Analysis of the Physical and Chemical Composition of Sludge from the Water Treatment Plant

Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska 2024, vol. 26, pp. 479-492

Józef Ciuła¹ , Iwona Wiewiórska¹ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Joanna Kulczycka² , Julia Willson³

	1. University of Applied Sciences in Nowy Sącz, Poland  2. Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland  3. University of Calgary, Canada
	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
	https://doi.org/10.54740/ros.2024.045

The properties and composition of the sludge generated in water treatment systems depend primarily on the type and composition of the water to be treated, the treatment methods, and the type and doses of chemical reactants. The sludge produced in the water treatment plant (WTP) under study follows the technological processes of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration. The analyses aimed to characterize the sludge in terms of its physico-chemical properties and classify it in terms of its potential discharge into the river and management. Four series of sediment tests were conducted over a calendar year (March, June, September and December), analysing selected parameters using various test methods, including the X-ray crystallography (XRF) method. The publication's authors showed that the sediment consists mainly of sand, clay, and silt particles with grain sizes ranging from 0.001 mm to 1 mm. Silica (53.78%), alumina (23.58%), calcium oxide (8.28%), iron (III) oxide (5.61%), and potassium oxide (2.36%) represent the main chemical constituents present in the sediment. The authors characterized the sediment in terms of the content of biogenic compounds: various forms of phosphorus and nitrogen, organic compounds – determined as total organic carbon (TOC), selected metals, and the content of individual elements (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur). In addition, the sludge samples were also characterized in terms of calorific value, ash content, water content, and heat of combustion. Discharging WTP sludge into rivers, ponds, and lakes or storing dewatered sludge is an environmentally unfriendly form of disposal for this type of waste. The authors see the possibility of conducting further research on using WTP sludge in wastewater treatment, removing heavy metals from aqueous solutions, producing cement and construction materials, and recovering or recycling.

coagulation sludge, water treatment sludge, metals in sludge, X-ray crystallography

AMA Style
Ciuła J, Wiewiórska I, Kulczycka J, Willson J. Analysis of the Physical and Chemical Composition of Sludge from the Water Treatment Plant. Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska. 2024; 26. https://doi.org/10.54740/ros.2024.045

ACM Style
Ciuła, J., Wiewiórska, I., Kulczycka, J., Willson, J. 2024. Analysis of the Physical and Chemical Composition of Sludge from the Water Treatment Plant. Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska. 26. DOI:https://doi.org/10.54740/ros.2024.045

ACS Style
Ciuła, J.; Wiewiórska, I.; Kulczycka, J.; Willson, J. Analysis of the Physical and Chemical Composition of Sludge from the Water Treatment Plant Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska 2024, 26, 479-492. https://doi.org/10.54740/ros.2024.045

APA Style
Ciuła, J., Wiewiórska, I., Kulczycka, J., Willson, J. (2024). Analysis of the Physical and Chemical Composition of Sludge from the Water Treatment Plant. Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska, 26, 479-492. https://doi.org/10.54740/ros.2024.045

ABNT Style
CIUŁA, J.; WIEWIóRSKA, I.; KULCZYCKA, J.; WILLSON, J. Analysis of the Physical and Chemical Composition of Sludge from the Water Treatment Plant. Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska, v. 26, p. 479-492, 2024. https://doi.org/10.54740/ros.2024.045

Chicago Style
Ciuła, Józef, Wiewiórska, Iwona, Kulczycka, Joanna, Willson, Julia. 2024. "Analysis of the Physical and Chemical Composition of Sludge from the Water Treatment Plant". Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska 26, 479-492. https://doi.org/10.54740/ros.2024.045

Harvard Style
Ciuła, J., Wiewiórska, I., Kulczycka, J., Willson, J. (2024) "Analysis of the Physical and Chemical Composition of Sludge from the Water Treatment Plant", Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska, 26, pp. 479-492. doi:https://doi.org/10.54740/ros.2024.045

IEEE Style
J. Ciuła, I. Wiewiórska, J. Kulczycka, J. Willson, "Analysis of the Physical and Chemical Composition of Sludge from the Water Treatment Plant", RoczOchrSrod, vol 26, pp. 479-492. https://doi.org/10.54740/ros.2024.045