Ayumi Ito

Removal of heavy metals from anaerobically digested sewage sludge by a new chemical method using ferric sulfate

The removal of heavy metals from anaerobically digested sewage sludge was studied by using ferric sulfate. The addition of ferric sulfate to the sludge caused the acidification of the sludge and the elution of heavy metals from the sludge. The pH of the sludge decreased with an increase in the amount of iron added and with a decrease in the sludge concentration. At a sludge solid concentration of 2% (w/w), the sludge pH dropped below 3 and the elution percentage of cadmium, copper and zinc was more than 80% when the added amount of ferric iron was more than 1.5 g per L of wet sludge. Furthermore, the method using ferric sulfate was compared with that using sulfuric acid at pH 3 in order to clarify the effect of ferric iron as an oxidation reagent on elution of heavy metals. Ferric iron eluted cadmium, copper and zinc more effectively than sulfuric acid. This effective elution of heavy metals was caused by the oxidation of the sludge solid by ferric iron added. From these results, it was concluded that ferric iron played a role to acidify the sludge and to oxidize metallic compounds in the sludge and this new chemical method was useful for the removal of heavy metals from anaerobically digested sewage sludge.

Biological oxidation of arsenite in synthetic groundwater using immobilised bacteria.

Biological oxidation of arsenite (As(III)) in synthetic groundwater was examined by using arsenite oxidising bacteria (AOB) isolated from an activated sludge. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolated AOB was closely related to Ensifer adhaerens. Batch experiments showed that for an As(III) oxidation with the isolated AOB the optimum ratio of nitrogen source (NH₄-N) concentration to As(III) concentration was 0.5 (52 mg/L-110 mg/L) and the isolated AOB preferred pH values ranging from 6 to 8, and water temperatures greater than 20 °C. Further continuous experiments were conducted using a bioreactor with immobilised AOB. With an initial As(III) concentration of 1 mg/L at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1 h, an As(III) oxidation rate was around 1 × 10⁻⁹ μg/cell/min and an As(III) oxidation efficiency of 92% was achieved. Although the maximum oxidation rate measured at an HRT of 0.5 h was 2.1 × 10⁻⁹ μg/cell/min, the oxidation efficiency decreased to 87%. These results advocate that a biological process involving immobilised AOB may be useful as an economical and environmentally friendly pre-treatment step for As removal from groundwater.

Biotransformation of arsenic species by activated sludge and removal of bio-oxidised arsenate from wastewater by coagulation with ferric chloride.

The potential of activated sludge to catalyse bio-oxidation of arsenite [As(III)] to arsenate [As(V)] and bio-reduction of As(V) to As(III) was investigated. In batch experiments (pH 7, 25 degrees C) using activated sludge taken from a treatment plant receiving municipal wastewater non-contaminated with As, As(III) and As(V) were rapidly biotransformed to As(V) under aerobic condition and As(III) under anaerobic one without acclimatisation, respectively. Sub-culture of the activated sludge using a minimal liquid medium containing 100mg As(III)/L and no organic carbon source showed that aerobic arsenic-resistant bacteria were present in the activated sludge and one of the isolated bacteria was able to chemoautotrophically oxidise As(III) to As(V). Analysis of arsenic species in a full-scale oxidation ditch plant receiving As-contaminated wastewater revealed that both As(III) and As(V) were present in the influent, As(III) was almost completely oxidised to As(V) after supply of oxygen by the aerator in the oxidation ditch, As(V) oxidised was reduced to As(III) in the anaerobic zone in the ditch and in the return sludge pipe, and As(V) was the dominant species in the effluent. Furthermore, co-precipitation of As(V) bio-oxidised by activated sludge in the plant with ferric hydroxide was assessed by jar tests. It was shown that the addition of ferric chloride to mixed liquor as well as effluent achieved high removal efficiencies (>95%) of As and could decrease the residual total As concentrations in the supernatant from about 200 microg/L to less than 5 microg/L. It was concluded that a treatment process combining bio-oxidation with activated sludge and coagulation with ferric chloride could be applied as an alternative technology to treat As-contaminated wastewater.

Resource dependent biodegradation of estrogens and the role of ammonia oxidising and heterotrophic bacteria

The influence of ammonia oxidising bacteria and bulk organic competition was assessed during laboratory scale activated sludge treatment. Under short and long hydraulic retention time (HRT) and solid retention time (SRT) conditions, bioreactors were supplied with synthetic sewage spiked with 0.04-2.1 mg m(3) d(-1) of steroid estrogens with and without ammonia as a nitrogen source. Non acclimated biomass that had previously not been exposed to estrogens was capable of biodegrading estrogens (89% and 78%) within 24 h in the short HRT/SRT and long HRT/SRT conditions respectively. Changing the nitrogen source from ammonia to nitrate caused reductions in ammonia oxidising bacteria (AOB) numbers from 2.47×10(8) to 1.17×10(7)AOB mL(-1) and 5.15×10(9) to 4.27×10(7)AOB mL(-1) for the short and long HRT/SRT conditions respectively. Despite these reductions, biodegradation of estrogens was unaffected, which demonstrated that heterotrophic bacteria were able to biodegrade estrogens. Estrogen biodegradation was unrestricted and estrogen could be removed at higher than environmental concentrations following a pseudo-first order relationship. During this study, bulk organic loading appeared not to have any appreciable influence upon estrogen biodegradation. These results suggest heterotrophic bacteria, capable of scavenging a broad spectrum of organic material, carry out estrogen biodegradation.

