Investigating the Appropriate Method of Sludge Dewatering Technology in Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Analytical Hierarchy Process (Case Study: Wastewater Treatment Plant in the South of Tehran)

فصلنامه آب و توسعه پایدار

Article 12, Volume 9, Issue 3 - Serial Number 25, December 2022, Pages 117-126   

Document Type: Applied Article

DOI: 10.22067/jwsd.v9i3.2205.1146

Authors

Farshad Golbabaei Kootenaei^{* 1}; Nasser Mehrdadi²; Tahere Taghizade Firozjaee³; Atieh Fahimi Bandpey⁴; Hadi Valehi Reikande⁵

¹Postdoctoral Researcher , Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Environment, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Iran

²Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Environment, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Iran

³Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, Iran

⁴MSc Graduate, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Iran

⁵PhD Student, Department of Environmental Engineering, Kish International Campus, University of Tehran, Iran

Abstract

In recent decades, the management and treatment of sewage and sludge dewatering process have become crucial due to their high nutrient content. However, choosing the right technology in this area is a big challenge due to the complexities and the existence of many uncertainties. In this article, an analytical hierarchy process is used as a decision-making tool to choose the appropriate dewatering method in the southern Tehran treatment plant, in which the criteria structure and the evaluation process are defined by describing several possible options for sludge dewatering to be compared and weighted. The results were analyzed and evaluated using Expert choice software. According to the results, the belt filter press is the best and most appropriate technology for sewage sludge dewatering among pressure and belt filter press, lagoon, centrifuge, and sludge drying beds. Finally, validation had been done based on the sensitivity analysis method, which shows the effect of changes in input parameters on the results and was carried out for technical, economic, environmental, and management criteria, and the sensitivity of the options to the change in the weight of the main criteria was determined and the results showed that the most sensitivity in the economic criteria refers to the lagoon process, in the technical criteria refers to the centrifuge process, in the environmental criteria refer to the centrifuge process, and in the management criteria refers to the belt filter press process. The results show that this method, due to its simplicity and adaptability to different situations and regions, can be considered at the national level for different decision-makers in the field of selecting processes in water and wastewater treatment.

