to sludge type, source, and treatment technology, together with the physicochemical properties.

Characteristics of coal sludge slurry prepared by a wet-grinding process

Coal sludge slurry(CSS) is an alternative fuel and a potential competitive method for sludge reduction.Based on the researches of coal water slurry, we studied CSSs by using a wet-grinding process with different types of regional municipal sludge(sludge) in an orthogonal experiment. The sludge type,sludge mixing proportion, dosage of dispersant, and grinding time were tested in this study. The results show that water content and its occurrence characteristics in the sludge have primary hindering influences on slurry ability. The range of fixed-viscosity concentrations with raw wet sludge is from 50.78%to 44.40%(by weight), while the range is from 53.35% to 51.51%(by weight) with dry sludge. All of the CSSs exhibit shear-thinning behaviors with different variation trends, especially the CSSs with more than 15%(by weight) raw wet sludge in it. Adding the same proportion of raw wet sludge increases the thixotropic properties of CSSs and the highest area of thixotropy loop is 3065 Pa/s, while the highest value of dry sludge is 1798 Pa/s. Hydrophilic group plays an important role in adsorbing water and building three-dimension networks with other particles, which is the main reason for CSS properties.Therefore, the mechanism can be used to find the way for making high quality CSS.

Modified corn-core powder for enhancing sludge dewaterability:Synthesis,characterization and sludge dewatering performance

The high water content of sludge has always posed significant challenges for its treatment.Synthetic flocculants,which are widely used in sewage treatment plants,can cause secondary pollution during their production and use.Thus,natural polymer flocculants made of natural materials have received increased research attention recently.Corncore,an agricultural waste,was modified through alkalization with sodium hydroxide(NaOH)and etherification with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTMAB)in this study.The L16(45)orthogonal array was used to study the modification conditions.The moisture content(MC)of treated sludge was reduced by approximately 37%with the addition of modified corncore powder(MCCP),which was synthesized under optimal conditions.In addition,changes in the functional groups of the material before and after modification were determined by FTIR.Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that MCCP was steady at room temperature,moreover,BET analysis showed that MCCP had greater surface area.The microstructures of material before and after modification were examined by scanning electron microscopy,revealing that MCCP had a flakeshaped structure and had an increased area of contact area with sludge particles.MCCP is a dehydrating agent that can enhance sludge dewaterability through charge neutralization and reagglomeration and provide superior economic benefits.

Influence of dissolved organic matter on methylmercury transformation during aerobic composting of municipal sewage sludge under different C/N ratios

Current knowledge about the transformation of total mercury and methylmercury(Me Hg) in aerobic composting process is limited. In this study, the composition and transformation of mercury and dissovled organic matter(DOM) in aerobic composting process of municipal sewage sludge were were comprehensively characterized, and the differences among the three C/N ratio(20, 26 and 30) were investigated. The main form of mercury in C/N 20 and 26 was organo-chelated Hg(F3, 46%-60%);while the main form of mercury in C/N 30 was mercuric sulfide(F5, 64%-70%). The main component of DOM in C/N 20 and 26 were tyrosine-like substance(C1, 53%-76%) while the main fractions in C/N 30 were tyrosine-like substance(C1, 28%-37%) and fulvic-like substance(C2, 17%-39%). The mercury and DOM varied significantly during the 9 days composting process. Compared to C/N 20 and 26, C/N 30 produced the less Me Hg after aerobic composting process, with values of 658%(C/N 20), 1400%(C/N 26) and 139%(C/N 30) of the initial, respectively. Meanwhile, C/N 30 produced the best compost showed greater degree of DOM molecular condensation and humification. Hg fraction had been altered by DOM, as indicated by a significant correlation between mercury species and DOM components. Notably, C/N 30 should be used as an appropriate C/N ratio to control the methylation processes of mercury and degration of DOM.

Sewage sludge ditch for recovering heavy metals can improve crop yield and soil environmental quality

The treatment and disposal of municipal sewage sludge(MSS)is an urgent problem to be resolved in many countries.Safely using the nutrients within MSS to increase crop yield and enhance the fertility of poor soil could contribute to achieving sustainable development.An indirect use of MSS in ditches alongside Pennisetum hybridum plants was studied in field plots for 30 months and the contents of heavy metals and macronutrients were monitored in soil,sludge and plant samples.We found that the yield of P.hybridum was significantly increased by 2.39 to 2.80 times and the treated plants had higher N content compared with no sludge.In addition,the organic matter(OM)and N contents in the planted soil increased significantly compared with the initial soil.The OM content in the planted soil of the MSS treatment was 2.9 to 5.2 times higher than that with no sludge,and N increased by 2.0 to 3.8 times.However,MSS had no significant effect on the N,P and K contents in the soil at the bottom of the MSS ditch,and the content of heavy metals(Cd,Pb,Cu and Zn)were also within the safe range.Moreover,the moisture content and phytotoxicity of MSS after this indirect use were reduced and the heavy metal contents changed little,which is favorable to the further disposal of recovered MSS.Therefore,this indirect use of MSS is beneficial to agricultural production,soil quality and environmental sustainability.

A new complex plant for carbonization and composting of municipal wastes

A new complex plant for carbonization and composting of municipal wastes proposed for Gero City is introduced. The separated combustible waste and non-separated combustible waste are carbonized in two fluidized carbonization furnaces in the plant, and the coke produced is used in steelworks. The separated garbage and forest-wastes are mixed with dried septic-tank sludge to produce high quality compost for farms. This use of waste materials in the complex plant considerably lowers the amount of waste going to land-fills, and in addition, creates lower total emission of dioxins and carbon dioxide into the environment.