Improved Dewaterability of Waste Activated Sludge by Fe(II)-Activated Potassium Periodate Oxidation

Fe(II)-activated potassium periodate (KIO(4)) oxidation was used to improve the dewaterability of waste-activated sludge for the first time. Compared with those of raw sludge, the capillary suction time (CST), specific resistance filtration (SRF), and water content of filter cake (W(C)) of sludge treated using the Fe(II)/KIO(4) process under the optimal conditions (i.e., the initial pH = 6.8, KIO(4) dose = 1.4 mmol/g volatile suspended solids, Fe(II)/KIO(4) molar ratio = 1.2) decreased by 64.34%, 84.13%, and 6.69%, respectively. For conditioned sludge flocs, the Zeta potential and particle size were increased, and hydrophilic proteins in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were partly degraded, accompanied by the transformation of tightly bound EPS into soluble EPS and the conversion of dense sludge flocs into loose and porous ones. During Fe(II)/KIO(4) oxidation, Fe(IV) and the accompanying (•)OH were determined as the predominant reactive species and the underlying mechanism of sludge EPS degradation was proposed. This work provides a prospective method for conditioning the sludge dewaterability.