Fate of radiocesium in sewage treatment process released by the nuclear accident at Fukushima

The nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) which occurred after the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011 resulted in releases of radionuclides such as (134)Cs (half-life:T1/2=2.06 yr), (137)Cs (T1/2=30.04 yr) and (131)I (T1/2=8.05 d) to the environment. For this paper, we observed the monthly variations of radiocesium ((134)Cs and (137)Cs) and stable Cs concentrations in influent, effluent, sewage sludge, and sludge ash collected from a sewage treatment plant 280 km north of the FDNPP from July to December, 2011. Using the stable Cs results, we concluded the mass balance of Cs in the sewage treatment plant showed that about 10% of the Cs entering the sewage treatment plant would be transferred to the sewage sludge, and then Cs in the sewage sludge was totally recovered in the sludge ash. The behavior of Cs was similar to that of Rb, but it was not similar to that of K in the sewage treatment process.

Enhanced heavy metals removal without phosphorus loss from anaerobically digested sewage sludge

Heavy metals removal without phosphorus loss from anaerobically digested sewage sludge was investigated by conducting batch experiments using hydrogen peroxide and/or iron sulphate under acidified conditions at pH 3. The addition of hydrogen peroxide to the sludge improved the elution efficiencies of As, Cd, Cu and Zn with phosphorus loss from the sludge. The optimum initial concentrations of hydrogen peroxide were. Respectively. 0.1% for As, Cd, Mn and Zn and 0.5% for Cu and Ni. The combined process of 0.1% hydrogen peroxide and 1 g Fe/L ferric sulphate enhanced the initial elution rate of Cu and Cr compared to the addition of either ferric sulphate or hydrogen peroxide, indicating that oxidants stronger than hydrogen peroxide were produced in the sludge. Furthermore, the combined process immobilised phosphorus in the sludge due to co-precipitation with ferric hydroxide or precipitation as ferric phosphate. It was concluded that there is a possibility that the combined process could remove heavy metals effectively without phosphorus loss from anaerobically digested sewage sludge.

Separation of metals and phosphorus from incinerated sewage sludge ash.

Microbial acidification of incinerated sewage sludge ash and dissolution of metals from the acidified ash were investigated using a semi-batch reactor at different solid retention times (SRTs). The average pH values ranged from 0.91 to 1.2 at SRTs longer than 10 days, whereas the reduction of SRT to 4 days resulted in an increase in the pH value to about 2. The dissolution efficiencies of Al, As, Cd, Cu and Mn were greater than 60% at a SRT of 4 days. Moreover, the effect of pH on precipitation of metals and P (dissolution of 80%) in the filtrate removed from the acidified sewage ash suspension, and the separation of phosphorus and the other metals in the filtrate using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or ferric ion, were examined. Although neutralisation of the filtrate to a pH of 5 simultaneously precipitated 100% of Al and 80% of P recovered from the acidified sewage ash, the addition of EDTA decreased their precipitation to 70 and 50%, respectively, at the same pH value, which would promote precipitation of P as calcium phosphate. Furthermore, neutralising to a pH of 2.5 after the addition of ferric ion precipitated P separately from Al and heavy metals.

Fate of stable strontium in the sewage treatment process as an analog for radiostrontium released by nuclear accidents

Radionuclides were widely released into the environment due to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Some of these radionuclides have flowed into municipal sewage treatment plants through sewer systems. We have observed the fate of stable Sr in the sewage treatment process as a means to predict the fate of radiostrontium. Concentrations of stable Sr were determined in sewage influent, effluent, dewatered sludge, and incinerated sewage sludge ash collected from a sewage treatment plant once a month from July to December 2011. In the mass balance of Sr in the sewage treatment plant, 76% of the Sr entering the plant was discharged to the receiving water on average. Additionally, 14% of the Sr flowing through the plant was transferred to the sewage sludge and then concentrated in the sludge ash without being released to the atmosphere. We also investigated Sr sorption by activated sludge in a batch experiment. Measurements at 3 and 6h after the contact showed Sr was sorbed in the activated sludge; however, the measurements indicated Sr desorption from activated sludge occurred 48 h after the contact.

Cesium and strontium loads into a combined sewer system from rainwater runoff

In this study, combined sewage samples were taken with time in several rain events and sanitary sewage samples were taken with time in dry weather to calculate Cs and Sr loads to sewers from rainwater runoff. Cs and Sr in rainwater were present as particulate forms at first flush and the particulate Cs and Sr were mainly bound with inorganic suspended solids such as clay minerals in combined sewage samples. In addition, multiple linear regression analysis showed Cs and Sr loads from rainwater runoff could be estimated by the total amount of rainfall and antecedent dry weather days. The variation of the Sr load from rainwater to sewers was more sensitive to total amount of rainfall and antecedent dry weather days than that of the Cs load.

Evaluating Removal of Radionuclides from Landfill Leachate Using Generally Practiced Wastewater Treatment Processes

Some amounts of the radionuclides released in the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant are transferred to wastes such as sewage sludge ash and municipal waste ash. Among these wastes, those that contain less than 8,000 Bq/kg radiocesium are being disposed in controlled landfill sites that have been in use since before the accident. At the landfill sites, a leachate treatment system is generally used, and there are no specific treatment steps for removal of radionuclides. In this study, the stable element concentrations of the relevant radionuclides in the leachate and treated water at each treatment step were determined to evaluate the radionuclide removal at each step. Target elements in this study were Cs, Co, Mn, Ni, and Sr. More than 93.9 % of the Co, Mn, Ni, and Sr present in the leachate could be removed at the alkali removal step by precipitation; however, Cs could not be removed by any of the treatment processes.