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Performance Analysis of Ozonation on Sludge Filterability for Sludge Separation from Coal Mine Runoff

1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl.Grafika 2, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia, Indonesia

2Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia, Indonesia

Received: 8 May 2026; Revised: 6 Oct 2026; Accepted: 16 Oct 2026; Available online: 2 Nov 2026; Published: 6 Nov 2026.
Editor(s): Budi Warsito

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Abstract
Coal mine runoff contains high suspended solids and persistent colloids that hinder solid–liquid separation and result in poor sludge filterability. This study evaluated ozonation as a pre-treatment to enhance sludge filterability by modifying colloidal stability and promoting the formation of more compact flocs. Laboratory experiments used an ozone generator with a capacity of 3 g/h at ozone doses of 0, 1.2, 1.5, 2, 3, and 6 g/h/L for 60 minutes. Five synthetic sludge samples with total suspended solids (TSS) of 3,000–50,000 mg/L were prepared to represent varying field conditions. pH and Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP) were monitored during ozonation and vacuum filtration. Ozonation shifted ORP values and slightly reduced pH, indicating partial oxidation and destabilization of colloidal particles. Moderate doses (1.2–3 g/h/L) shifted the zeta potential toward neutral, thereby enhancing floc compactness and filtration performance, whereas excessive oxidation at 6 g/h/L released humic fragments and fine colloids that impaired dewatering. The optimum dose was 1.2 g/h/L for sludge with approximately 10,000 mg/L TSS, which reduced filtrate turbidity by 86.87% and filtration time by 34.53%, with stable pH and a moderate increase in ORP. These findings demonstrate that controlled ozonation effectively improves the sludge filterability of coal mine runoff and offers a promising approach to more efficient wastewater management in the mining sector.

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Keywords: Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP); Coal mine runoff; Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP); Ozonation; Sludge filterability
Funding: Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia; Universitas Gadjah Mada

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