Keywords

Dewatering; Treatment; Sewage; Sludge; Analytical Hierarchy Process

References

Abbasi N., Ahmadi M. and Naseri M. 2021. Quality and cost analysis of a wastewater treatment plant using GPS-X and CapdetWorks simulation programs. Journal of Environmental Management, 284: 111993. 
Akhoundi A. and Nazif S. 2018. Sustainability assessment of wastewater reuses alternatives using the evidential reasoning approach. J. Cleaner Prod, 195: 1350-1376. 
Ananda J. 2007. Implementing participatory decision making in forest planning. Environmental management, 39(4): 534-544.
Andreoli C. V., Von Sperling M and Fernandes F. 2007.     Sludge treatment and disposal. IWA publishing. VOLUME SIX. London. New Yaork.    
Azar A. Jelogir A. G., Bidhendi G. N., Mehrdadi N., Zaredar N and Poshtegal. M. K.. 2010. Investigation of optimal method for hospital wastewater treatment. J. Food Agric. Environ, 8(2): 1199-1202.     
Carpitella S., Certa A., Izquierdo J and La Fata C. M. 2018. A combined multi-criteria approach to support FMECA analyses: A real-world case. Reliability Engineering & System Safety. 169: 394-402. 
Dabaghian M., Hashemi S. H., Ebadi T. and Maknoon R. 2008. The best available technology for small electroplating plants applying analytical hierarchy process. International Journal of Environmental Science & Technology, 5(4): 479-484.     
Đurđević D., Trstenjak M. and Hulenić I. 2020. Sewage sludge thermal treatment technology selection by utilizing the analytical hierarchy process. Water, 12(5): 1255.
Goodwin D., Raffin M., Jeffrey P. and Smith H. M. 2019. Stakeholder evaluations of risk interventions for non-potable recycled water schemes: a case study. Science of the Total Environment, 674: 439-450.    
Haddad M., Sanders D. and Tewkesbury G. 2020. Selecting a discrete multiple criteria decision making method for Boeing to rank four global market regions. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 134: 1-15.
Hamed H., Naser M., Mohammad T. J. and Hamidreza H. 2012. Performance simulation of H-TDS unit of FAJR industrial wastewater treatment plant using a combination of neural network and principal component analysis. Journal of Water Resource and Protection. 4(5): 311-317.
Ishizaka, A. and Labib A. 2009. Analytic hierarchy process and expert choice: Benefits and limitations. Or Insight, 22(4): 201-220.     
Karimi A., Mehrdadi N., Hashemian S., Bidhendi G. and Moghaddam R. T. 2011a. Using of the fuzzy TOPSIS and fuzzy AHP methods for wastewater treatment process selection. International journal of academic research, 3(1): 737-745.
Karimi A., Mehrdadi N., Hashemian S., Bidhendi G. and Moghaddam R. T. 2011b. Selection of wastewater treatment process based on the analytical hierarchy process and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process methods. International Journal of Environmental Science & Technology, 8(2): 267-280.    
Koulinas G. K., Marhavilas P. K., Demesouka O. E., Vavatsikos A. P. and Koulouriotis D. E. 2019. Risk analysis and assessment in the worksites using the fuzzy-analytical hierarchy process and a quantitative technique–A case study for the Greek construction sector. Safety science, 112: 96-104. 
Lynn W. R., Logan J. A. and Charnes A. 1962. Systems analysis for planning wastewater treatment plants. Journal (Water Pollution Control Federation), 34(6): 565-581.     
Mahmoodzadeh S., Shahrabi J., Pariazar M. and Zaeri M. 2007. Project selection by using fuzzy AHP and TOPSIS technique. World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 30(1): 333-338.     
Mehrdadi N. and Hasanlou H. 2012. Reduction of excess sludge using different methods in SBR process for biological wastewater treatment (emphasizing on ultrasonic usage), 38(1): 49-60.
Peniwati K. 2007. Criteria for evaluating group decision-making methods. Mathematical and Computer Modelling, 46(7-8): 935-947.    
Saaty T. L. 1996. Decision making with dependence and feedback: The analytic network process. RWS publications Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh. PA: RWS Publications.1st ed. United States.    
Saaty T. L. 2008. Decision making with the analytic hierarchy process. International journal of services sciences, 1(1): 83-98. 
Shakeri H., and Nazif S. 2018. "Development of an algorithm for risk-based management of wastewater reuse alternatives." Water Reuse Desalin, 8(1): 38-57. 
Shih C. S. and DeFilippi J. A. 1970. System optimization of waste treatment plant process design. Journal of the Sanitary Engineering Division, 96(2): 409-421. 
Tscheikner-Gratl F., Egger P., Rauch W. and Kleidorfer M. 2017. Comparison of multi-criteria decision support methods for integrated rehabilitation prioritization. Water, 9(2): 68.    
Tyagi V. K. and Lo S.-L. 2013. Sludge: a waste or renewable source for energy and resources recovery? Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 25: 708-728.    
Wind, Y. and Saaty T. L. 1980. Marketing applications of the analytic hierarchy process. Management science, 26(7): 641-658.    
Wondim T. T. and Dzwairo B. 2018. A scenario-based multiple attribute decision-making approach for site selection of a wastewater treatment plant: Bahir Dar City (Ethiopia) case study. Water SA, 44(4): 782-794.    
Zeng G., Jiang R., Huang G., Xu M. and Li J. 2007. Optimization of wastewater treatment alternative selection by hierarchy grey relational analysis. Journal of environmental management, 82(2): 250-259. 
Zolfaghary P., Zakerinia M. and Kazemi H. 2021. A model for the use of urban treated wastewater in agriculture using multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) and geographic information system (GIS). Agricultural Water Management, 243: 106490.