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Chen Y, He J, Pang H, Yu D, Jiang P, Hao X, Zhang J. Electrochemical denitrification by a recyclable cobalt oxide cathode: Rapid recovery and selective catalysis. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 463:132870. [PMID: 37924706 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Cathodic aging and fouling have presented significant challenges in the realm of electrochemical denitrification for engineering applications. This study focused on the development of an economical and recyclable nanoporous Co3O4/Co cathode through anodization for nitrate reduction. What distinguished our cathode was its exceptional sustainability. Cobalt from the inactive catalyst could be reclaimed onto the substrate, enabling the regeneration of a new Co3O4 layer. This innovative approach resulted in an exceptionally low Co catalyst consumption, a mere 1.936 g/1 kg N, making it the most cost-effective choice among all Co-based cathodes. The Co3O4 catalyst exhibited a truncated octahedron structure, primarily composed of surface Co2+ ions. Density functional theory calculations confirmed that the bonding between the O atom in NO3- ions and the Co atom in Co3O4 was thermodynamically favorable, with a free energy of - 0.89 eV. Co2+ ions acted as "electron porters" facilitating electron transfer through a redox circle Co2+-Co3+-Co2+. However, the presence of two energy barriers (*NH2NO to *N2 and *N2 to N2) with respective heights of 0.83 eV and 1.17 eV resulted in a N2 selectivity of 9.84% and an NH3 selectivity of 90.02%. In actual wastewater treatment, approximately 78% of TN and 93% of NO3- were successfully removed after 3 h, consistent with the prediction kinetic model. This anodization-based strategy offers a significant advantage in terms of long-term cost and presents a new paradigm for electrode sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China.
| | - Junguo He
- School of Civil Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Heliang Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Dehai Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Peigeng Jiang
- North China Municipal Engineering Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd, Tianjin 300202, China Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Xiujuan Hao
- School of Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, PR China
| | - Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China
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Zhang B, Tian S, Wu D. Phosphorus harvesting from fresh human urine: A strategy of precisely recovering high-purity calcium phosphate and insights into the precipitation conversion mechanism. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 227:119325. [PMID: 36371917 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) harvesting from source-separated urine to optimize the overall nutrient loop is one of the most appealing benefits and is a global research interest in wastewater management and treatment. However, current P precipitation is mainly oriented to struvite, which is limited by the issues such as relatively low product purity and high cost of Mg source. Distinguished from previous conventional struvite precipitation, the strategy of precisely harvesting P from fresh human urine as high-purity calcium phosphate was first proposed in this study. This enhanced strategy can optimize P harvesting performance and product purity by simply regulating the consumption of calcium-based materials via model simulation and experimental validation. The thermodynamic model was constructed to probe the precipitation conversion mechanism, and visually predict the component and yield for products under various operating conditions. Batch experiments were conducted to investigate P recovery performance as a function of initial Mg2+ concentration, initial pH level, as well as degree of urine hydrolysis. Moreover, the alternative dosing scheme with different calcium salts and alkali was presented, diversifying the options for efficient P recovery. The results showed that, from the perspective of acidic storage for fresh urine, P recovery can be boosted along with eliminating urine hydrolysis. In urine with an initial pH=2.0, P can be completely recovered and purity for calcium phosphate can be optimized to 100% within a Ca/P ratio range of 1.67-2.3. Overall, this work is of great significance for precisely and efficiently harvesting P from urine and provides an integrated strategy for P resource recovery from urine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Shiyu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Deli Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
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3
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Yan H, Huang M, Wang J, Geng H, Zhang X, Qiu Z, Dai Y, Han Z, Xu Y, Meng L, Zhao L, Tucker ME, Zhao H. Difference in calcium ion precipitation between free and immobilized Halovibrio mesolongii HMY2. J Environ Sci (China) 2022; 122:184-200. [PMID: 35717084 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Biomineralization has become a research focus in wastewater treatment due to its much lower costs compared to traditional methods. However, the low sodium chloride (NaCl)-tolerance of bacteria limits applications to only water with low NaCl concentrations. Here, calcium ions in hypersaline wastewater (10% NaCl) were precipitated by free and immobilized Halovibrio mesolongii HMY2 bacteria and the differences between them were determined. The results show that calcium ions can be transformed into several types of calcium carbonate with a range of morphologies, abundant organic functional groups (C-H, C-O-C, C=O, etc), protein secondary structures (β-sheet, α-helix, 310 helix, and β-turn), P=O and S-H indicated by P2p and S2p, and more negative δ13CPDB (‰) values (-16.8‰ to -18.4‰). The optimal conditions for the immobilized bacteria were determined by doing experiments with six factors and five levels and using response surface method. Under the action of two groups of immobilized bacteria prepared under the optimal conditions, by the 10th day, Ca2+ ion precipitation ratios had increased to 79%-89% and 80%-88% with changes in magnesium ion cencentrations. Magnesium ions can significantly inhibit the calcium ion precipitation, and this inhibitory effect can be decreased under the action of immobilized bacteria. Minerals induced by immobilized bacteria always aggregated together, had higher contents of Mg, P, and S, lower stable carbon isotope values and less well-developed protein secondary structures. This study demonstrates an economic and eco-friendly method for recycling calcium ions in hypersaline wastewater, providing an easy step in the process of desalination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaxiao Yan
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
| | - Meiyu Huang
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
| | - Jihan Wang
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
| | - Heding Geng
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
| | - Xiyu Zhang
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
| | - Ziyang Qiu
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
| | - Yongliang Dai
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
| | - Zuozhen Han
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China; Laboratory for Marine Mineral Resources, Center for Isotope Geochemistry and Geochronology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China.
