Co-Pyrolysis of Sewage Sludge and Wetland Biomass Waste for Biochar Production: Behaviors of Phosphorus and Heavy Metals

Ilham Gbouri, Fan Yu, Xutong Wang, Junxia Wang, Xiaoqiang Cui, Yanjun Hu, Beibei Yan and Guanyi Chen
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Ilham Gbouri: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomass Waste Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Fan Yu: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomass Waste Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Xutong Wang: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomass Waste Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Junxia Wang: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomass Waste Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Xiaoqiang Cui: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomass Waste Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Yanjun Hu: Institute of Energy and Power Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Beibei Yan: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomass Waste Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Guanyi Chen: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomass Waste Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 5, 1-16

Abstract: Large amounts of sewage sludge (SS) and wetland plant wastes are generated in the wastewater treatment system worldwide. The conversion of these solid wastes into biochar through co-pyrolysis could be a promising resource utilization scheme. In this study, biochar was prepared by co-pyrolysis of SS and reed ( Phragmites australis , RD) using a modified muffle furnace device under different temperatures (300, 500, and 700 °C) and with different mixing ratios (25, 50, and 75 wt.% RD). The physicochemical properties of biochar and the transformation behaviors of phosphorus (P) and heavy metals during the co-pyrolysis process were studied. Compared with single SS pyrolysis, the biochar derived from SS-RD co-pyrolysis had lower yield and ash content, higher pH, C content, and aromatic structure. The addition of RD could reduce the total P content of biochar and promote the transformation from non-apatite inorganic phosphorus (NAIP) to apatite phosphorus (AP). In addition, co-pyrolysis also reduced the content and toxicity of heavy metals in biochar. Therefore, co-pyrolysis could be a promising strategy to achieve the simultaneous treatment of SS and RD, as well as the production of value-added biochar.

Keywords: sewage sludge; wetland plant; co-pyrolysis; phosphorus; heavy metals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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