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Nguyen Quoc B, Cavanaugh SK, Hunt KA, Bryson SJ, Winkler MKH. Impact of aerobic granular sludge sizes and dissolved oxygen concentration on greenhouse gas N 2O emission. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 255:121479. [PMID: 38520777 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are known to produce nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas which has a ∼300 times higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide. In this research, we studied N2O emissions from different sizes of AGS developed at a dissolved oxygen (DO) level of 2 mgO2/L while exposing them to disturbances at various DO concentrations ranging from 1 to 4 mgO2/L. Five different AGS size classes were studied: 212-600 µm, 600-1000 µm, 1000-1400 µm, 1400-2000 µm, and > 2000 µm. Metagenomic data showed N2O reductase genes (nosZ) were more abundant in the smaller AGS sizes which aligned with the observation of higher N2O reduction rates in small AGS under anaerobic conditions. However, when oxygen was present, the activity measurements of N2O emission showed an opposite trend compared to metagenomic data, smaller AGS (212 to 1000 µm) emitted significantly higher N2O (p < 0.05) than larger AGS (1000 µm to >2000 µm) at DO of 2, 3, and 4 mgO2/L. The N2O emission rate showed positive correlation with both oxygen levels and nitrification rate. This pattern indicates a connection between N2O emission and nitrification. In addition, the data suggested the penetration of oxygen into the anoxic zone of granules might have hindered nitrous oxide reduction, resulting in incomplete denitrification stopping at N2O and consequently contributing to an increase in N2O emissions. This work sets the stage to better understand the impacts of AGS size on N2O emissions in WWTPs under different disturbance of DO conditions, and thus ensure that wastewater treatment will comply with possible future regulations demanding lowering greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to combat climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Nguyen Quoc
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, United States.
| | - Shannon K Cavanaugh
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, United States
| | - Kristopher A Hunt
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, United States
| | - Samuel J Bryson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, United States
| | - Mari K H Winkler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, United States
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2
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An Z, Zhang Q, Gao X, Ding J, Shao B, Peng Y. Nitrous oxide emissions in novel wastewater treatment processes: A comprehensive review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 391:129950. [PMID: 37926354 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The proliferation of novel wastewater treatment processes has marked recent years, becoming particularly pertinent in light of the strive for carbon neutrality. One area of growing attention within this context is nitrous oxide (N2O) production and emission. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent research progress on N2O emissions associated with novel wastewater treatment processes, including Anammox, Partial Nitrification, Partial Denitrification, Comammox, Denitrifying Phosphorus Removal, Sulfur-driven Autotrophic Denitrification and n-DAMO. The advantages and challenges of these processes are thoroughly examined, and various mitigation strategies are proposed. An interesting angle that delve into is the potential of endogenous denitrification to act as an N2O sink. Furthermore, the review discusses the potential applications and rationale for novel Anammox-based processes to reduce N2O emissions. The aim is to inform future technology research in this area. Overall, this review aims to shed light on these emerging technologies while encouraging further research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeming An
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Key Laboratory of Beijing for Water Quality Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Qiong Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Key Laboratory of Beijing for Water Quality Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China.
| | - Xinjie Gao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Key Laboratory of Beijing for Water Quality Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Jing Ding
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Key Laboratory of Beijing for Water Quality Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Baishuo Shao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Key Laboratory of Beijing for Water Quality Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Yongzhen Peng
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Key Laboratory of Beijing for Water Quality Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
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Di Capua F, Iannacone F, Sabba F, Esposito G. Simultaneous nitrification-denitrification in biofilm systems for wastewater treatment: Key factors, potential routes, and engineered applications. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 361:127702. [PMID: 35905872 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Simultaneous nitrification-denitrification (SND) is an advantageous bioprocess that allows the complete removal of ammonia nitrogen through sequential redox reactions leading to nitrogen gas production. SND can govern nitrogen removal in single-stage biofilm systems, such as the moving bed biofilm reactor and aerobic granular sludge system, as oxygen gradients allow the development of multilayered biofilms including nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. Environmental and operational conditions can strongly influence SND performance, biofilm development and biochemical pathways. Recent advances have outlined the possibility to reduce the carbon and energy consumption of the process via the "shortcut pathway", and simultaneously remove both N and phosphorus under specific operational conditions, opening new possibilities for wastewater treatment. This work critically reviews the factors influencing SND and its application in biofilm systems from laboratory to full scale. Operational strategies to enhance SND efficiency and hints to reduce nitrous oxide emission and operational costs are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Capua
- Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, Building Engineering and Chemistry, Polytechnic University of Bari, Bari 70125, Italy.
