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Sludge reduction by predatory activity of aquatic oligochaetes in wastewater treatment plants: science or fiction? A review

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Aquatic Oligochaete Biology IX

Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology ((DIHY,volume 186))

Abstract

Biological aerobic wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) produce a lot of excess sludge. The costs for handling this residual product are increasing, so the search for alternative techniques to reduce the amount of sludge has to be continued. Activated sludge consists of inorganic and organic substances, bacteria, protozoa and metazoa. Due to incomplete biomass conversion, sludge consumption yields less oligochaete biomass. From a technological point of view, the application of aquatic oligochaetes to reduce the sludge production offers interesting perspectives. This paper aims to review the feasibility for the reduction of activated sludge in WWTPs by means of aquatic oligochaetes. Also the current techniques concerning sludge reduction are taken into account. Several of the WWTPs relevant parameters, which may influence predatory activity of aquatic oligochaetes, are discussed: particle size, organic content of substrate, bacteria preference, life cycle and population dynamics of aquatic oligochaetes, temperature, pH, oxygen and process conditions. From the literature it appeared that most research has been performed on laboratory scale. Only a few authors mention a significant reduction of the sludge production by ‘sessile’ species such as Lumbriculus. Vermicultures for the reduction of activated sludge are rather common in developing countries. Incidentally large annelid blooms have been noticed in WWTPs. It remains obscure which factors trigger the initiation of annelid blooms inWWTPs and which are of importance to maintain a stable annelid population in WWTPs. The influence of a considerable worm bloom on the waste sludge production is still under investigation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 8129, 6700, EV Wageningen, Bennekom, The Netherlands

    Christa H. Ratsak

  2. DHV BV, P.O. Box 1132, 3818, BC Amersfoort, The Netherlands

    Jaap Verkuijlen

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  1. Christa H. Ratsak
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  2. Jaap Verkuijlen
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Freshwater Ecosystems, Alterra, Centre for Ecosystem Studies, P.O. Box 47, 6700, AA Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Piet F. M. Verdonschot  & Rebi Nijboer  & 

  2. State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Hongzhe Wang

  3. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Wildlife Research Centre, P.O. Box 51, 6946, Wanneroo, Western Australia, Australia

    Adrian Pinder

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Ratsak, C.H., Verkuijlen, J. (2006). Sludge reduction by predatory activity of aquatic oligochaetes in wastewater treatment plants: science or fiction? A review. In: Verdonschot, P.F.M., Wang, H., Pinder, A., Nijboer, R. (eds) Aquatic Oligochaete Biology IX. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 186. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-5368-1_18

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