Fate of heavy metals via chemical-biological upgrading of sewage treatment plant

© MCB University Press [ISSN 0956-6163] The authors wish to express their deep gratitude and appreciation to the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst for the fellowship that was granted to Dr Abdel-Shafy throughout this study. The authors also are in great debt to the scientific co-operation of both Dipl.-Ing. N. Peschen and Dipl.-Ing. K.S. Iter, Forschungsinstitut der Forschungsgemeinschaft Kalk and Mörtel eV, Köln, the financial support of Arbeitsgemeinschaft Industrieller Forschungsgemeinschaften (AIF) eV and for the facilities provided by the Sanitary Engineering Department, Technische Universität, Berlin. Examines the fate of heavy metals in sewage water and the sludge produced. Investigates the level of metals before and after the use of chemical coagulants as well as throughout every process of the plant. Results reveal that the present upgrading of the plant has a remarkable improvement in the performance of the sewage treatment. Concludes that such upgrading of the plant reduces sewage tax because of the improvement in performance. In addition, the hydrolysis of the pre-treated sludge can improve the denitrified process and therefore can save energy, while the application of lime can be a substitution for enlarging the plant itself. Hussein I. Abdel-Shafy Water Pollution Research Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt, and Werner Hegemann and Carola Güldner Technische Universität, Berlin, Germany Fate of heavy metals via chemical-biological upgrading of sewage treatment plant