A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Environmental Engineering and Management

Thesis (M. Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2023

In recent years, there has been a growing need for effective wastewater treatment solutions due to the increasing global demand for clean water resources and the associated environmental and health impacts of untreated or inadequately treated wastewater. This study aims to develop an adsorptive media from dewatered sludge for improving effluent quality from Bangkok wastewater treatment plants. The media, designated as S50, was composed of 50% sludge, 30% bentonite, 5% zeolite, and 15% MgO, respectively. A series of column experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the S50 media in removing fecal coliforms and reducing pH levels. The S50 media's performance was compared to that of other media compositions, such as S30, S40, and S60, under different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 6 and 12 hours. Results indicated that the S50 media exhibited superior removal efficiencies for fecal coliforms (up to 99.88%) and pH reduction (achieving pH values within the desired range of 6-9). Furthermore, the S50 media demonstrated a high porosity (0.74) and favorable hydraulic properties, which contributed to its effective performance. The study also assessed the properties of the media compositions, such as weight loss, bulk density, and particle density, to better understand the factors influencing their adsorptive performance. Based on the findings, the S50 media has shown great potential as an effective and sustainable solution for improving effluent quality from wastewater treatment plants. However, further research is recommended to optimize media composition, investigate the removal efficiencies of other pollutants, and validate the performance of the S50 media under real-world conditions. By addressing these research gaps, the S50 media could contribute to the development of a more sustainable and economically viable wastewater treatment solution, ultimately benefiting both the environment and human health.