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Ferrera E, Ruigómez I, Vela-Bastos C, Ferreira A, Gouveia L, Vera L. Resources recovery from domestic wastewater by a combined process: anaerobic digestion and membrane photobioreactor. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:49560-49573. [PMID: 39080174 PMCID: PMC11324692 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34468-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Anaerobic and membrane technologies are a promising combination to decrease the energy consumption associated with wastewater treatment, allowing the recovery of resources: organic matter as biomethane, nutrient assimilation by microalgae and reclaimed water. In this study, domestic wastewater was treated using a combination of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket sludge reactor (UASB) and a membrane photobioreactor (MPBR). The outdoor facilities were operated continuously for three months under unfavourable environmental conditions such as lack of temperature control, winter season with lower solar irradiation and lower daylight hours which was a challenge for the present work, not previously described. The energetic valorisation of the organic matter present in the wastewater by biomethane produced in the UASB would contribute to reducing overall facilities' energy requirements. The ultrafiltration (UF) membrane facilitated the harvesting of biomass, operating at 10 L·h-1·m-2 during the experimental period. Although the main contribution to fouling was irreversible, chemical cleanings were not necessary due to effective fouling control, which prevented the final TMP from exceeding 25 kPa. In addition, microalgae-bacterial consortium developed without prior inoculation were harvested from the MPBR using membrane assistance. The obtained biomass was also successfully tested as a biostimulant for corn germination/growth, as well as a biopesticide against Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvira Ferrera
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez S/N, 38206, La Laguna, Spain
| | - Ignacio Ruigómez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez S/N, 38206, La Laguna, Spain
| | - Carolina Vela-Bastos
- LNEG - UBB - National Laboratory of Energy and Geology I.P., Bioenergy and Biorefineries Unit, Estrada Do Paço Do Lumiar 22, 1649-038, Lisbon, Portugal
- GreenCoLab - Green Ocean Technologies and Products Collaborative Laboratory, CCMAR, Algarve University, Faro, Portugal
| | - Alice Ferreira
- LNEG - UBB - National Laboratory of Energy and Geology I.P., Bioenergy and Biorefineries Unit, Estrada Do Paço Do Lumiar 22, 1649-038, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Luisa Gouveia
- LNEG - UBB - National Laboratory of Energy and Geology I.P., Bioenergy and Biorefineries Unit, Estrada Do Paço Do Lumiar 22, 1649-038, Lisbon, Portugal
- GreenCoLab - Green Ocean Technologies and Products Collaborative Laboratory, CCMAR, Algarve University, Faro, Portugal
| | - Luisa Vera
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez S/N, 38206, La Laguna, Spain.
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Gidstedt S, Betsholtz A, Cimbritz M, Davidsson Å, Hagman M, Karlsson S, Takman M, Svahn O, Micolucci F. Chemically enhanced primary treatment, microsieving, direct membrane filtration and GAC filtration of municipal wastewater: a pilot-scale study. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2024; 45:28-39. [PMID: 35815380 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2022.2099307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) followed by microsieving and direct membrane filtration (DMF) as ultrafiltration, was evaluated on pilot scale at a municipal wastewater treatment plant. In addition, a granular activated carbon (GAC) filter downstream of DMF was evaluated for the removal of organic micropollutants. Up to 80% of the total organic carbon (TOC) and 96% of the total phosphorus were removed by CEPT with microsieving. The additional contribution of subsequent DMF was minor, and only five days of downstream GAC filtration was possible due to fouling of the membrane. Of the 21 organic micropollutants analysed, all were removed (≥ 98%) by the GAC filter until 440 bed volumes, while CEPT with microsieving and DMF removed only a few compounds. Measurements of the oxygen uptake rate indicated that the required aeration for supplementary biological treatment downstream of CEPT with microsieving, both with and without subsequent DMF, was 20-25% of that in the influent wastewater. This study demonstrated the potential of using compact physicochemical processes to treat municipal wastewater, including the removal of organic micropollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Gidstedt
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Sweden Water Research AB, Ideon Science Park, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Michael Cimbritz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Åsa Davidsson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marinette Hagman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Stina Karlsson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Takman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ola Svahn
- Department of Environmental Science and Bioscience, Kristianstad University, Kristianstad, Sweden
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Liang H, Shan S, Li X, Li D, Huang Y. Preparation of cationic aggregates derived from sewage sludge for efficient capture of organic matter. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 333:138909. [PMID: 37187370 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Capturing the abundant organic matter residing in wastewater can not only reduce the emission of CO2 from the source, but the enriched organics can also be used for anaerobic fermentation to generate and offset energy consumption in wastewater treatment processes. The key is to find or develop low-cost materials that can capture organic matter. Herein, sewage sludge-derived cationic aggregates (SBC-g-DMC) were successfully prepared via a hydrothermal carbonization process coupled with a graft copolymerization reaction for recovering organic matter from wastewater. Based upon preliminary screening of synthesized SBC-g-DMC aggregates regarding grafting rate, cationic degree, and flocculation performance, SBC-g-DMC2.5 aggregate prepared with 60 mg of initiator, DMC-to-SBC mass ratio of 2.5:1, 70 °C, and 2 h of reaction time was selected for further characterization and evaluation. Results showed that SBC-g-DMC2.5 aggregate has a positively-charged surface over a wide pH range of 3-11 and a hierarchical micro-/nano-structure, endowing it with an excellent organic matter capture efficiency (97.2% of pCOD, 68.8% of cCOD, and 71.2% of tCOD). Meanwhile, SBC-g-DMC2.5 exhibits inappreciable trapping ability for the dissolved COD, NH3-N, and PO43-, guaranteeing the regular running of subsequent biological treatment units. Electronic neutralization, adsorption bridging, and sweep coagulation between cationic aggregates surface and organic matter were identified as the primary mechanisms for SBC-g-DMC2.5 to capture organics. This development is expected to provide a theoretical reference for sewage sludge disposal, carbon reduction, and energy recovery during municipal wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Liang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China
| | - Sujie Shan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China; National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China
| | - Xueying Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China
| | - Dapeng Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China; National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China.
