HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Related articles in JEQ Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kroening, S. J. Articles by Williamson, W. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kroening, S. J. Articles by Williamson, W. M. Agricola Articles by Kroening, S. J. Articles by Williamson, W. M. Related Collections Industrial Waste Microbial Processes Bioremediation and Biodegradation Nutrient Cycling

TECHNICAL REPORTS

Waste Management

Variation in and Constraints upon the Decomposition of Woolscour Sludge

^a School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
^b Landcare Research New Zealand Limited, PO Box 69, Lincoln 8512, New Zealand

^* Corresponding author (s.kroening{at}andar.co.nz).

Received for publication April 21, 2003. The woolscouring (wool washing) industry has traditionally been viewed as highly polluting and, consequently, effluent treatment systems have been sought. The first stage in the current treatment system for woolscour wastewater, a chemical flocculation process (Sirolan CF), creates a sludge composed of soil and wool grease. We investigated the chemical and biological characteristics of this sludge. The sludge was found to be highly variable on a day to day basis in terms of its chemical composition and biodegradability; 0.8 to 27.8% of sludge total nitrogen was mineralized over 30 d at 37°C. The grease component of sludge (14–40% on a dry weight basis) may retard the decomposition of the sludge but the polyacrylamide flocculant used in its production and its pesticide content had no effect on the rate of decomposition. Our results suggest that variability in substrate quality may translate into variability in treatment performance and have important implications for the biological treatment of industrial wastes, including composting.

Abbreviations: PAM, polyacrylamide

Related articles in JEQ:

This Issue in Journal of Environmental Quality

JEQ 2004 33: 799-804. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				V. D. Zheljazkov Assessment of Wool Waste and Hair Waste as Soil Amendment and Nutrient Source J. Environ. Qual., November 7, 2005; 34(6): 2310 - 2317. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]