Radiation-Assisted Process Enhancement in Wastewater Treatment
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 130, Issue 2
Abstract
Laboratory and pilot tests were conducted to investigate the use of ionizing radiation at an activated sludge wastewater treatment facility with residuals processing. Operational enhancements were investigated with respect to bulking control, thickening enhancement, and anaerobic stabilization processes. Radiation caused permanent effects in measured sludge parameters including solids content, chemical oxygen demand, ammonia-nitrogen, zeta potential, specific surface area, resistance to filtration, sludge volume index, pH, organic acid production, and digester gas evolution. Analysis of beneficial effects from preliminary studies and pilot tests demonstrated that a dose of 2–3 kGy would be potentially successful for bulking control and to a lesser degree, enhanced thickening and radiation-assisted anaerobic digestion. A cost analysis based on preliminary tests determined that a centralized electron beam irradiator could be applied economically in an integrated approach at an estimated annual savings of $0.2–2.7 million depending upon the application. Considering that the annual cost of operating an accelerator unit was estimated at $2.4 million this might translate into an important savings for a large-scale wastewater treatment facility.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Balm’er, P. (1994). “Chemical treatment: Consequences for sludge biosolids handling.” Chemical water and wastewater treatment, 3rd Ed., R. Klute and H. H. Hahn, eds., Springer, New York.
Borrely, S. I., Sampa, M. H. O., Uemi, M., Del Mastro, N. L., and Silveira, C. G. (1998). “Domestic effluent: Disinfection and organic matter removal of ionizing radiation.” Environmental applications ofionizing radiation, W. J. Cooper, R. D. Curry, and K. E. O’Shea, eds., Wiley, New York, 369–380.
Casey, T. G., Ekama, G. A., Wentzel, M. C., and Marais, G. vR.(1995). “Filamentous organism bulking in nutrient removal activated sludge systems. Paper 1: A historical overview of causes and control.” Water SA, 21(3), 231–238.
Chaychian, M., Silberman, J., Schmelling, D., Al-Sheikhly, M., and McLaughlin, W. (1997). “Radiation induced removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions.” Proc., Workshop on the Potential for Engineering-Scale Processing of Waste Treatment Streams by Electron-Beam Irradiation, National Science Foundation, Key West, Fla., 153–160.
Chudoba, J.(1985). “Control of activated sludge filamentous bulking-VI: Formulation of basic principles.” Water Res., 19(8), 1017–1022.
Cooper, W. J., Nickelsen, M. G., Meacham, D. E., Cadavid, E., Waite, T. D., and Kurucz, C. N.(1992). “High energy electron beam irradiation: An innovative process for the treatment of aqueous based organic hazardous wastes.” J. Environ. Sci. Health, Part A: Toxic/Hazard. Subst. Environ. Eng., A27(1), 219–244.
Daigger, G. T., and Roper, Jr., R. E.(1985). “The relationship between SVI and activated sludge settling characteristics.” J. Water Pollut. Control. Fed., 57(8), 859–866.
Etzel, J. E., Born, G. S., Stein, J., Helbing, T. J., and Baney, G.(1969). “Sewage sludge conditioning and disinfection by gamma irradiation.” Am. J. Public Health, 59(11), 2067–2076.
Evans, B.(1989). “Getting a handle on sludge handling costs.” Water Pollution Control, 127(3), 24.
Farooq, S., Kurucz, C. N., Waite, T. D., and Cooper, W. J.(1993). “Disinfection of wastewaters: High-energy electron vs. gamma irradiation.” Water Res., 27(7), 1177–1184.
Frank, N. W.(1995). “Introduction and historical review of electron beam processing for environmental pollution control.” Radiat. Phys. Chem., 45(6), 989–1002.
Fricke, H., and Hart, E. J. (1968). Radiation dosimetry, 2nd Ed., F. H. Attix, W. C. Roesch, and E. Tochilin, eds., Academic, New York.
Gehringer, P., and Eschweiler, H. (1998). “Radiation-induced cleanup of water and wastewater.” Environmental applications of ionizing radiation, W. J. Cooper, R. D. Curry, and K. E. O’Shea, eds., Wiley, New York, 325–351.
Graiño, J. G., and Magnavacca, C. (1998). “Sewage sludge irradiation plant in Argentina.” Environmental applications of ionizing radiation, W. J. Cooper, R. D. Curry, and K. E. O’Shea, eds., Wiley, New York, 557–568.
Jenkins, D.(1992). “Towards a comprehensive model of activated sludge bulking and foaming.” Water Sci. Technol., 25(6), 215–230.
Jenkins, D., Richard, M. G., and Daigger, G. T. (1993). Manual on the causes and control of activated sludge bulking and foaming, 2nd Ed., Lewis, Boca Raton, Fla.
Jirka, A. M., and Carter, M. J.(1975). “Micro semi-automated analysis of surface and wastewaters for chemical oxygen demand.” Anal. Chem., 47(8), 1397–1402.
Kappeler, J., and Gujer, W.(1992). “Bulking in activated sludge systems: A qualitative simulation model for Sphaerotilus natans, type 021N, and type 0961.” Water Sci. Technol., 26(3–4), 473–482.
