Post-aeration of anaerobically digested sewage sludge for advanced COD and nitrogen removal: results and cost-benefit analysis at large-scale

• Published in: Water science and technology Vol. 57; no. 7; pp. 1087 - 1094
• Main Authors: Parravicini, V, Svardal, K, Kroiss, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England IWA Publishing 01-01-2008
• Subjects: Aeration; ammonia; Anaerobic digestion; Anaerobic treatment; Anaerobiosis; Anoxia; Biological activity; chemical oxygen demand; Concrete structures; Cost benefit analysis; Costs; Denitrification; Landfills; Municipal wastewater; Nitrogen; Nitrogen - isolation & purification; Nitrogen removal; optimization; Oxygen - chemistry; Removal; Sewage; Sewage - chemistry; Sewage sludge; sewage treatment; Sludge; Sludge digestion; Waste disposal sites; Wastewater; Wastewater treatment; Wastewater treatment plants; Water treatment; Austria
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2008.211

At a large Austrian municipal wastewater treatment plant enhanced stabilisation of anaerobically digested sewage sludge was required in order to get a permit for landfill disposal of the dewatered stabilized sludge. By implementing a post-aeration treatment after anaerobic digestion the organic content of the anaerobically well digested sludge can be decreased by 16%. Investigations at this plant showed that during digested sludge post-aeration anoxic phases are needed to provide stable process conditions. In this way the pH value can be kept in a more favourable range for micro-organisms and concrete structures. Additionally, under the process conditions applied nitrite accumulation would inhibit the stabilisation process if denitrification is not adequately applied. By optimising the aeration/pause ratio approximately 45% of total nitrogen in digested sludge can be removed. NH4-removal occurs through nitrification and denitrification with an efficiency of 98%. This significantly improves nitrogen removal efficiency at the wastewater treatment plant. The costs/benefit analysis shows that post-aeration of digested sludge results in an increase of total annual costs for wastewater treatment of only 0.84%, corresponding to 0.19 Euro/pe/a. Specific costs for nitrogen removal (0.32 Euro/kgN) are comparable with other biological processes for N-removal in reject water.