Role of mixing on microwave-enhanced advanced oxidation process in treating sewage sludge

The microwave enhanced advanced oxidation process (MW/H2O2-AOP) was used for the release of nutrients and the disintegration of suspended solids from both anaerobic sludge and aerobic sludge. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of mixing on the performance of the process, in terms of soluble ammonia, orthophosphate and soluble chemical oxygen demands. Experiments were conducted on sludge samples with various total solids concentrations (1.1-3.7%) and hydrogen peroxide dosage (1% per 1% of total solids) at 80 degrees C of microwave temperature and five minutes of heating time. The results indicated that mixing affected solids disintegration and nutrient solubilization of sewage sludge, regardless of the sludge used, anaerobic or aerobic. However, the effects of mixing on the MW/H2O2-AOP were dependent on the total solids concentration of the sludge. A paired t-test was performed on data for aerobic sludge: at 2.9% of total solids (TS), the difference for solubilization of nutrients and solids disintegration was statistically significant at a 95% confidence level between mixing and non-mixing samples. At a lower TS of 1.7% only soluble chemical oxygen demand showed significant difference between mixing and non-mixing. The results suggest that, for sludge with higher solids content, the MW/H2O2-AOP can be more effective if a mixing device is implemented.