| | - Yong Huang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China; National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China
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Men Y, Li Z, Zhu L, Wang X, Cheng S, Lyu Y. New insights into membrane fouling during direct membrane filtration of municipal wastewater and fouling control with mechanical strategies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 869:161775. [PMID: 36706998 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Direct membrane filtration (DMF) technology achieves energy self-sufficiency through carbon recovery and utilization from municipal wastewater. To control its severe membrane fouling and improve DMF technology, targeted research on fouling behaviour and mechanisms is essential. In this study, a DMF reactor equipped with a flat-sheet ceramic membrane was conducted under three scenarios: without control, with intermittent aeration, and with periodic backwash. This system achieved efficient carbon concentration with chemical oxygen demand below 50 mg/L in permeate. Membrane fouling was dominated by intermediate blocking and cake filtration. And reversible external resistance accounted for over 85 % of total resistance. Predominant membrane foulants were free proteins, whose deposition underlies the attachment of cells and biopolymers. Backwash decreased the fouling rate and increased fouling layer porosity by indiscriminately detaching foulants from the membrane surface. While aeration enhanced the back transport of large particles and microbial activity, causing a relatively thin and dense fouling layer containing more microorganisms and β-d-glucopyranose polysaccharides, which implies a higher biofouling potential during long-term operation. In addition, aeration combined with backwash enhanced fouling control fivefold over either one alone. Therefore, simultaneous operation of backwash and other mechanical methods that can provide shear without stimulating aerobic microbial activity is a preferred strategy for minimizing membrane fouling during DMF of municipal wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Men
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Zifu Li
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Nanjing Yanjiang Academy of Resources and Ecology Science, Nanjing 210047, PR China.
| | - Lixin Zhu
- Nanjing Yanjiang Academy of Resources and Ecology Science, Nanjing 210047, PR China
| | - Xuemei Wang
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Shikun Cheng
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Yaping Lyu
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
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Kadam R, Khanthong K, Park B, Jun H, Park J. Realizable wastewater treatment process for carbon neutrality and energy sustainability: A review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 328:116927. [PMID: 36473349 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite a quick shift of global goals toward carbon-neutral infrastructure, activated sludge based conventional systems inhibit the Green New Deal. Here, a municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWWTP) for carbon neutrality and energy sustainability is suggested and discussed based on realizable technical aspects. Organics have been recovered using variously enhanced primary treatment techniques, thereby reducing oxygen demand for the oxidation of organics and maximizing biogas production in biological processes. Meanwhile, ammonium in organic-separated wastewater is bio-electrochemically oxidized to N2 and reduced to H2 under completely anaerobic conditions, resulting in the minimization of energy requirements and waste sludge production, which are the main problems in activated sludge based conventional processes. The anaerobic digestion process converts concentrated primary sludge to biomethane, and H2 gas recovered from nitrogen upgrades the biomethane quality by reducing carbon dioxide in biogas. Based on these results, MWWTPs can be simplified and improved with high process and energy efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Kadam
- Department of Advanced Energy Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Republic of Korea
| | - Kamonwan Khanthong
- Department of Advanced Energy Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeongchang Park
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Hangbae Jun
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungyu Park
- Department of Advanced Energy Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Republic of Korea.
