Methods for Quantifying Lime Incorporation into Dewatered Sludge. I: Bench-Scale Evaluation
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Volume 134, Issue 9
Abstract
The addition of alkaline material (usually lime) to treated municipal sludge can be used to raise the pH to and generate Class A or B biosolids. When lime is added to dewatered sludge, it must first be made into a slurry before the pH can be measured to demonstrate regulatory compliance. In this study, pH 12 was achieved in slurries prepared from lime-amended dewatered sludge, even when the lime was poorly incorporated and relatively high fecal coliform levels were detected. Thus, quantitative indicators of lime incorporation are needed to complement slurry pH measurements and ensure that sufficient contact occurs between lime and sludge particles to achieve adequate stabilization. In this study, the usefulness of several potential measures of lime incorporation—pH, consumption, distribution of calcium, fecal coliforms, and reduced sulfur compound production, and ATP—was systematically evaluated using a bench-scale system. Sludge pH and consumption were not influenced by the extent of lime incorporation. The distribution of calcium and fecal coliform levels appear to be useful measures of lime incorporation. and reduced sulfur compound emissions and ATP levels can also be used to assess lime incorporation provided recommended experimental techniques are used.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this project was provided by DC WASA. Irina Y. Chikounova provided valuable technical assistance.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 134 • Issue 9 • September 2008
Pages: 750 - 761
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: May 21, 2007
Accepted: Aug 27, 2007
Published online: Sep 1, 2008
Published in print: Sep 2008
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