Municipal Sewage Sludge and Fish Waste Based Composite Adsorbents For Removal Of Organic Contaminants From Water

Municipal sewage sludge from a wastewater treatment plant and fish waste from a seafood market were mixed at different weight ratios, dried at 120 oC, and pyrolyzed at 950 oC in a nitrogen atmosphere to obtain composite adsorbents. Batch adsorption experiments were then conducted to examine the adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrosamines, and pharmaceuticals/endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) by the composite materials and a commercially available activated carbon. A synergistic effect was observed when the sewage sludge and fish waste were combined. The maximum amounts of VOCs, nitrosamines, and pharmaceuticals/EDCs adsorbed by the composite materials are 4.9-7.2 mg/g, 10-16 mg/g, and 20-23 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption capacities of the composition materials for the aforementioned compounds are roughly 1/2 to 1/3 of those of the activated carbon, even though the surface areas and pore volumes of the composite materials are only about 1/10 of those of the activated carbon.