An innovative approach to the application of ultrasounds to remove polyethylene microspheres from activated sludge
| Autor: | José-Antonio Mendoza-Roca, C. Bretas Alvim, M.A Bes-Piá |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Secondary treatment
Biosolids Sonication Filtration and Separation 02 engineering and technology engineering.material INGENIERIA QUIMICA 14.- Conservar y utilizar de forma sostenible los océanos mares y recursos marinos para lograr el desarrollo sostenible Analytical Chemistry Matrix (chemical analysis) 020401 chemical engineering Ultrasound 0204 chemical engineering Chemistry Microplastic 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Pulp and paper industry Soil contamination Activated sludge Polyethylene engineering Sewage treatment Fertilizer 0210 nano-technology |
| Zdroj: | RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia instname |
| ISSN: | 1383-5866 2018-0969 |
| Popis: | [EN] During the secondary treatment of Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) previous studies have reported that microplastics (MPs), which correspond to plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm, are mostly retained in the activated sludge. Since the sludge can be applied as a fertilizer in agricultural land, the presence of MPs in this matrix can lead to soil contamination. In this study, the application of ultrasounds at a frequency of 80 kHz was tested to remove polyethylene (PE) microspheres from activated sludge samples in order to reduce their concentration in this organic matrix. The application of ultrasounds at a power of 50 W and 8 min 45 sec promoted the removal of 48 ± 4% of MPs from the mixed liquor (2820 ± 51 mg/L of TSS). However, under the same operating conditions, 12 ± 4% of MPs were recovery from the concentrated mixed liquor (9395 ± 164 mg/L of TSS). For the concentrated sludge, a higher power and a longer sonication time (80 kHz; 90 W; 30 min) was necessary to improve the MP recovery. Under these conditions 38 ± 4% of MPs were removed from the sludge. This is the first study applying ultrasounds to remove MPs from activated sludge and the results indicate that ultrasonication can be a suitable instrument in minimizing the concentration of PE microspheres in activated sludge, and thereby minimizing soil contamination when biosolids are applied to agriculture. Authors thank the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for the financial support (Reference of the project: RTI2018096916-B-I00). |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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