In-situ sulfite treatment promotes solid reduction during aerobic digestion of waste activated sludge: Feasibility for small-scale wastewater treatment plants

作者：Qin, Shichan; Zhang, Dandan; Wang, Jiale; Liang, Muxiang; Chen, Wei; Zhang, Tiantian; Lu, Xiejuan; Li, Liangbin; Wu, Xiaohui; Zan, Feixiang^*

来源：Bioresource Technology, 2024, 394: 130224.

DOI：10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130224

• Sulfite
• Aerobic digestion
• Solubilization
• Solid reduction
• Inactivation

Aerobic digestion remains the preferred choice for small-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in some developing countries, largely due to economic viability and operational simplicity. The escalating production of waste activated sludge (WAS) has prompted small-scale WWTPs to improve efficiency. To address this issue, this study employed an in-situ sulfite treatment as a non-intrusive method to augment aerobic digestion. With sulfiteenhanced solubilization and hydrolysis, a 3.6-fold increase in degradation was achieved. Both sludge dewatering properties and pathogens inactivation were improved. Microbial community analysis revealed a preferential enrichment of Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes during sulfite treatment. The desktop scaling-up estimation suggests that implementing this treatment yielded operational cost savings exceeding 40 %. In summary, in-situ sulfite treatment offers a cost-effective strategy for WAS management in small-scale WWTPs.

• 单位
  华中科技大学