Treatment of Arsenic-Laden Water Plant Sludge by Anaerobic Digestion
Publication: Practice Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management
Volume 14, Issue 2
Abstract
Coprecipitation of arsenic by alum or iron salts produces a large quantity of arsenic-laden sludge (an average of of sludge on dry basis) in conventional arsenic removal plant (ARP). This toxic sludge, along with acclimated composite organic waste slurry containing a mixture of partially digested liquefied market waste, primary sludge of sewage treatment plant, and liquefied water hyacinth at 1–10% by volume of the total, was anaerobically digested for a period of 30–50 days. The maximum removal of arsenic was obtained as 99.69% at a digestion period of 50 days. The minimum biogas generation at 30 days digestion period was found to be (at standard temperature and pressure) per cubic meter of composite feed slurry at 10% of ARP sludge. The results show that presence of arsenic in adequately acclimated composite feed sludge does not significantly inhibit the anaerobic digestion process. It may thus be stated that anaerobic digestion of arsenic-laden composite organic waste sludge could be a viable option for the safe and cost-effective disposal of arsenic-laden sludge available from existing arsenic removal water plants in arsenic affected areas.
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Published In
Practice Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management
Volume 14 • Issue 2 • April 2010
Pages: 124 - 131
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Nov 4, 2008
Accepted: Aug 25, 2009
Published online: Aug 28, 2009
Published in print: Apr 2010
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