Abstract
Faecal sludge (FS) management presents an increasing challenge in the global south, demanding innovative approaches
for effective dewatering and sustainable resource recovery. Geotextiles, with their compact structure, ease of installation,
and effective dewatering capabilities, are environmentally friendly solutions for FS dewatering and resource recovery.
However, a comprehensive review of geotextiles’ use in FS dewatering is lacking, presenting challenges to understanding
their utility and potential scale. Our paper examines and discusses the suitability of various geotextiles in dewatering
FS, contaminant removal efficiency, underlying mechanisms, and end uses of resulting biosolids and filtrate. Only a
few studies have investigated using geotextiles for FS treatment, revealing that with synthetic conditioners, geotextiles
achieve high dewatering and filtration efficiencies (> 35%). FS moisture content, geotextile apparent opening size (AOS),
and permittivity influence filtration and dewatering efficiencies; higher moisture content reduces filtration efficiency and
increases dewatering efficiency. At the optimal moisture content, the filtration efficiency equals dewatering efficiency.
Woven geotextiles have higher tensile strength (36–201.4 KN/m) than non-woven geotextiles (~ 50 KN/m), making them
more suitable for dewatering large volumes of FS. The steps involved in the dewatering process include filtration, consolidation,
biofilm formation, and clogging. Future research in FS dewatering with geotextiles includes exploring the use
of bioengineered microorganisms for bio-flocculation of FS, understanding the dynamics of biofilm formation during
dewatering, and hydrogen production from dewatered FS. The insights from this review aim to promote broader adoption
of FS dewatering using geotextiles, especially in resource-scarce and space-limited settings.
for effective dewatering and sustainable resource recovery. Geotextiles, with their compact structure, ease of installation,
and effective dewatering capabilities, are environmentally friendly solutions for FS dewatering and resource recovery.
However, a comprehensive review of geotextiles’ use in FS dewatering is lacking, presenting challenges to understanding
their utility and potential scale. Our paper examines and discusses the suitability of various geotextiles in dewatering
FS, contaminant removal efficiency, underlying mechanisms, and end uses of resulting biosolids and filtrate. Only a
few studies have investigated using geotextiles for FS treatment, revealing that with synthetic conditioners, geotextiles
achieve high dewatering and filtration efficiencies (> 35%). FS moisture content, geotextile apparent opening size (AOS),
and permittivity influence filtration and dewatering efficiencies; higher moisture content reduces filtration efficiency and
increases dewatering efficiency. At the optimal moisture content, the filtration efficiency equals dewatering efficiency.
Woven geotextiles have higher tensile strength (36–201.4 KN/m) than non-woven geotextiles (~ 50 KN/m), making them
more suitable for dewatering large volumes of FS. The steps involved in the dewatering process include filtration, consolidation,
biofilm formation, and clogging. Future research in FS dewatering with geotextiles includes exploring the use
of bioengineered microorganisms for bio-flocculation of FS, understanding the dynamics of biofilm formation during
dewatering, and hydrogen production from dewatered FS. The insights from this review aim to promote broader adoption
of FS dewatering using geotextiles, especially in resource-scarce and space-limited settings.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Energy, Ecology and Environment |
| Early online date | 25 Nov 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published online - 25 Nov 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Joint Center on Global Change and Earth System Science of the University of Maryland and Beijing Normal University 2024.
Data Access Statement
No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.Keywords
- Geotextiles
- Dewatering
- Faecal sludge
- Removal efficiency
- Mechanisms
