Use of microwave pretreatment for enhanced anaerobiosis of secondary sludge

This work elucidates the effects of pretreatment of secondary sludge by microwave irradiation on anaerobic digestion. The soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration increased up to 22% as microwave irradiation time increased, which indicated the sludge particles disintegrated. Three identical automated bioreactors with working volume of 5 l were used as anaerobic digesters at mesophilic temperature (35 degrees C). The reactors were separately fed with sludge with microwave pretreated- and control- sludge at different hydraulic retention times (HRT). The volatile solid (VS) reduction in the control operation was approximately 23.2 +/- 1.3%, while it was 25.7 +/- 0.8% for the reactors with the pretreated sludge. The average biogas production rate with the pretreated sludge at 8, 10, 12, and 15 days HRTs was 240 +/- 11, 183 +/- 9, 147 +/- 8, and 117 +/- 7 ml/l/d respectively, while those with the control sludge were 134 +/- 12 and 94 +/- 7 ml/l/d at 10 and 15 days HRTs. Maximum rates of COD removal and methane production with the pretreated sludge were 64% and 79% higher than those of the control system, respectively.