The Uptake of Engineered Nanoparticles by Sludge Particulates

Abstract

The aim of the study was to understand the removal characteristics of engineered nanoparticles (ENP) from sludge treatment processes in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Removal of ENP (TiO2, ZnO) was tested on primary and secondary sludge, using differential sedimentation experiments to quantify the attachment of ENP to sludge particulates. To better understand the attachment characteristics, aquatic conditions such as mixed liquid suspended solid concentration, and Ionic strength of the wastewater, were varied to replicate different field conditions of WWTPs. Results showed different degrees of multilayer attachment to sludge surfaces based on the experimental conditions. To verify the effect of ENP surface characters with the sludge attachment, SiO2, ZnO, and TiO2 were tested, showing SiO2 with the highest amount of attachment regardless of its surface charge. With the variation of sludge concentration, up to four degrees of magnitude in sorption was observed. Salt concentrations also showed high impacts on the sorption, where the sorption is decreased by half when doubling the salt concentration. The findings of the current research may aid in understanding the fate of engineered nanoparticles in wastewater treatment plants.