• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.505-510
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• 2008

Excess sludge and raw sludge were treated by ball mill in order to promote solubilization, and it was known that the level of solubilization was higher in excess sludge rather than raw sludge. About solid concentration, with the increase of TS, the amounts of solubilization was increased. And excess sludge was solubilized more effectively with the increase of ball mill treatment time. Especially, in case of excess sludge, within 5 min of ball mill treatment, 6 times of solubilization was achieved compared with raw sludge. The effect of bead size was also tested and 1 mm bead was most desirable when applied to the TS 4% of excess sludge. Particle size decrease by the ball mill treatment was more effective in raw sludge, nevertheless the level of solubilization was always higher in excess sludge. This means that the results of particle analysis could not be understood as a indicator for sludge solubilization. Generally, excess sludge and raw sludge are mixed at the thicker in the STP, but considering a ball mill pretreatment as an alternative for sludge solubilization, it is desirable to treat not raw sludge but excess sludge alone in the aspect of solubilization yield and economical process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.763-770
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of mechanical(ball-mill) solubilization of excess sludge especially focused on the TSS(total suspended solid) reduction during the conventional aerobic digestion of sewage sludges including primary and/or excess sludge, HRT was examined at the 10 days and 20 days. According to the results of this study, TSS removal efficiency of solubilized excess sludge was almost two times higher than that of non-solubilized excess sludge. And as the proportion of the primary sludge increased, TSS removal efficiency became worse because primary sludge rarely contained microbial cells which could be easily solubilized physically. It was also proved that by the application of proper solubilization techniques to the excess sludge, HRT for the aerobic digestion could be lessened(above 50%) dramatically keeping the same or better digestion performance. The fact that between primary and excess sludges, only the excess sludge is quite effective in the sludge solubilization and in it's reduction says that excess sludge releasing sources are key-point in the sludge cake reduction field as a source control.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.112-118
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• 2008

Residual solid in excess sludge treated by hydrothermal reaction was investigated as raw material for its recycling. Treated excess sludge and residual solid were also focused on their content change during hydrothermal reaction. Two kinds of excess sludge, obtained from a local food factory and a municipal wastewater treatment process, were tested under various conditions. Following hydrothermal reaction, depending on the reaction conditions, biodegradable substrates in treated excess sludge appeared to increase. The separated residual solid was a composite composed of organic and inorganic materials. The proportion of carbon varied from 34.0 to 41.6% depending on reaction conditions. Although 1.89% of hazardous materials were detected, SiO2 (Quartz) was a predominant constituent of the residual solid. X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments revealed that the residual solid was of a partially amorphous state, suggesting that the residual solids could be easily converted to stable and non harmful substances through a stabilization process. Thus, this technology could be successfully used to control excess sludge and its reuse.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.737-744
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• 2007

Recently, one of the most interesting topic in the field of wastewater treatment is the disposal of excess sludge. The new concept of excess sludge reduction with recirculation of solubilized sludge via effective microorganisms for cell disruption within the wastewater treatment process has been developed in this study. The alkalophiles for degradation of sludge cell wall were isolated as Exiguobacterium sp., which could be more effectively solubilized sludge in the anaerobic condition. The SCOD of solubilized excess sludge by Exiguobacterium sp. was up to about 2,000mg/L and average TN and TP concentration of solubilized component were 117mg/L and 58mg/L, respectively and C/N ratio was more than 17. To investigate the effects of solubilized sludge by alkalophiles on excess sludge reduction and nutrient removal efficiency, the pilot plant of $DF^{(S)}-MBR$ process, combined with membrane bioreactor and sludge solubilization tank, was operated. In the control run(without sludge solubilization), the daily sludge production was about 4.54 kgMLVSS/day. However, in the $DF^{(S)}-MBR$(with sludge solubilization), the daily sludge production was decreased to 1.39kgMLVSS/day. The effluent quality satisfied the effluent regulation in both cases. Furthermore, the $DF^{(S)}-MBR$ showed relatively better TN removal efficiency in spite of high influent loading. So we concluded that the solubilized excess sludge by alkalophiles was effectively degraded in the MBR process as the carbon source and 70% of sludge reduction efficiency can be achieved.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.497-505
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• 2005