| | - Yudong Xu
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China.
| | - Long Meng
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
| | - Lanmei Zhao
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
| | - Maurice E Tucker
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK; Cabot Institute, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1UJ, UK
| | - Hui Zhao
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China.
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Rodrigues M, Molenaar S, Barbosa J, Sleutels T, Hamelers HV, Buisman CJ, Kuntke P. Effluent pH correlates with electrochemical nitrogen recovery efficiency at pilot scale operation. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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5
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Wei CY, Pan SY, Lin YI, Cao TND. Anaerobic swine digestate valorization via energy-efficient electrodialysis for nutrient recovery and water reclamation. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 224:119066. [PMID: 36099763 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The development of cost-effective and energy-efficient technologies to recover nutrients from digestate is important. Anaerobic digestate can be concentrated into bio-nutrient products through an electrodialysis (ED) process in an energy-efficient manner. Despite recent advances, the operation modes of ED for nutrient recovery from swine digestate are yet to be systematically evaluated from the perspective of energy-water efficiencies, and the determination of optimal operations in ED units is still ambiguous. In this study, two different operating modes of electrodialysis, i.e., constant voltage and constant current, are designed to evaluate the energy efficiency and effectiveness of nutrient recovery from anaerobic swine digestate. The ion removal ratio and current efficiency of the different modes and their associated electromigration performance (e.g., rate constants) are evaluated. The results indicate that the maximum removal efficiency (in terms of electrical conductivity) is 92.8% at a cell voltage of 2.4 V/cell using the constant voltage operation. The current efficiencies of NH4+ (43‒65%) are higher than that of other ions, such as K+ (12‒19%), Cl- (4‒7%), and PO43- (0.1‒1.5%). For nitrogen recovery, the required energy consumption was about 0.24‒15.2 kWh/kg-N (0.86‒54.7 kJ/g-N), corresponding to a removal ratio of ammonium from 70.8% to 99.1%. Based on the experimental data, the optimal operating conditions are identified using response surface models by considering process energy consumption and productivity to deliver energy-efficient nutrient separation. One candidate of the ideal conditions to achieve the total ion removal of ∼93% should be operated at a constant cell voltage of 1.15 V, corresponding to a productivity of 5.24 gal/hr/m2 at an energy consumption of 0.44 kWh/m3. Last, a conceptual design of cascading separation processes is proposed for digestate valorization as biofertilizers, nutrients, organic acids, and reclaimed water. A preliminary benefit-cost evaluation is then performed to evaluate the engineering and economic performance of the developed process for nutrient recovery from swine digestate. This article provides insight into practical large-scale applications of digestate valorization through energy-efficient separation, thereby realizing a circular economy system and a decarbonizing supply chain of bio-nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Yu Wei
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City 10617, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Shu-Yuan Pan
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City 10617, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Yu-I Lin
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City 10617, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Thanh Ngoc-Dan Cao
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City 10617, Taiwan, ROC
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6
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Xiang W, Yao J, Velizarov S, Han L. Unravelling the fouling behavior of anion-exchange membrane (AEM) by organic solute of varying characteristics. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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7
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Atlas I, Wu J, Shocron A, Suss M. Spatial variations of pH in electrodialysis stacks: Theory. Electrochim Acta 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2022.140151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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8
