https://doi.org/10.25678/000702

Data for: Particle size as a driver of dewatering performance and its relationship to stabilization in fecal sludge

Poor and unpredictable dewatering performance of fecal sludge is a major barrier to sanitation provision in urban areas not served by sewers. Fecal sludge comprises everything that accumulates in onsite containments, and its characteristics are distinct from wastewater sludges and from feces. There is little fundamental understanding of what causes poor dewatering in fecal sludge. For the first time, we demonstrate that particle size distribution is a driver of dewatering performance in fecal sludge, and is associated with level of stabilization. Higher concentrations of small particles ( 90 µm) had higher abundance of Gammaproteobacteria Pseudomonas, and samples with the smallest aggregates (D50 ≤ 50 µm) were characterized by higher abundance of Bacteroidetes Vadin HA17 and Rikenellaceae. Contrary to common perceptions, stabilization, particle size distribution, and dewatering performance were not dependent on time intervals between emptying of onsite containments or on time in controlled anaerobic storage experiments. Our results suggest that the stabilization process in onsite containments, and hence the dewaterability of sludge arriving at treatment facilities, is not dependent on time in containment but is more likely associated with specific microbial populations and the in-situ environmental conditions which promote or discourage their growth.

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Ward, B. J., Nguyen, M. T., Sam, S. B., Korir, N., Niwagaba, C. B., Morgenroth, E., & Strande, L. (2022). Data for: Particle size as a driver of dewatering performance and its relationship to stabilization in fecal sludge (Version 1.0) [Data set]. Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.25678/000702

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The associated article

Ward, B. J., Nguyen, M. T., Sam, S. B., Korir, N., Niwagaba, C. B., Morgenroth, E., & Strande, L. (2023). Particle size as a driver of dewatering performance and its relationship to stabilization in fecal sludge. Journal of Environmental Management, 326, 116801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116801

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Author	Ward, Barbara Jeanne Nguyen, Mai Thu Sam, Stanley Bortse Korir, Naomi Niwagaba, Charles B Morgenroth, Eberhard Strande, Linda
Keywords	fecal sludge,onsite sanitation,dewaterability,particle size distribution,anaerobic processes,stabilization,density,TSS,VSS,TDS,zeta potential,sCOD,pCOD
Variables	ammonium-nitrogen c_to_n_ratio capillary_suction_time chemical_oxygen_demand electric_conductivity pH total_nitrogen total_organic_carbon total_solids turbidity volatile_solids
Substances (generic terms)	fecal sludge particulate matter
Systems	laboratory reactors onsite sanitation containments
Timerange	2021-03 TO 2021-06
Geographic Name(s)	Kampala, Uganda Naivasha, Kenya
Review Level	domain specific
Curator	Ward, Barbara Jeanne
Contact	Strande, Linda <linda.strande@eawag.ch>
DOI	10.25678/000702