title: Enhancing pulp and paper mill biosludge dewaterability using enzymes.
abstract: There have been limited studies on the potential use of enzymes for enhancing the dewaterability of biosludge. The mechanisms for such enhancement have not been investigated despite the environmental advantages of using enzymes over synthetic polymers for biosludge conditioning. In order to find enzymes with this potential, a screening of commercially available enzymes was carried out using capillary suction time to assess biosludge dewaterability. The only enzyme that showed dewatering improvements in the screening tests was a lysozyme which reduced the capillary suction time by 36% and increased the cake solids content from 5.6 to 8.9 DS%. Lysozyme aided in the flocculation of particles reducing the polymer demand from 11% to 6%. Active and inactive lysozyme exhibited a similar ability for enhancing sludge dewatering, indicating that the conditioning mechanism of lysozyme is similar to that of a flocculant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at University of Toronto, 200 College St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada. sofia.bonillatobar@mail.utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonilla
authors.forename: Honghi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: D Grant
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002645:Chickens; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004798:Enzymes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005427:Flocculation; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D007220:Industrial Waste; D009113:Muramidase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010209:Paper; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D030161:Avian Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004798:Enzymes; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D007220:Industrial Waste; D012722:Sewage; D014867:Water; D009113:Muramidase