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Kedwell KC, Jørgensen MK, Quist-Jensen CA, Pham TD, Van der Bruggen B, Christensen ML. Selective electrodialysis for simultaneous but separate phosphate and ammonium recovery. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2021; 42:2177-2186. [PMID: 31750797 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2019.1696410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nutrients were extracted from digester supernatant sampled from a full-scale enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) wastewater treatment plant. A four-compartment selectrodialysis setup was used to extract ammonium and phosphate in two separate compartments. The initial phosphate recovery rate was measured to be 0.072 mmol m-2 s-1 and the initial ammonium recovery rate was measured to be 1.31 mmol m-2 s-1. The ammonium recovery rate was 18 times higher than that for phosphate, whereas the molar concentration of ammonium in the feed was 10 times higher than that of phosphate. An average recovery of 72 ± 1% and 90 ± 10% for ammonium and phosphate was observed after 3 h of operation. A monovalent anion selective (MVA) membrane was used to avoid ammonium and reduce the concentration of monovalent anions in the phosphorus stream. The pH in the phosphorus stream was kept at 10 so phosphate did not pass the MVA membrane. A membrane area of 26 m2 per m3 digester supernatant was required to recover 70% of phosphate and ammonium for the digester supernatant that contained 6 mM phosphate and 105 mM ammonium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Charlotte Kedwell
- Center for Membrane Technology, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Mads Koustrup Jørgensen
- Center for Membrane Technology, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Cejna Anna Quist-Jensen
- Center for Membrane Technology, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Tien Duc Pham
- Department of Chemical Engineering (CIT), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Van der Bruggen
- Department of Chemical Engineering (CIT), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
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9
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Govindan K, Im SJ, Muthuraj V, Jang A. Electrochemical recovery of H 2 and nutrients (N, P) from synthetic source separate urine water. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 269:129361. [PMID: 33383251 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study examined an electrochemical method of H2 production and nutrient recovery from synthetic source separated urine (SSU). The efficacy of H2 production was examined through hydrogen recovery experiments (HRE) using Ni foam electrodes. Similarly, nutrient (N and P) recovery was also examined in post-nutrient recovery experiments (NRE) with sacrificial Mg electrodes. To achieve higher nutrient recovery in the post-nutrient recovery process, the most important operating parameters (initial solution pH (pHi) and current density) were optimized. Optimization of NRE revealed that > 90% NH3-N and PO43--P could be recovered at 8 mA cm-2 with a pHi of 6-8. Notable NH3-N and PO43--P reduction were observed at an equimolar Mg2+ dissolution ratio (1:1) of Mg2+:NH4+ and a 1.1:1 ratio of Mg2+:PO43- respectively. However, poor total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) reduction was observed. Thus, we anticipate that direct electrochemical conversion of urea to N2 at the anode followed by H2 generation at the cathode is a more sustainable way to reduce TKN. Batch HRE showed that the initial TKN, 1094 mg L-1 (934 mg L-1 from urea-N and 160 mg L-1 from NH4Cl), was significantly reduced to 360 mg L-1 by Ni-Ni electrolysis, whereas around 53.8 g H2 gas was received from this Ni-Ni electrolysis system with a flow rate of 5-5.8 g mol-1 day-1. Overall, this work produced a 68% reduction in TKN due to electrochemical conversion of urea into H2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kadarkarai Govindan
- Sustainable Water Treatment Laboratory, Graduate School of Water Resources, Sungkyunkwan University, Natural Science Campus, Gyeonggi-do, 16419, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sung-Ju Im
- Sustainable Water Treatment Laboratory, Graduate School of Water Resources, Sungkyunkwan University, Natural Science Campus, Gyeonggi-do, 16419, Republic of Korea.
| | - Velluchamy Muthuraj
- Department of Chemistry, V.H.N Senthikumara Nadar College (Autonomous), Virudhunagar 626 001, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Am Jang
- Sustainable Water Treatment Laboratory, Graduate School of Water Resources, Sungkyunkwan University, Natural Science Campus, Gyeonggi-do, 16419, Republic of Korea.