| | | | | | - Giovanni Esposito
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, Naples 80125, Italy
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Sabba F, Terada A, Wells G, Smets BF, Nerenberg R. Nitrous oxide emissions from biofilm processes for wastewater treatment. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:9815-9829. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9332-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Massara TM, Malamis S, Guisasola A, Baeza JA, Noutsopoulos C, Katsou E. A review on nitrous oxide (N 2O) emissions during biological nutrient removal from municipal wastewater and sludge reject water. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 596-597:106-123. [PMID: 28426987 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2017] [Revised: 03/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important pollutant which is emitted during the biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes of wastewater treatment. Since it has a greenhouse effect which is 265 times higher than carbon dioxide, even relatively small amounts can result in a significant carbon footprint. Biological nitrogen (N) removal conventionally occurs with nitrification/denitrification, yet also through advanced processes such as nitritation/denitritation and completely autotrophic N-removal. The microbial pathways leading to the N2O emission include hydroxylamine oxidation and nitrifier denitrification, both activated by ammonia oxidizing bacteria, and heterotrophic denitrification. In this work, a critical review of the existing literature on N2O emissions during BNR is presented focusing on the most contributing parameters. Various factors increasing the N2O emissions either per se or combined are identified: low dissolved oxygen, high nitrite accumulation, low chemical oxygen demand to nitrogen ratio, slow growth of denitrifying bacteria, uncontrolled pH and temperature. However, there is no common pattern in reporting the N2O generation amongst the cited studies, a fact that complicates its evaluation. When simulating N2O emissions, all microbial pathways along with the potential contribution of abiotic N2O production during wastewater treatment at different dissolved oxygen/nitrite levels should be considered. The undeniable validation of the robustness of such models calls for reliable quantification techniques which simultaneously describe dissolved and gaseous N2O dynamics. Thus, the choice of the N-removal process, the optimal selection of operational parameters and the establishment of validated dynamic models combining multiple N2O pathways are essential for studying the emissions mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theoni Maria Massara
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, Brunel University London, Uxbridge Campus, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, Uxbridge, UK; Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Simos Malamis
- Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 5 Iroon Polytechniou St., Zographou Campus, 15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Albert Guisasola
- GENOCOV, Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Biològica i Ambiental, Escola d'Enginyeria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallés (Barcelona), 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Antonio Baeza
- GENOCOV, Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Biològica i Ambiental, Escola d'Enginyeria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallés (Barcelona), 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Constantinos Noutsopoulos
- Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 5 Iroon Polytechniou St., Zographou Campus, 15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Evina Katsou
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, Brunel University London, Uxbridge Campus, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, Uxbridge, UK; Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, Uxbridge, UK.
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Sabba F, Picioreanu C, Nerenberg R. Mechanisms of nitrous oxide (N
2
O) formation and reduction in denitrifying biofilms. Biotechnol Bioeng 2017; 114:2753-2761. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.26399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Sabba
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth SciencesUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndiana
| | - Cristian Picioreanu
- Department of BiotechnologyFaculty of Applied SciencesDelft University of TechnologyDelftThe Netherlands
| | - Robert Nerenberg
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth SciencesUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndiana
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Lin S, Wang X, Chao Y, He Y, Liu M. Predicting biofilm thickness and biofilm viability based on the concentration of carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus by support vector regression. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:418-425. [PMID: 26308927 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5276-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Current tools to predict biofilm thickness and viability in spatial distribution are poor, especially those based on chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphate (TP) due to their limited data and complex calculations. Here, support vector regression (SVR) was used to predict biofilm thickness and viability in a reactor filled with carriers of crushed stone globular aggregates. Analyses combined confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry with Kriging interpolation revealed that biofilm thickness varied from 22 to 31 μm, and biofilm viability decreased from 80 to 30% in the flow direction of the reactor. The biofilm thickness at the bottom was thicker than that in the upper layer, but biofilm viability contrasted with biofilm thickness in the vertical distribution. The values of biofilm thickness and viability were predicted at a layer 35 cm from the bottom of the reactor with mean squared error values of 0.014 and 0.011, respectively. Correlation coefficients were 0.996 and 0.997 between carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus (C-N-P) removal with biofilm thickness and viability in spatial distribution, respectively. This study provided an important mathematical method to predict biofilm thickness and viability in spatial distribution based on the concentration of C-N-P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Lin
- School of Environmental Sciences, Northeast Normal University, No. 2555, Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinmin Wang
- School of Basic Science, Changchun University of Technology, No. 2055, Yan'an Street, Changchun, 130012, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunlong Chao
- School of Environmental Sciences, Northeast Normal University, No. 2555, Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yude He
- School of Basic Science, Changchun University of Technology, No. 2055, Yan'an Street, Changchun, 130012, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Liu
- School of Basic Science, Changchun University of Technology, No. 2055, Yan'an Street, Changchun, 130012, People's Republic of China.
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