Christian Schaum

Phosphorus recovery from wastewater: needs, technologies and costs

Phosphorus is an essential, yet limited resource, which cannot be replaced by any other element. This is why there are increasing efforts to recycle phosphorus contained in wastewater. It involves the recovery of phosphorus and, normally, the separation of phosphates from harmful substances. Phosphorus can be recovered from wastewater, sewage sludge, as well as from the ash of incinerated sewage sludge, and can be combined with phosphorus removal in most cases. The phosphorus recovery rate from the liquid phase can reach 40 to 50% at the most, while recovery rates from sewage sludge and sewage sludge ash can reach up to 90%. There are various methods which can be applied for phosphorus recovery. Up to now, there is limited experience in industrial-scale implementation. The costs for recovered phosphate exceed the costs for phosphate from rock phosphate by several times. For German conditions, the specific additional costs of wastewater treatment by integrating phosphorus recovery can be estimated at euro2-6 per capita and year.

Potentials of using nanofiltration to recover phosphorus from sewage sludge

Due to the depletion of mineral phosphorus resources there is an increasing demand for efficient phosphorus recovery technologies. In this study the potential of nanofiltration to recover phosphorus from pre-treated sewage sludge is investigated. The efficiency of three commercial nanofiltration membranes (Desal 5DK, NP030; MPF34) was tested using model solutions. Desal 5DK showed the best selectivity for phosphorus. A pH of lower than 1.5 was found to be most suitable. Desal 5DK was used on four different sewage sludge ash eluates and on one sewage sludge. In these experiments it was shown that a separation of phosphorus from undesired components such as heavy metals was possible with significant variations in the efficiency for the different ash and sludge types. Additionally the achievable product recovery was investigated with model solutions. A product recovery of 57.1% was attained for pH 1 and 41.4% for pH 1.5.

Examination of food waste co-digestion to manage the peak in energy demand at wastewater treatment plants.

Many digesters in Germany are not operated at full capacity; this offers the opportunity for co-digestion. Within this research the potentials and limits of a flexible and adapted sludge treatment are examined with a focus on the digestion process with added food waste as co-substrate. In parallel, energy data from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) are analysed and lab-scale semi-continuous and batch digestion tests are conducted. Within the digestion tests, the ratio of sewage sludge to co-substrate was varied. The final methane yields show the high potential of food waste: the higher the amount of food waste the higher the final yield. However, the conversion rates directly after charging demonstrate better results by charging 10% food waste instead of 20%. Finally, these results are merged with the energy data from the WWTP. As an illustration, the load required to cover base loads as well as peak loads for typical daily variations of the plants energy demand are calculated. It was found that 735 m³ raw sludge and 73 m³ of a mixture of raw sludge and food waste is required to cover 100% of the base load and 95% of the peak load.

Analysis of methane emissions from digested sludge

The energetic use of sewage sludge is an important step in the generation of electricity and heat within a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). For a holistic approach, methane emissions derived from anaerobic treatment have to be considered. Measurements show that methane dissolved in digested sludge can be analyzed via the vacuum salting out degassing method. At different WWTPs, dissolved methane was measured, showing a concentration range of approximately 7-37 mg CH4/L. The average concentration of dissolved methane in mesophilic digested sludge was approximately 29 mg CH4/L, which corresponds to an estimated yearly specific load of approximately 14-21 g CH4 per population equivalent. Comparisons between continuous and discontinuous digester feeding show that a temporary rise in the volume load causes increased concentrations of dissolved methane. Investigations using an industrial-scale digestion plant, consisting of three digestion tank operated in series, show comparable results.

Chemical sludge conditioning in combination with different conventional and alternative dewatering devices : Chamber filter press, decanter and Bucher press

The Kemicond process for sludge conditioning consists of chemical treatment with sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide at a pH-value of approximately 4 followed by a dewatering unit. It is shown that chemical treatment can improve the dewaterability of ferruginous digested sludge. It is concluded that the Fenton process as well as the oxidation of organics and the formation of iron hydroxo complexes are important reaction mechanisms. Furthermore, the organic matter changes through the acidic oxidative process. With the improvement in dewaterability, it is possible to achieve an increase in TS concentration, which affects a reduction of the sludge volume. Cost savings for sludge disposal can amortize the additional investment and operational costs for chemical treatment.

Evaluation of the energetic potential of sewage sludge by characterization of its organic composition

The composition of sewage sludge and, thus, its energetic potential is influenced by wastewater and wastewater treatment processes. Higher or lower heating values (HHV or LHV) are decisive factors for the incineration/gasification/pyrolysis of sewage sludge. The HHV is analyzed with a bomb calorimeter and converted to the LHV. It is also possible to calculate the heating value via chemical oxygen demand (COD), total volatile solids (TVS), and elemental composition. Calculating the LHV via the COD provides a suitable method. In contrast, the correlation of the HHV or LHV with the TVS is limited. One prerequisite here is a constant specific energy density; this was given with the types of sewage sludge (primary, surplus/excess, and digested sludge) investigated. If the energy density is not comparable with sewage sludge, for instance with the co-substrate (bio-waste, grease, etc.), the estimation of the heating value using TVS will fail. When calculating the HHV or LHV via the elemental composition, one has to consider the validity of the coefficients of the calculation equation. Depending on the organic composition, it might be necessary to adjust the coefficients, e.g. when adding co-substrates.