Leaching of phosphorus from incinerated sewage sludge ash by means of acid extraction followed by adsorption on orange waste gel

Ashes from sewage sludge incineration have a high phosphorus content, approximately 8% （W/W）, which indicates a potential resource of the limiting nutrient. Incineration of sewage sludge with subsequent recovery of phosphorus is a relatively new sludge treatment technique. In this article, the leaching of phosphorus by using sulfuric acid as well as hydrochloric acid by means of several batch experiments was presented. At the same time a selective recovery of phosphorus by adsorption was also discussed. The effects of acid concentration, temperature and time on extraction were studied. The phosphorus leaching increased with the increase in acid concentration and temperature. Kinetic studies showed that the complete leaching of phosphorus took place in less than 4 h. Selective adsorption of phosphorus by using orange waste gel provided a hint for recovery of this natural resource, which eventually could meet the ever-increasing requirement for phosphorus. The overall results indicated that the incinerated sewage sludge ash can be treated with acid to efficiently recover phosphorus and thus can be considered a potentially renewable source of phosphorus.

Engineering and microstructure properties of contaminated marine sediments solidified by high content of incinerated sewage sludge ash

Management of incinerated sewage sludge ash(ISSA)and dredged contaminated marine sediments(CMSs)is a great challenge for Hong Kong and other coastal cities due to limited landfilling capacity.The present study investigates the use of high content(20%of sediment by mass)of ISSA in combination with cement/lime for solidification/stabilization(S/S)treatment of CMSs to provide a way to reuse the wastes as construction materials.The results showed that ISSA being a porous material was able to absorb a large amount of water rendering a more efficient solidification process of the marine sediment which normally had a very high water content(w80%).The S/S treatment improved the engineering properties of the sediment,but reduced the workability,especially for the lime-treated samples.Lime can be used to replace ordinary Portland cement(OPC)for better heavy metal immobilization and carbon emission reduction.The hardened sediment samples prepared with 10%of lime and 20%of ISSA could attain a strength of 1.6 MPa after 28 d of curing.In addition,leaching tests confirmed that there was no environmental risk induced by these stabilized materials.The formation of hydrated cementitious compounds including calcium silicate hydrate(CeSeH)/calcium aluminate silicate hydrate(C-A-S-H)/hydrocalumite/calcite was mainly responsible for the strength development in the ISSA/lime-treated sediments.

Removal of Cu(Ⅱ) from Wastewater Using Acidified Sewage Sludge Ash

Sewage sludge ash (SSA), the waste generated in sewage sludge incineration, was obtained from Wuhan Sewage Treatment Plant and used as a low-cost sorbent for removing Cu(Ⅱ) from wastewaters. The sorbent was first modified with 5 % sulfuric acid to increase its sorption capacity. The specific surface area, porosity, cation-exchange capacity (CEC) and pH ZPC of the sorbent were measured. Batch experiments were made to study the effect of contact time, solution pH value and temperature on sorption. Both Langmuir and Freundlich models well described the Cu(Ⅱ) sorption process, with correlation coefficient (R 2) values of 0.993 4 and 0.989 9 respectively. And the sorption process follows the Lagergren first order kinetic model. The equilibrium sorption capacity of acidified SSA to Cu(Ⅱ) is estimated to be 7.78 mg/g under optimal conditions.

Comparative Characteristics of Hydrated Lime with Fine Sewage Sludge Ash (FSSA) and Coal Fly Ash (CFA)

The disposal of waste has become an environmental issue due to the limited available landfilling space. This paper aims to compare the characteristics of hydrated lime with fine sewage sludge ash (FSSA) and coal fly ash (CFA). Multiple techniques, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), compressive strengths, thermophysical properties, and setting time were used to assess the physicochemical characteristics of the lime-based materials. X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction were used to determine the chemical composition and phases of ashes, lime and binders. The results showed that the chemical composition of ashes is similar to that of cement. Besides glass, the main minerals identified in CFA and FSSA are quartz (SiO2) and anhydrite (CaSO4). Moreover, calcium aluminium oxide (Ca3Al2O6) was detected for CFA and phosphorus calcium silicate (Ca2SiO4-Ca3(PO4)2) for FSSA and minor phases were detected for both. FTIR measurements were carried out to characterize the inorganics components of different samples. Compressive strengths of mortars with different formulations have shown that both have a long-term positive effect which might be related to a pozzolanic activity. For the CFA the L3 binder consisting of 60% of coal fly ash and 40% lime has a higher compressive strength than the others while for the FSSA the L4 binder consisting of 80% fine ash and 20% lime has a higher compressive strength than the others. Both binders setting start times are greater than that of cement but shorter than that of lime. The study of the thermophysical properties of binders shows that they have a higher thermal resistance than cement mortar. Moreover, binders heat up less quickly because of their low effusivity compared to cement. Lime-based materials system could be a promising option to both relieve the waste disposal pressure and provide a potential sustainable construction material.

