Early Introduction and Practice of Activated Sludge Sewage Treatment Technology in Shanghai
In 1917,the Shanghai International Settlement's Municipal Council invited British chemist Gilbert John Fowler to Shanghai to assess the water quality and urban environment within the settlement.Fowler proposed a wastewater treatment solution using the activated sludge process.After understanding and mastering the activated sludge technology,the Municipal Council decided to apply it in the Settlement.The article uses archival documents to study the introduction,proposal,research,selection,and exploratory practice of wastewater treatment technology in the Shanghai International Settlement.It is divided into four main parts:(1)The invention of the activated sludge process is outlined.In 1914,Gilbert John Fowler,along with his students Edward Ardern and William T.Lockett,conducted experiments on activated sludge,turning wastewater clear and producing a nitrogen-rich substance—activated sludge.(2)The proposal and selection of wastewater treatment solutions are studied.The widespread use of flush toilets led to severe water environmental problems.In response,the Municipal Council began seeking solutions.In 1918,Fowler was invited to Shanghai by the Council,where he proposed using the activated sludge process to address Shanghai's water issues based on the local environment.(3)The suitability of the activated sludge process as examined by the Municipal Council is analyzed.In 1919,following Fowler's proposal,the Council's board studied its feasibility and dispatched engineer Chas.H.Godfrey to research the activated sludge process.(4)The application of the activated sludge process by the Municipal Council is discussed.In 1919,the Council began small-scale experiments with the activated sludge method,constructing four experimental wastewater treatment plants.The experiments proved that the activated sludge process could solve the wastewater issues,and Percy Gaunt was hired as a new sanitary chemist to work on wastewater treatment.During this period,the introduction of wastewater treatment methods in the Shanghai International Settlement underwent a process of proposal,research,selection,and exploratory practice.The introduction of the activated sludge wastewater treatment technology by the Municipal Council is a typical example of Western advanced technology entering modern China.The study of the introduction,assessment,exploration,and application of Western wastewater treatment technology in Shanghai provides a model for technological introduction and reflects the general characteristics of advanced technology adoption.However,the impact of the activated sludge method was limited to within the Settlement;its introduction was entirely operated by foreigners,which hardly enabled Chinese to master the technology,marking a limitation of this technological introduction.
wastewater treatmentShanghai public concessionactivated sludge processtechnology introduction
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