Activated sludge dewaterability and settleability properties are of prime importance in sludge treatment and disposal. Herein, we have experimentally
examined the effect of deionization on activated sludge characteristics taking
a case study of activated sludge inoculated in tap water and distilled water.
The quality of the effluent, both distilled water and tap water were analyzed
to determine the characteristics of activated sludge. Results indicated the increasing of the sludge volume index from 51.67 ml/g to 146.9 ml/g leading to
the sludge bulking for sludge inoculated in distilled water. The Capillary Suction Time (CST) of sludge cultivated in distilled water varied from 23.1 to
38.4 s, which suggests poor dewaterability. These are due to the growth of
some filamentous bacteria in distilled water system. These have further confirmed by light microscope images that showed a significant difference between the sludge systems cultivated in tap water and those grown in distilled
water. The present work indeed advances our understanding of activated
sludge treatment and would serve as a handy reference for researchers or
scholars who want to deal with sewage water treatment.