Ammonium Ion Adsorption and Settleability Improvement Achieved in a Synthetic Zeolite-Amended Activated Sludge

Municipal wastewater treatment plants typically exhibit two classic problems: high ammonium concentration in water after conventional biological treatment and, in some cases, poor activated sludge sediment ability. Potential solutions to these problems were investigated by adding a synthetic zeolite obtained from coal fly ash to different steps of activated sludge treatment. The experimental results for ammonium removal fit well with the theoretical adsorption isotherms of the Freundlich model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 13.72 mg·g−1. Utilization of this kind of zeolite to improve activated sludge sediment ability is studied for the first time in this work. It is found that the addition of the zeolite (1 g·L−1) to an activated sludge with settling problems significantly enhances its sediment ability and compact ability. This is confirmed by the sludge volume index (SVI), which was reduced from 163 ml·g−1 to 70 ml·g−1, the V60 value, which was reduced from 894 ml·L−1 to 427 ml·L−1, and the zeta potential (ζ), which was reduced from −19.81 mV to −14.29 mV. The results indicate that the addition of this synthetic zeolite to activated sludge, as an additional waste management practice, has a positive impact on both ammonium removal and sludge settleability.