1 AIT Asian Institute of Technology

Air-lift Bioreactor Contactor (ABC) coupled with Polyurethane Biomass Support System (PBSS) for heavy metal biolixiviation of anaerobic sludge by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans

AuthorBui Cach Tuyen
Call NumberAIT Diss. no. EV-92-2
Subject(s)Sewage--Purification--Heavy metals removal

NoteA doctoral dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Technical Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development
PublisherAsian Institute of Technology
AbstractThe ultimate purpose of this study was focussed on the finding of a technically feasible and economically viable use of ABC-PBSS process (Airlift Bioreactor Contactor coupled with Polyurethane Biomass Support System) to remove heavy metals in the anaerobically digested sludge before final landspreading as fertilizer and soil conditioner. ABC-PBSS coupled with Thiobacillus ferrooxidans is a newly designed combination which exploits the superior performance of the iron bacteria and the advantages of the ABC and PBSS for heavy metal removal. The study was conducted following various batch and continous runs in which several parameters affecting the operation of ABCPBSS were tested: HRT, feed sludge pH, feed sludge concentration, DO, ORP . ABC itself can remove heavy metals from anaerobically digested sludge at high starting pH values of feed sludge and short HRTs: At feed sludge pH=5.5, 5.75 and 6, Zn, Cd, Ni and Mn were removed greater than 80% at all HRTs . At the same time, Pb and Cr were removed less than 20% at all HRTs . Optimum copper removal is at HRT=0.75 d. At HRT=0 . 5 and 0.65 d copper removal drops considerably. For all heavy metals analysed at four feed sludge solids concentrations(l.2, 1.8, 2.4 and 3%), the higher the concentration of feed sludge, the lower the heavy metal removal percentage. Regarding the PBSS design, the vertical plug flow model is proven most appropriate for the unit operation in terms of sludge movement and sludge handling. There is a relation between the bacteria adaptation period of the acclimatised sludge with the effectiveness of inoculum in various batch runs. Within 60 days, the longer the adaptation period, the more vigorous the bacterial activities in terms of heavy metal removal. Over 60 days, the differences in heavy metal removal were recognised negligible. PBSS can effectively maintain, or somewhat increase, the identical level of heavy metal removal while increases the operation volume of the whole process, thus reduces the unit operation cost. The treatment cost per cubic meter of sludge in ABC-PBSS system is evaluated to be about half of that of ABC alone.
Year1992
TypeDissertation
SchoolSchool of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD)
DepartmentDepartment of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC))
Academic Program/FoSEnvironmental Engineering (EV)
Chairperson(s)Tran, F. T.
Examination Committee(s)Visvanathan, C. ;Harada, H. ;Zhuang, Ya-Hui ;Huynh, Ngoc Phien ;Tyagi, R. D.
Scholarship Donor(s)ADB-Japan.;
DegreeThesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1992


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