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Chemically enhanced high-loaded membrane bioreactor (CE-HLMBR) for A-stage municipal wastewater treatment: Pilot-scale experiments and practical feasibility evaluation. Sep Purif Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Cheng Z, Qin Q, Jia H, Wang J. A novel module for scale inhibitors detection in RO process: Membrane modification and enrichment mechanism. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Sugiyama T, Ito Y, Hafuka A, Kimura K. Efficient direct membrane filtration (DMF) of municipal wastewater for carbon recovery: Application of a simple pretreatment and selection of an appropriate membrane pore size. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 221:118810. [PMID: 35834972 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Considerable attention has been paid in recent years to the recovery and effective utilization of organic matter in municipal wastewater for the establishment of a circular economy. Direct membrane filtration (DMF) of municipal wastewater using microfiltration (MF) or ultrafiltration (UF) membranes to retain and concentrate the organic matter in municipal wastewater could be a practical option for this purpose. However, severe membrane fouling and high concentrations of organic matter remaining in the DMF permeate are concerns to be addressed. Application of a simple pretreatment using fixed biofilms was investigated to address these issues. In this study, experiments were carried out at an existing municipal wastewater treatment plant. A moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) process operated under a very short HRT of 1 h and DO concentration of 0.5 mg/L selectively degraded low-molecular-weight dissolved organic matter in municipal wastewater without degradation of membrane-recoverable suspended and colloidal organic matter. Application of the pretreatment did not reduce the amount of organic carbon recovered by DMF using an MF membrane (approximately 70% of the influent COD being recovered), while it dramatically mitigated the membrane fouling probably due to the alteration of characteristics of dissolved organic matter in wastewater. The pretreatment also reduced the concentration of organic matter in the DMF permeate by 41%: COD concentration in the DMF permeate was as low as 40 mg/L. With the established MBBR pretreatment, performances of MF (0.1 µm) and UF (molecular weight cut-off: 150,000) membranes for DMF were compared in parallel. It was found that the increase of the recoverable amount of organic matter by using UF was marginal (about 5%), whereas fouling in UF was much more severe than that in MF. The severe fouling in UF was caused by inorganic colloids such as FeS that could pass through MF membranes but be retained by UF membranes. Based on the results obtained in this study, it is concluded that MF is more suitable than UF for efficient DMF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Sugiyama
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
| | - Yui Ito
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
| | - Akira Hafuka
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
| | - Katsuki Kimura
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan.
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Biogas Production from Concentrated Municipal Sewage by Forward Osmosis, Micro and Ultrafiltration. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14052629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Direct application of anaerobic digestion to sewage treatment is normally only possible under tropical weather conditions. This is the result of its diluted nature and temperatures far from those suitable for anaerobic conversion of organic matter. Then, direct application of anaerobic treatment to sewage would require changing temperature, concentration, or both. Modification of sewage temperature would require much more energy than contained in the organic matter. Then, the feasible alternative seems to be the application of a pre-concentration step that may be accomplished by membrane filtration. This research studied the pre-concentration of municipal sewage as a potential strategy to enable the direct anaerobic conversion of organic matter. Three different membrane processes were tested: microfiltration, ultrafiltration and forward osmosis. The methane potential of the concentrates was determined. Results show that biogas production from the FO-concentrate was higher, most likely because of a higher rejection. However, salt increase due to rejection and reverse flux of ions from the draw solution may affect anaerobic digestion performance.
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Process Optimization of Electrochemical Treatment of COD and Total Nitrogen Containing Wastewater. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19020850. [PMID: 35055672 PMCID: PMC8776051 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19020850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In this work, an electrochemical method for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN, including ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite) removal from wastewater using a divided electrolysis cell was developed, and its process optimization was investigated. This process could effectively relieve the common issue of NO3-/NO2- over-reduction or NH4+ over-oxidation by combining cathodic NO3-/NO2- reduction with anodic COD/NH4+ oxidation. The activity and selectivity performances toward pollutant removal of the electrode materials were investigated by electrochemical measurements and constant potential electrolysis, suggesting that Ti electrode exhibited the best NO3-/NO2- reduction and N2 production efficiencies. In-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to study the in-situ electrochemical information of pollutants conversion on electrode surfaces and propose their reaction pathways. The effects of main operating parameters (i.e., initial pH value, Cl- concentration, and current density) on the removal efficiencies of COD and TN were studied. Under optimal conditions, COD and TN removal efficiencies from simulated wastewater reached 92.7% and 82.0%, respectively. Additionally, reaction kinetics were investigated to describe the COD and TN removal. Results indicated that COD removal followed pseudo-first-order model; meanwhile, TN removal followed zero-order kinetics with a presence of NH4+ and then followed pseudo-first-order kinetics when NH4+ was completely removed. For actual pharmaceutical wastewater treatment, 79.1% COD and 87.0% TN were removed after 120 min electrolysis; and no NH4+ or NO2- was detected.
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Zhu T, Li Y, Yang H, Liu J, Tao Y, Gan W, Wang S, Nong G. Preparation of an amphoteric adsorbent from cellulose for wastewater treatment. REACT FUNCT POLYM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2021.105086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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