Value-added recycling of sludge and sludge ash into low-carbon construction materials:current status and perspectives

Sludge as the by-product of wastewater treatment usually accumulates toxic substances that require specific treatment before disposal.With the increase of sludge production,the safe and economic treatment of sludge has become a global issue.Construction filed provides a solution for consuming huge volumes of sludge and sludge ash owing to the similar chemical composition with cementitious materials.This paper critically reviewed the current status of recycling sludge and sludge ash into low-carbon construction materials and highlighted the future perspectives of sludge-derived construction materials.Furthermore,the immobilization mechanisms of heavy metals in sludge-derived construction materials were elaborated to promote the actualization of sustainable management of sludge and sludge ash.

Recovery of phosphorus as struvite from sewage sludge ash

Phosphorus （P） is an element vital for all living organisms, yet the world＇s reserves of phosphate rock are becoming depleted. This study investigated an effective P recovery method from sludge ash via struvite precipitation. Results showed that more than 95% of the total P content was extracted from sludge ash by applying 0.5 mol/L HC1 at a liquid/solid ratio of 50 mL/g. Although heavy metal leaching also occurred during P extraction, cation exchange resin efticiently removed the heavy metals from the P-rich solution. Orthogonal tests showed that the optimal parameters for P precipitation as struvite would be a Mg：N：P molar ratio of 1.6：1.6：1 at pH 10.0. X-ray diffraction analysis validated the formation of struvite. Further investigations revealed that the harvested precipitate had a high struvite content （97%）, high P bioavailability （94%）, and low heavy metal content, which could be considered a high quality fertilizer.

Material conversion from paper sludge ash in NaOH solution to synthesize adsorbent for removal of Pb^(2+),NH_4^+and PO_4^(3-) from aqueous solution

Material conversion from paper sludge ash （PSA） in NaOH solution was attempted to synthesize the adsorbent for removal of inorganic pollutants, such as Pb^2＋, NH^4＋ and PO4^3- from aqueous solution. PSA of 0.5 g was added into 10 mL of 3 mol/L NaOH solution, and then heated at 80, 120, and 160℃ for 6-48 hr to obtain the product. PSA mainly composed of two crystalline phases, gehlenite （Ca2Al2SiO7） and anorthite （CaAl2Si2O8）, and amorphous phase. Hydroxysodalite （Na6Al6Si6O24-8H2O） was formed at 80℃, and anorthite dissolved, whereas gehlenite remained unaffected. Katoite （Ca3Al2SiO4（OH）8） was formed over 120℃, and hydroxycancrinite （Nas（OH）2Al6Si6O24·2H2O） was formed at 160℃, due to the dissolution of both gehlenite and anorthite. Specific surface areas of the products were almost same and were higher than that of raw ash. Cation exchange capacities （CECs） of the products were also higher than that of raw ash, and CEC obtained at lower temperature was higher. Removal abilities of products for Pb^2＋, NH4＋, and PO4^3- were higher than that of raw ash. With increasing reaction temperature, the removal efficiencies of Pb^2＋ and NH4＋ decreased due to the decrease of CEC of the product, while removal efficiency for PO4^3- was almost same. The concentrations of Si and AI in the solution and the crystalline phases in the solid during the reaction explain the formation of the product phases at each temperature.

Leaching behavior of phosphorous compounds from sewage sludge ash based on quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis

Phosphorus(P)is an essential and limited resource.Incineration sewage sludge ash(ISSA)contains a high amount of P,which can be recovered using chemical leaching methods.However,the recovery ratio depends on the speciation of P and the leaching conditions.In this study,hydrochloric acid was used as a leaching agent,and the effects of the hydrochloric acid concentration,leaching time,temperature,and liquid-solid ratio on the P leaching ratio were investigated.Furthermore,the co-leaching of macro-metals Ca,Al,Fe,and Mg was analyzed.The results showed that P leached rapidly within 30 min,where the leaching rate reached more than 80%and then gradually stabilized.The leaching concentrations of Ca and Mg had a significant correlation(correlation coefficient r^(2)>0.90),and both were leached completely.Al and P had similar leaching patterns,where the leaching rates increased initially and then decreased with time at 0.2 mol/L HCl.According to X-ray diffraction analysis and Rietveld refinement,the P in ISSA was mainly present in the forms of Mg_(3)Ca_(3)(PO_(4))_(4) and AlPO_(4).When leached using 0.2 mol/L HCl at 55℃ with a liquid-to-solid ratio of 20 L/kg,the AlPO_(4) and Fe_(3)(H_(2)O)_(3)(PO_(4))_(2) in ISSA dissolved initially and then precipitated on the surface of the solid phase,thereby impeding further P leaching.

