This study investigated the impact of centrifugal dewatering on the methanogenic population of dewatered solids. The two parameters investigated were shear intensity and cake solids concentration, as they have been reported in the literature to have positive correlation with the VOSC emissions from biosolids. The data from this preliminary experiment show that not only does increasing shear and cake dryness increase odors but also result in a greater inhibition of the methanogenic population of the biosolids. The increase in inhibition was noted by low headspace methane concentrations and extended time to methanogenic recovery as measured by the ratio of methane to VOSC in the headspace.
A Preliminary Investigation into the Impact of Centrifugal Forces and Cake Properties on Methanogenesis from Dewatered Sludge Cake
Authors: Christopher D. Muller, John T. Novak
2008 WEF Residuals and Biosolids Conference