In light of global warming mitigation efforts, increasing sludge disposal costs, and need for reduction in the carbon footprint of wastewater treatment plants, innovation in treatment technology has been tailored towards energy self-sufficiency. The AB process is a promising technology for achieving maximal energy recovery from wastewaters with minimum energy expenditure and therefore inherently reducing excess sludge production. Characterization of this novel sludge and its comparison with the more conventional B-stage sludge are necessary for a deeper understanding of AB treatment process design. This paper presents a case study of a pilot-scale AB system treating municipal wastewaters as well as a bio- (biochemical methane potential and adenosine tri-phosphate analysis) and physico-chemical properties (chemical oxygen demand, sludge volume index, dewaterability, calorific value, zeta potential and particle size distribution) comparison of the organic-rich A-stage against the B-stage activated sludge. Compared to the B-sludge, the A-sludge yielded 1.4 to 4.9 times more methane throughout the 62-week operation.
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Research Article|
July 23 2016
Characterization and biodegradability of sludge from a high rate A-stage contact tank and B-stage membrane bioreactor of a pilot-scale AB system treating municipal wastewaters
Antoine Prandota Trzcinski;
1School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Queensland 4350, Australia
E-mail: antoine.trzcinski@usq.edu.au
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Lily Ganda;
Lily Ganda
2Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One #06-08, Singapore 637141
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Chinagarn Kunacheva;
Chinagarn Kunacheva
2Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One #06-08, Singapore 637141
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Dong Qing Zhang;
Dong Qing Zhang
2Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One #06-08, Singapore 637141
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Li Leonard Lin;
Li Leonard Lin
4Water Reclamation (Plants) Department, Public Utilities Board, 40 Scotts Road, #15-01 Singapore, Singapore 228231
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Guihe Tao;
Guihe Tao
4Water Reclamation (Plants) Department, Public Utilities Board, 40 Scotts Road, #15-01 Singapore, Singapore 228231
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Yingjie Lee;
Yingjie Lee
4Water Reclamation (Plants) Department, Public Utilities Board, 40 Scotts Road, #15-01 Singapore, Singapore 228231
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Wun Jern Ng
Wun Jern Ng
2Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One #06-08, Singapore 637141
3Division of Environmental and Water Resources, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798
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Water Sci Technol (2016) 74 (7): 1716–1725.
Article history
Received:
May 31 2016
Accepted:
July 06 2016
Citation
Antoine Prandota Trzcinski, Lily Ganda, Chinagarn Kunacheva, Dong Qing Zhang, Li Leonard Lin, Guihe Tao, Yingjie Lee, Wun Jern Ng; Characterization and biodegradability of sludge from a high rate A-stage contact tank and B-stage membrane bioreactor of a pilot-scale AB system treating municipal wastewaters. Water Sci Technol 20 October 2016; 74 (7): 1716–1725. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2016.346
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