Domestic Sewage Treatment Plants are mostly based on biological treatment, in which large amounts of excess sludge are generated and occupy about 40 ~ 60% of the total sewage treatment costs. Several methods for sludge treatment has been so far reported as upgrading biodegradation of sludge; heat treatment, chemical treatment, including thermo-alkali and ozone, mechanical treatment including ultrasonic pulverization. But, it has a limitation in case of reducing the amount of excess sludge which are already producted. In this study, application of excess sludge reduction process using thermophilic aerobic bacteria for activated sludge was examined. The research was carried out two different stage. one for a biological wastewater treatment and the other for a thermophilic aerobic solubilization of the waste sludge. A portion of excess sludge from the wastewater treatment step was into the thermophilic aerobic sludge solubilization reactor, in which the injected sludge was solubilized by thermophilic aerobic bacteria. The solubilized sludge was returned to the aeration tank in the wastewater treatment step for its further degradation. Sludge solubilization reactor was operated at $63{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ with hydraulic retention time(HRT) of 1.5 ~ 1.7 day. Control group was operated with activated sludge process(AS) and experiment group was operated with three conditions(RUN 1, RUN 2, RUN3). RUN 1 was operated with AS without sludge solubilization reactor. RUN 2 were operated with AS with sludge solubilization reactor to examine correlation between sludge circulation ratio and sludge reduction ratio by setting up sludge circulation ratio to 3. RUN 3 was operated with sludge circulation ratio of 3 and MLSS concentration of 1,700~2,000mg/L to examine optimum operation condition. The quantity of excess sludge production was reduced sharply and in operation of RUN 3, sludge The quantity of excess sludge production was reduced sharply and in operation of RUN 3, sludge solubilization ratio and sludge reduction ratio were 53. 7%, 95.2% respectively. After steady state operation, average concentration of TBOD, SBOD, $TCOD_{Cr}$, $SCOD_{Cr}$, TSS, VSS, T-N, T-P of effluent were 4.5, 1.7, 27 .8, 13.8, 8.1, 6.2, 15.1, 1.8mg/L in the control group and were 5.6, 2.0, 28.6, 19.1, 9.7, 7.2, 16.1, 2.0mg/L in the experimental group respectively. They were appropriate to effluent standard of Sewage Treatment Plants.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.530-538
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• 2009

The Oxic-Settling-Anaerobic (OSA) treatment process, a modified Conventional Activated Sludge (CAS) process, was developed for the purpose of sludge reduction. The insertion of a sludge holding tank into a sludge return line, an anaerobic reactor, forming an OSA process, may provide a cost-effective way of reducing excess sludge production during a process. The OSA process was evaluated for its sludge reduction ability by kinetic parameter and mass balance, with an observed excess sludge reduction of 63.5%, as $P_{X.VSS}$, compared with the conventional activated sludge process.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.1098-1107
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• 2001

This study is to develop the pretreatment for the excess and digested sludge by elector-coagulation and dewatering. Electrocoagulation is applied to excess and digested sludge before transferring to the pistion type for dewatering. Piston type filter press as a laboratory scale plant was used to estimate the dewaterability. MMD of excess sludge was increased from initial diameter of particles ($34.16{\mu}m$) to the 87%($64.01{\mu}m$) after electrocoagulation. Al electrode is more effective than Fe electrode for the dewaterabiltity of excess sludge Electrodewatering after electrocoagulation as pretreatment makes the water content of sludge cake 50~60 wt%.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.1992-1997
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• 2003

This study is to develop the pretreatment for the excess and digested sludge by electro-coagulation and dewatering. Electrocoagulation is applied to excess and digested sludge before transferring to the piston type press for dewatering. Piston type filter press as a laboratory scale plant was used to estimate the dewaterability. MMD of excess sludge was increased from initial diameter of particles(34.16 ${\mu}m$) to the 87%(64.01 ${\mu}m$) after electrocoagulation. AI electrode is more effective than Fe electrode for the dewaterability of excess sludge. Electrodewatering after electrocoagulation as pretreatment makes the water content of sludge cake $50{\sim}60$ wt%.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.519-522
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• 2004

In the course of anaerobic storage of excess sludge, odors due to chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide are produced. These odors cause many problems. Many methods have been developed to eliminate odors, but all current methods are not only costly, but also largely inef­fective. In this paper, we investigate the process of transformation of sludge microorganism cul­tures through intense aeration under nutrient-poor conditions, in terms of the selective adjust­ment and control of microorganism culture. The aerated sludge is subsequently returned to the adjusting pool, where the microorganisms inhibit odors, thus the excess sludge itself will act as an odor inhibitor. The process can be verified in terms of viability, in that the degradation capac­ity of the sludge was maintained after the intensely-aerated sludge was returned to the treat­ment system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.304-310
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• 2007

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of the co-treatment of municipal wastewater with microwave-irradiated excess sludge on the treatment efficiency and excess sludge production of the activated sludge process. When 250 mL of excess sludge with a MLSS concentration of approximately 2,000 mg/L was microwave-irradiated at $20^{\circ}C$ for $40\sim300$ sec by a microwave oven (2,450 MHz, 700 W), the temperature of the sludge increased at a rate of approximately $20^{\circ}C/min$ and the SCOD, TKN and T-P concentrations of the sludge showed the highest increase in the irradiation time of $40\sim130$ sec. And, the oxygen uptake rate measurement of the sludge microorganism suggested most of the microorganisms in the sludge were destroyed at an irradiation time above 130 sec(above $65^{\circ}C$). When the municipal wastewater and microwave-irradiated excess sludge was co-treated by the activated sludge process, almost no effect was observed in the pH and alkalinity of both the influent and effluent, but the influent concentrations of SS, COD, T-N and T-P increased. Even though the effluent SS, BOD and T-P concentrations showed almost no effect, the COD and TKN concentrations increased. The microbial yield coefficient decreased at a rate of 0.91 g SS/g COD removed as the irradiation ratio increased at a rate of 1 g SS/g SS-day.