Electrochemical dewatering for the removal of hazardous species from sludge. (1st March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Silva, F.L.; Lanza, M.R.V.; Saez, C.; Rodrigo, M.A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of environmental management. Volume 233(2019)
• Page Start: 768
• Page End: 773
• Publication Date: 2019-03-01
• Subjects: Dewatering -- Electrochemical -- Sludge -- Hazardous species -- Antibiotics -- Clopyralid; Environmental policy -- Periodicals; Environmental management -- Periodicals; Environment -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Periodicals; 363.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.09.103
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0301-4797

Abstract

Abstract: This work focuses on the evaluation of the electrochemical dewatering of sludge polluted with model hazardous species. To do this, two sludge samples taken from the outlet of the anaerobic digesters of the municipal Wastewater Treatment Facility of Ciudad Real were polluted with herbicide clopyralid (CP) and with antibiotics amoxicillin (AMX) and ampicillin (AMP), respectively. These sludge samples underwent first dewatering by press filtration and then, the dewatering continued by the application of an electrochemically assisted driven process with increasing electric fields (1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 V cm −1 ). Results demonstrate that the electrochemically-assisted process can help to exhaust the pollutant adsorbed onto the sludge and attain a supplemental removal (up to 15%) of water in both cases. This is a highly important result, because it can help to develop technologies for sludge treatment that avoid the diffusion of hazardous pollution during the land application of the sludge. No reactivity of the pollutants was observed during the tests. Highlights: High retention capability of antibiotics in raw digested sludge. Lower for clopyralid. Application of electric fields attains up to 10% extra-dewatering of sludge. More than 98% of the clopyralid and of 80% of antibiotics removed from sludge. Differences in the organics drawn related to their different adsorption capacity of sludge. No reactivity of the pollutants is observed.