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Gas-permeable membranes coupled with low-rate aeration is useful to recover ammonia (NH) from livestock effluents. In this study, the role of inorganic carbon (bicarbonate, HCO) to enhance the N recovery process was evaluated using synthetic effluents with various NH to HCO molar ratios of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0. The study also evaluated the effect of increased organic matter on the NH recovery using humic acids (3000-6000 mg L), and the N recovery from high-strength swine manure. The release of hydroxide from the HCO with aeration increased the wastewater pH and promoted gaseous ammonia formation and membrane uptake. At the same time, the recovery of gaseous ammonia (NH) through the membrane acidified the wastewater. Therefore, an abundant inorganic carbon supply in balance with the NH is needed for a successful operation of the technology. NH removal efficiencies >96% were obtained with NH to HCO ratios ≤1. However, higher molar ratios inhibited the N recovery process resulting in lower efficiencies (<65%). Fortunately, most swine manures contain ample supply of endogenous inorganic carbon and the process can be used to more economically recover the ammonia using the natural inorganic carbon instead of expensive alkali chemicals. In 4 days, the recovered NH from swine manure contained 48,000 mg L. Finally, it was found the process was not inhibited by the increasing levels of organic matter in the wastewater evaluated.

Pyrolysis of sewage sludges has been studied by means of thermogravimetric analysis. Different possible kinetic models of thermal decomposition have been considered using different heating rates. Two types of sludges, non-digested and anaerobically digested, have been pyrolysed. The best model considers three different organic fractions in sludges, each of them associated with a different thermal behaviour. This model shows an increase in the relative amount of the fraction that is decomposed at the highest temperature as a consequence of the process of digestion. © 1997 ISWA