Sonication is an effective way for sludge disintegration,which can significantly improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion to reduce and recycle use of sludge.But high energy consumption limits the wide application of sonication.In order to improve ultrasonic sludge disintegration efficiency and reduce energy consumption,aeration was introduced.Results showed that sludge disintegration efficiency was improved significantly by combining aeration with ultrasound.The aeration flow rate,gas bubble size,ultrasonic density and aeration timing had impacts on sludge disintegration efficiency.Aeration that used in later stage of ultrasonic irradiation with low aeration flow rate,small gas bubbles significantly improved ultrasonic disintegration sludge efficiency.At the optimal conditions of 0.4 W/m L ultrasonic irradiation density,30 m L/min of aeration flow rate,5 min of aeration in later stage and small gas bubbles,ultrasonic sludge disintegration efficiency was increased by 45% and one third of ultrasonic energy was saved.This approach will greatly benefit the application of ultrasonic sludge disintegration and strongly promote the treatment and recycle of wastewater sludge.
A novel joint method of bioleaching with Fenton oxidation was applied to condition sewage sludge. The specific resistance to filtration(SRF) and moisture of sludge cake(MSC) were adopted to evaluate the improvement of sludge dewaterability. After 2-day bioleaching, the sludge p H dropped to about 2.5 which satisfied the acidic condition for Fenton oxidation.Meanwhile, the SRF declined from 6.45 × 1010 to 2.07 × 1010s2/g, and MSC decreased from91.42% to 87.66%. The bioleached sludge was further conditioned with Fenton oxidation. From an economical point of view, the optimal dosages of H2O2 and Fe2+were 0.12 and 0.036 mol/L,respectively, and the optimal reaction time was 60 min. Under optimal conditions, SRF,volatile solids reduction, and MSC were 3.43 × 108s2/g, 36.93%, and 79.58%, respectively. The stability and settleability of sewage sludge were both improved significantly. Besides,the results indicated that bioleaching-Fenton oxidation was more efficient in dewatering the sewage sludge than traditional Fenton oxidation. The sludge conditioning mechanisms by bioleaching-Fenton oxidation might mainly include the flocculation effects and the releases of extracellular polymeric substances–bound water and intercellular water.