Kazumi, J., Waite, T. D., and Kurucz, C. N. (2000). “Enhanced biosolids processing utilizing electron beam technology.” Biosolids Management in the 21st Century, Proc., Workshop Organized by University of Maryland and the National Science Foundation, College Park, Md., 135–139.
Kurucz, C. N., Waite, T. D., and Cooper, W. J.(1995). “The Miami electron beam research facility: A large scale wastewater treatment application.” Radiat. Phys. Chem., 45(2), 299–308.
Kurucz, C. N., Waite, T. D., Cooper, W. J., and Nickelsen, M. G.(1991). “High energy electron beam irradiation of water, wastewater, and sludge.” Adv. Nuclear Sci. Technol., 22, 1–37.
Lowe, Jr., H. N., Lacy, W. J., Surkiewicz, B. F., and Jaeger, R. F.(1956). “Destruction of microorganisms in water, sewage, and sewage sludgeby ionizing radiations.” J. Am. Water Works Assoc., 48(11), 1363–1372.
Maloof, S. R.(1988). “Electron inactivation of pathogens in sewage sludge and compost: A comparative analysis.” Civ. Eng. Prac., 3(2), 37–46.
McKeown, J.(1996). “Electron sterilization of sewage sludge: A real case comparison with other processes.” Radiat. Phys. Chem., 47(3), 469–473.
Meeroff, D. E. (2001). “Effects of ionizing radiation in wastewater treatment and residuals processing.” PhD thesis, College of Engineering, Univ. of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.
Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (2001). Comprehensive annual financial report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2001, Miami-Dade County, Fla.
Ponugoti, P. R., Dahab, M. F., and Surampalli, R.(1997). “Effects of different biosolids treatment systems on pathogen and pathogen indicator reduction.” Water Environ. Res., 69(7), 1195–1206.
Sedlácek, M., Koubk, M., Vacek, K., and Rejholec, J.(1985). “Sludge treatment technology and ionizing radiation.” Water Sci. Technol., 17(4/5), 515–562.
Simpson, J. R., List, E., and Dunbar, J. M.(1991). “Bulking sludge: A theory and successful case histories.” J. Inst. Water Environ. Manage., 5(3), 302–311.
Singh, A., Sagert, N. H., Borsa, J., Singh, H., and Bennett, G. S. (1985). “The use of high-energy radiation for the treatment of wastewater: A review.” Proc., 8th Symp. on Wastewater Treatment, Montreal, 191–209.
Smith, P. G., and Coackley, P.(1983). “A method for determining specific surface area of activated sludge by dye absorption.” Water Res., 17(5), 595–598.
Spinks, J. W. T., and Wood, R. J. (1990). An introduction to radiation chemistry, Wiley, New York, 96–101.
Stronach, S. M., Rudd, T., and Lester, J. N. (1986). Biotechnology monographs volume 2: Anaerobic digestion processes in industrial wastewater treatment. S. Aiba, L. T. Fan, A. Fiechter, and K. Schügerl, eds., Springer, New York, 73–74.
Suess, A., and Lessel, T.(1977). “Radiation treatment of sewage sludge: Experience with an operating pilot plant.” Radiat. Phys. Chem., 9, 353–370.
Talmadge, W. P., and Fitch, E. B.(1955). “Determining thickener unit areas.” Ind. Eng. Chem., 47(1), 38–41.
Tchobanoglous, G., and Burton, F. L. (1991). Wastewater engineering: Treatment, disposal, and reuse, 3rd Ed., McGraw-Hill, New York.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (1985). Handbook: Estimating sludge management costs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, EPA/625/6-85/010, 50–54.
van Leeuwen, J.(1991). “A review of the potential application of nonspecific activated sludge bulking control.” Water SA, 18(2), 101–106.
van Veen, W. L., Mulder, E. G., and Deinema, M. H.(1978). “The Sphaerotilus–Leptothrix group of bacteria.” Microbiol. Rev., 42(2), 329–356.
Waite, T. D., Wang, T., Kurucz, C. N., and Cooper, W. J.(1997). “Parameters affecting conditioning enhancement of biosolids by electron beam treatment.” J. Environ. Eng., 123(4), 335–344.
Wang, T. (1993). “Theoretical and experimental aspects of dewatering effects on wastewater sludge induced by high energy electrons and gamma radiation.” PhD thesis, College of Engineering, Univ. of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.
Wanner, J., and Grau, P.(1989). “Identification of filamentous micro-organisms from activated sludge: A compromise between wishes, needs, and possibilities.” Water Res., 23(7), 883–891.
Yenigün, O., Kizilgün, F., and Yilmazer, G.(1996). “Inhibition effects of zinc and copper on volatile fatty acid production during anaerobic digestion.” Environ. Technol. 17(11), 1269–1274.
Ziegler, M., Lange, M., and Dott, W.(1990). “Isolation and morphological and cytological characterization of filamentous bacteria from bulking sludge.” Water Res., 24(12), 1437–1451.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 19, 2002
Accepted: Apr 24, 2003
Published online: Jan 16, 2004
Published in print: Feb 2004
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.