Aerobic digestion

Aerobic digestion is a process in sewage treatment designed to reduce the volume of sewage sludge and make it suitable[1] for subsequent use.[2] More recently, technology has been developed that allows the treatment and reduction of other[3] organic waste, such as food, cardboard and horticultural waste. It is a bacterial process occurring in the presence of oxygen. Bacteria rapidly consume organic matter and convert it into carbon dioxide, water and a range of lower molecular weight organic compounds. As there is no new supply of organic material from sewage, the activated sludge biota begin to die and are used as food by saprotrophic bacteria. This stage of the process is known as endogenous respiration and it is process that reduces the solid concentration in the sludge.

  1. ^ "Aerobic Diestion" (PDF). Water Environment Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  2. ^ "Handbook Biological Wastewater Treatment - Design of Activated Sludge Systems". Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  3. ^ "Aerobic Waste Digesters". Retrieved 17 March 2017.