Agronomic effectiveness of recovered phosphate fertilizer produced from incinerated sewage sludge ash

Phosphorus(P)recovery from incinerated sewage sludge ash(ISSA)has been extensively investigated,but insufficient research has been conducted to evaluate the effect of different kinds of recovered phosphate fertilizers(RPFs)on plant growth with respect to the P and heavy metal contents of RPFs.In this study,three kinds of RPFs,precipitated calcium phosphate fertilizer(CaP),struvite phosphate fertilizer(SP),and P-loaded biochar(BP),produced from ISSA were characterized,and their agronomic effectiveness was verified by hydroponic and soil cultivation.In addition to the three kinds of RPFs,a control group(mono-phosphate fertilizer in hydroponic group/compound fertilizer in soil cultivation group)and a blank control group(BC,with zero P)were tested on choy sum and ryegrass at the same time.SP has the highest P purity(76.0%of struvite)while the BP has the most complex P species(P was co-exist with Fe,Al,and Mg).Plant growth results showed that the RPFs greatly facilitated plant growth and demonstrated superior/comparable effects to those of control group.In hydroponics testing,SP showed the best effect(shoot length of 17.0 cm,chlorophyll content of 2.05 mg/g)due to the Mg involved and the high P purity of SP,while BP performed the best(shoot length of 13.7 cm,chlorophyll content of 2.42 mg/g)in the soil testing system among all of the groups because of the additional nutritional elements and the high P availability of BP.Additionally,the accumulation of heavy metals in the plants under all conditions did not exceed the limits stipulated in the regulations.These results indicate that recovering P from ISSA is an attractive technology to produce P fertilizers,which can alleviate both the scarcity of phosphate resources and the burden of ISSA management.

Flow analysis of major and trace elements in residues from large-scale sewage sludge incineration

Increase of sewage sludge(SS)has led to the construction of more incineration plants,exacerbating to the production of SS incineration residues.However,few studies have considered the mass balance of elements in large-scale SS incineration plants,affecting the residues treatment and utilization.In this study,flow analysis was conducted for major and trace elements in the SS,the fly ash(sewage sludge ash,SSA)and bottom ash from two large-scale SS incineration plants.The elemental characteristics were compared with those of coal fly ash(CFA),and air pollution control residues from municipal solid waste incineration(MSWIA),as well as related criteria.The results showed that the most abundant major element in SSA was Si,ranging from 120 to 240 g/kg,followed by Al(76–348 g/kg),Ca(26–113 g/kg),Fe(35–80 g/kg),and P(26–104 g/kg),and the trace elements were mainly Zn,Ba,Cu,and Mn.Not all the major elements were derived from SS.Most trace elements in the SS incineration residues accounted for 82.4%–127%of those from SS,indicating that SS was the main source of trace elements.The partitioning of heavy metals in the SS incineration residues showed that electrostatic precipitator ash or cyclone ash with high production rates were the major pollutant sinks.The differences in some major and trace elements could be indicators to differentiate SSA from CFA and MSWIA.Compared with related land criteria,the pollutants in SSA should not be ignored during disposal and utilization.

Effects of temperature and composite alumina on pyrolysis of sewage sludge

An interactive dual-circulating fluidized bed system has been proposed in which the pyrolysis of sewage sludge（SS） and incineration of biomass proceed simultaneously, and alumina is used as the bed material and heat carrier. The alumina coated with biomass ash would mix with sewage sludge in the pyrolysis reactor of this device. It is important to know the influence of composite alumina（CA） on the pyrolysis progress. Sewage sludge was pyrolyzed in a fixed bed reactor from 400 to 600°C using CA as catalyst. The effects of temperature and CA additive ratio on the products were investigated. The product yields and component distribution of non-condensable gas were more sensitive to the change of temperature, and the maximum liquid yield of 48.44 wt.% and maximum Useable Energy of Liquid of 3871 k J/kg sludge were observed at 500°C with 1/5 CA/SS（mass ratio）. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry results showed that the increase of temperature enhanced devolatilization of organic matter and promoted cyclization and aromatization of aliphatics. The presence of CA could strengthen secondary cracking and interaction among primary products from different organic compounds, such as acid–amine condensation,and reduce the content of oxygenated compounds. When the CA additive amount exceeded a certain proportion, the aromatization was clearly strengthened. The effects of CA on decomposition of fatty acids and formation of aromatics were similar to that of temperature. This means that the reaction temperature could be lowered by introducing CA, which has a positive effect on reducing energy consumption.