Enhancement of sewage sludge dewaterability by fungal conditioning with Penicillium simplicissimum NJ12: from bench- to pilot-scale consecutive multi-batch investigations

Bench- and pilot-scale successive multi-batch trials were conducted to investigate the performance sustainability of fungal conditioning with Penicillium simplicissimum NJ12 for improving sludge dewatering. The dominant factors affecting dewaterability improvement by P. also identified. Fungal treatment at a volume fraction 5% inoculum greatly improved dewaterability. This was characterized sharp decreases in specific resistance filtration from 1.97 × 1013 3.52 1011 m/kg capillary suction time 32 12 s within 3 days. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that marked decrease (58.8%) protein content slime extracellular polymeric substances an increase zeta potential (from −35 −10 mV) most important after treatment. Consecutive processes could be realized recirculating fungal-treated recycling rate 1:2 (Vbiotreated sludge/Vtotal sludge). effectiveness maintained only over three cycles, but replenishment fresh would provided periodically set batch intervals. These findings demonstrate possibility NJ12-assisted enhancing