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Development of EPA's new methods to quantify vector attraction of wastewater sludges
Author(s) -
Farrell Joseph B.,
Bhide Vinayak,
Smith James E.
Publication year - 1996
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 - 10.2175/106143096x127721
Subject(s) - sewage sludge , aerobic digestion , pulp and paper industry , sewage treatment , biosolids , environmental science , sewage sludge treatment , waste management , volatile suspended solids , sewage , chemistry , activated sludge , environmental engineering , engineering
EPA's 1979 and 1993 sludge regulations require that sewage sludge be reduced in vector attraction before it can be applied to the land. In the 1979 regulation, satisfactory vector attraction reduction (VAR) could be demonstrated if treatment processes reduced the volatile solids content of sludge by 38%. The 1993 regulation adds two alternative test methods for aerobic sludges for determining whether VAR has been adequate. In the first method, specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) of the sludge must be <1.5 mg O 2 /hr/g total solids, and in the second method, the additional volatile solids reduction (AVSR) that occurs when the sludge is further digested for 30 days must be <15%. Experimentation with the new tests is described. Comparisons among the three methods showed that the 38% VSR requirement and the SOUR test were equivalent only near 20°C. The AVSR test was more conservative than either of the other tests.