Biological feasibility of discharge a local WTTP sludge to sewer network and centralized WWTP; a case study: Tehran, Iran

• Published in: Scientific reports 2024-04, Vol.14 (1), p.9308-9308, Article 9308
• Main Authors: Karami, Samira, Farzadkia, Mahdi, Kermani, Majid, Kalantary, Roshanak Rezaei, Pasalari, Hasan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/1647/767; 704/172; Anaerobic conditions; Bioreactors; Centralized sewage treatment plant; Chemical stabilization; Emissions; Feasibility Studies; H2S; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydrogen sulfide; Hydrogen Sulfide - analysis; Iran; Load distribution; multidisciplinary; Population growth; Reactors; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sewage; Sewage treatment; Sewage treatment plants; Sludge; Sludge treatment; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Wastewater; Wastewater transmission line; Wastewater treatment; Wastewater treatment plants
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58821-1

Over the recent years, ever-increasing population growth and higher wastewater production has been a challenge for decentralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In addition, sludge treatment due to high cost for equipment and place make authorities to find a sustainable approach in both of economical and technical perspectives. One of the proposed solutions is transferring the sludge produced from decentralized WWTP to centralized WWTP. However, the appropriate proportional ratio of raw sludge to raw sewage is a challenge, otherwise, it make anaerobic conditions and sewage rotting along the sewer network based on permissible limit of dihydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) gas (5 ppm). In the present study, seven reactors with different ratios of sludge to raw sewage (0, 15, 20, 25, 50, 75, 100) were used to stimulate the feasibility of transferring Shahrake Gharb WWTP sludge along the wastewater transfer pipe to the centralized sewage treatment south Tehran WWTP plant in Tehran, Iran. The septic situation and H 2 S emission of different reactors within 7 h (Time to reach the compound in the south treatment plant) was analyzed by gas meter. The results indicated that the optimum ratio of sludge to raw sewage was 15% without H 2 S production during 7 h. In addition, due to the high volume of sludge produced by the Shahrake Gharb WWTP, the optimal ratio of lime to total solids (TS) in sludge (gr/gr) (0.6) increased the sludge loading rate from 15 to 30% without any H 2 S emission during the stimulation study period. Therefore, the lime stabilization and transfer of sludge from a decentralized WWTP to a centralized WWTP is a feasible way to manage the sludge and enhance the treatment capacity in local WWTP.