title: Degradation and characteristic changes of organic matter in sewage sludge using Vermi-biofilter system.
abstract: Vermi-biofilter (VF) System could be an efficient sludge treatment unit in regard of rates and extents of total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal, particularly the first 10 days earthworm-treated. This study characterized the organic matter in sludge before and after VF system treatment, with or without earthworm stage. The 60 days earthworm-treated VF system reached a TCOD removal of 10,450 mg/L, bulk DOC removal of 89.5 mg/L, and earthworm density increase from 32 g/L to 43 g/L in sludge EBOM in 60 days of VF system operation. The aromatic proteins, soluble microbial byproduct-like fluorescent compounds and carboxylic components, aliphatic components (C-H related), hydrocarbon and carbohydrate materials were identified to be principally increased by 10 days earthworm-treated and then degradation in the nest days under VF system.
authors.affiliation: College of Civil and Architectural Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, 063000, PR China. Electronic address: zhonghy_jil@163.com.
authors.forename: Hui-Yuan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: College of Civil and Architectural Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, 063000, PR China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Civil and Architectural Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, 063000, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: South China Institute of Environmental Science. MEP, Guangzhou, 510000, PR China.
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Civil and Architectural Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, 063000, PR China.
authors.forename: Guan-Yi
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Civil and Architectural Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, 063000, PR China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: College of Civil and Architectural Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, 063000, PR China.
authors.forename: Xuan-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: College of Civil and Architectural Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, 063000, PR China.
authors.forename: Yan-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D002241:Carbohydrates; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D009835:Oligochaeta; D011506:Proteins; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D011506:Proteins; D012722:Sewage
keywords: Extracellular biological organic matter (EBOM); Fluorescence; Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR); Sewage sludge; Vermi-biofilter (VF) system