Utilization of sewage sludge in EU application of old and new methods—A review
TL;DR: In this article, the authors review past and future trends in sludge handling, focusing mainly at thermal processes (e.g. pyrolysis, wet oxidation, gasification) and the utilization of sewage sludge in cement manufacture as a co-fuel.
Abstract: The European Union has made progress in dealing with municipal wastewater in individual countries and as a corporate entity. However, it intends to make still further and substantial progress over the next 15 years. Currently, the most widely available options in the EU are the agriculture utilization, the waste disposal sites, the land reclamation and restoration, the incineration and other novel uses. The selection of an option on a local basis reflects local or national, cultural, historical, geographical, legal, political and economic circumstances. The degree of flexibility varies from country to country. In any case sludge treatment and disposal should always be considered as an integral part of treatment of wastewater. There is a wide range of other uses for sludge, which exploit its energy or chemical content, namely the thermal processes. The present paper sought to review past and future trends in sludge handling, focusing mainly at thermal processes (e.g. pyrolysis, wet oxidation, gasification) and the utilization of sewage sludge in cement manufacture as a co-fuel.
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30 Jun 2008
TL;DR: The use of alternative fuels to replace conventional fuels, in particular coal, is a widespread practice and can contribute to improving the global warming impact and total environmental footprint of the cement industry as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Cement manufacturing is an energy-intensive process due to the high temperatures required in the kilns for clinkerization. The use of alternative fuels to replace conventional fuels, in particular coal, is a widespread practice and can contribute to improving the global warming impact and total environmental footprint of the cement industry. This report consists of three sections: an overview of cement manufacturing technologies, a detailed analysis of alternative fuel types and their combustion characteristics, and a preliminary feasibility assessment of using alternative fuels in China. This report provides an overview of the technical and qualitative characteristics of a wide range of alternative fuels including agricultural and non-agricultural biomass, chemical and hazardous wastes, petroleum-based wastes, and miscellaneous waste fuels. Each of these alternatives are described in detail, including a discussion of average substitution rates, energy and water content of the fuels, carbon dioxide emissions factors, and change in carbon emissions per ton of coal replacement. Utilization of alternative fuels in cement kilns is not without potential environmental impacts; emissions concerns and their effective management are discussed in general as well as for each alternative fuel type. Finally, the availability of a variety of alternative fuels is assessed in China along with the opportunities and technical challenges associated with using alternative fuels in China’s cement manufacturing sector.
69 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the concept and principle of hydrothermal technology are introduced, and the applications on the treatment of solid waste are summarized from three angles of reduction, detoxification, and recycling.
69 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors tested the viability of using faecal sludge (FS) as solid fuel and found that sufficient drying occurs within two weeks in open-air drying beds, or in a matter of days with simple drying bed innovations.
Abstract: This research tested the viability of using faecal sludge (FS) as solid fuel – an end use that could unlock an environmentally and financially beneficial replacement for disposal-oriented FS management, while replacing fossil energy. FS samples were collected from pit latrines, septic tanks, drying beds and stabilization ponds in three cities, Kumasi, Dakar and Kampala. For each sample, the average calorific value, solids and water content, and their variation with source and age were determined. The average calorific value of untreated FS across the three cities was 17.3 MJ/kg total solids (TS), which compares well with other biomass fuels. The age of FS did not affect its calorific value, nor did the reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) that occurred while it was in drying beds. The TS content of FS depended on its source but ranged from 1 to 6% for sludge from septic tanks and pit latrines, respectively. Harnessing net energy from FS requires partial drying. The results indicate that sufficient drying occurs within two weeks in open-air drying beds, or in a matter of days with simple drying bed innovations.
69 citations
TL;DR: During sludge treatment, the hormones, LAS, APs, PAHs, DEHP and PCBs concentrations increased, while those of PHPs and PFAs decreased, highlighting the homogeneity of sludge contamination in downstream Paris catchment.
68 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that biological residue from a new biological wastewater treatment is a resource for improving quality of arid soils and plant growth and growth of sorghum in the amended soil was greater than plants grown in low organic matter, untreated soil or soil amended with beads containing other combinations of alginate, microalgae, or bacteria.
67 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, an analytical procedure involving sequential chemicai extractions was developed for the partitioning of particulate trace metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Fe, and Mn) into five fractions: exchangeable, bound to carbonates, binding to Fe-Mn oxides and bound to organic matter.
Abstract: An analytical procedure involving sequential chemicai extractions has been developed for the partitioning of particulate trace metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Fe, and Mn) into five fractions: exchangeable, bound to carbonates, bound to Fe-Mn oxides, bound to organic matter, and residual. Experimental results obtained on replicate samples of fluvial bottom sediments demonstrate that the relative standard deviation of the sequential extraction procedure Is generally better than =10%. The accuracy, evaluated by comparing total trace metal concentrations with the sum of the five Individual fractions, proved to be satisfactory. Complementary measurements were performed on the Individual leachates, and on the residual sediments following each extraction, to evaluate the selectivity of the various reagents toward specific geochemical phases. An application of the proposed method to river sediments is described, and the resulting trace metal speciation is discussed.
10,518 citations
"Utilization of sewage sludge in EU ..." refers background in this paper
...Over the last decades, a great variety of extraction schemes, both simple and sequential have been developed and, although some methods have been widely used [12,13] none has been unreservedly accepted by the scientific community....
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Book•
01 Jan 1972
TL;DR: Wastewater Engineering: An Overview of Wastewater Engineering, Methods and Implementation Considerations as mentioned in this paper is a good starting point for a discussion of the issues of wastewater engineering. But, it is not a complete survey of the entire literature.
Abstract: Wastewater Engineering: An Overview. Wastewater Flowrates. Wastewater Characteristics. Wastewater Treatment Objective, Methods, and Implementation Considerations. Introduction to Wastewater Treatment Plant Design. Physical Unit Operations. Chemical Unit Processes. Biological Unit Processes. Design of Facilities for Physical and Chemical Treatment of Wastewater. Design of Facilities for the Biological Treatment of Wastewater. Advanced Wastewater Treatment. Design of Facilities for the Treatment and Disposal of Sludge. Natural-Treatment Systems. Small Wastewater Treatment Systems. Management of Wastewater from Combined Sewers. Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse.
3,826 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a review of the current and future issues related to the combustion of sewage sludge is presented, and a number of technologies for thermal processing of sludge are discussed in three groups, i.e., mono-combustion, cocombustions and alternative processes.
1,026 citations
"Utilization of sewage sludge in EU ..." refers background in this paper
...Multiple hearth and fluidized bed furnaces are the most popular and the latter is becoming widely applied [24]....
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...Analysis has shown that about 78–98% of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn present in the sewage sludge are retained in the ash, whereas up to 98% of the Hg may be released into the atmosphere with the flue gas [24]....
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...The whole process is occurring in two distinctive regimes [24]:...
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a standardization with respect to grain size effects, commonly achieved by analyzing the sieve fraction <63μm, which is used to pin point major sources of metal pollution and to estimate the toxicity potential of dredged materials.
Abstract: Sediment analyses are used to pin‐point major sources of metal pollution and to estimate the toxicity potential of dredged materials on agricultural land. For source assessments (Part I of the present review) standardization is needed with respect to grain size effects, commonly achieved by analyzing the sieve fraction <63μm. Further aspects include sampling methods, evaluation of background data and extent of anthropogenic metal enrichment.
530 citations