Enhanced excess sludge digestion using thermal and chemical petreatments

Identifier:  TDX:1246

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX1246

Authors:  Torrens Serrahima, Esther

Abstract:
This thesis deals with the problem of excess sludge management generated in urban wastewater treatment plants. The adoption of the European directive 86/278/EEC concerning sewage sludge regulates the use and properties of stabilized sludge. Specifically the directive recommends and promotes the reuse and recovery of sludge. Anaerobic digestion at mesophilic temperature (~33°C) is the most common sludge treatment process used in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) to stabilize urban sludge, however generally this digested sludge not ensure sanitary conditions imposed for fertilize uses. The proposal of this thesis is to develop strategies for reuse and upgrading of sewage sludge, specifically the migration into thermophilic (>50ºC) in both anaerobic and aerobic digestion, and the use of thermal and chemical pretreatments (H2O2). The aim is to develop different processes for reducing both the toxicity and the amounts of sludge produced and simultaneously study their transformation into green energy vectors such as methane.