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Use of Alum for Odor Reduction in Sludge and Biosolids from Different Wastewater Treatment Processes
Author(s) -
Gruchlik Yolanta,
Fouché Lise,
Joll Cynthia A.,
Heitz Anna
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.2175/106143017x15054988926406
Subject(s) - alum , biosolids , dewatering , odor , wastewater , waste management , pulp and paper industry , sewage sludge , anaerobic digestion , sewage treatment , chemistry , resource recovery , environmental science , sewage sludge treatment , ditch , environmental engineering , methane , ecology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering , biology
Applicability of alum addition to wastewater sludge and biosolids produced from different treatment processes was evaluated as a means of odor reduction. Four water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) were chosen for this study: two used mesophilic anaerobic digestion and two used oxidation ditch processes. The experiments were conducted on a laboratory scale and in all cases the alum was added prior to dewatering. This is the first report of the application of alum for odor reduction in oxidation ditch processes. Alum addition was effective in reducing odors in anaerobically digested biosolids. Addition of 4% alum to anaerobically digested liquid biosolids prior to dewatering resulted in a 60% reduction in the peak odor concentration in the laboratory dewatered cake, relative to the control sample. Alum addition did not reduce odors in dewatered sludge from oxidation ditch processes.