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Min KJ, Kim JH, Park KY. Characteristics of heavy metal separation and determination of limiting current density in a pilot-scale electrodialysis process for plating wastewater treatment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 757:143762. [PMID: 33316530 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Recent development in industry has led to increased water usage, while intensifying water shortage. Electrodialysis has been proposed as a technique for minimizing the generation of secondary environmental pollution problems and effectively treating harmful substances such as heavy metals in industrial wastewater. As electrodialysis is affected by several factors, it is crucial to provide necessary information about the operating elements. This study investigates the effect of linear flow velocity on the removal of heavy metals in an electrodialysis pilot plant. The results of the experiment showed that increasing the linear flow velocity from 0.6 to 5.1 cm/min increased the voltage from 17.3 to 40 V. In addition, the limiting current density (LCD) showed a linear relationship with the linear flow velocity, increasing from 1.4 to 5.9 A/m2 as the linear flow velocity increased proportionally in the same voltage range. The empirical correlation coefficients a and b for the mass transfer coefficient K, which can be expressed as a nonlinear function of the linear flow velocity, were estimated to be 1.8519 and 0.7016, respectively. In the batch operation, the ion-separation rate in the electrodialysis process was estimated with the shift order kinetics of the first-order and zero-order constants via regression analysis of experimental data. The ion separation rate in the diluate and the ion concentration rate in the concentrate decrease as the experiment number increase. This may be due to the reverse diffusion of ions transferring to the diluate owing to the high concentration of ions in the concentrate. Therefore, ion concentration in the concentrate has to be maintained at an appropriate level. Copper ions are deposited on the cathode electrode surface, although not uniformly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Jin Min
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, Neungdong-ro 120, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo Hyeong Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, Neungdong-ro 120, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Young Park
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, Neungdong-ro 120, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Brewster ET, Freguia S, Edraki M, Berry L, Ledezma P. Staged electrochemical treatment guided by modelling allows for targeted recovery of metals and rare earth elements from acid mine drainage. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 275:111266. [PMID: 32846359 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a challenge for current and legacy mining operations worldwide given its potential to severely harm ecosystems and communities if inadequately managed. Treatment costs for AMD are amongst the highest in the industrial wastewater treatment sector, with limited sustainable options available to date. This work demonstrates a novel chemical-free approach to tackle AMD, whereby staged electrochemical neutralisation is employed to treat AMD and concomitantly recover metals as precipitates. This approach was guided by physico-chemical modelling and tested on real AMD from two different legacy mine sites in Australia, and compared against conventional chemical-dosing-based techniques using hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The electrochemical treatment demonstrated the same capacity than Ca(OH)2 to neutralise AMD and remove sulfates, and both were significantly better than NaOH. However, the electrochemical approach produced less voluminous and more easily settleable sludge than Ca(OH)2. Moreover, the staged treatment approach demonstrated the potential to produce metal-rich powdered solids with a targeted composition, including rare earth elements and yttrium (REY). REY were recovered in concentrations up to 0.1% of the total solids composition, illustrating a new avenue for AMD remediation coupled with the recovery of critical metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Thompson Brewster
- Kinetic Group Worldwide Pty Ltd, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia; Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Stefano Freguia
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Mansour Edraki
- Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Luke Berry
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Pablo Ledezma
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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12
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Ward AJ, Arola K, Thompson Brewster E, Mehta CM, Batstone DJ. Nutrient recovery from wastewater through pilot scale electrodialysis. WATER RESEARCH 2018; 135:57-65. [PMID: 29454922 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Nutrient recovery performance utilising an electrodialysis (ED) process was quantified in a 30-cell pair pilot reactor with a 7.2 m2 effective membrane area, utilising domestic anaerobic digester supernatant, which had been passed through a centrifuge as a feed source (centrate). A concentrated product (NH4-N 7100 ± 300 mg/L and K 2490 ± 40 mg/L) could be achieved by concentrating nutrient ions from the centrate wastewater dilute feed stream to the product stream using the ED process. The average total current efficiency for all major cations over the experimental period was 76 ± 2% (NH4-N transport 40%, K transport 14%). The electrode power consumption was 4.9 ± 1.5 kWh/kgN, averaged across the three replicate trials. This value is lower than competing technologies for NH4-N removal and production, and far lower than previous ED lab trials, demonstrating the importance of pilot testing. No significant variation in starting flux densities and cell resistance voltage for subsequent replicate treatments indicated effective cleaning procedures and operational sustainability at treatment durations of several days. This study demonstrates that ED is an economically promising technology for the recovery of nutrients from wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Ward
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Kimmo Arola
- Lappeenranta University of Technology, LUT School of Engineering Science, Skinnarilankatu 34, Lappeenranta, Finland
| | - Emma Thompson Brewster
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Chirag M Mehta
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Damien J Batstone
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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13
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Mitigation of membrane scaling in electrodialysis by electroconvection enhancement, pH adjustment and pulsed electric field application. J Memb Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2017.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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14
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Brewster ET, Pozo G, Batstone DJ, Freguia S, Ledezma P. A modelling approach to assess the long-term stability of a novel microbial/electrochemical system for the treatment of acid mine drainage. RSC Adv 2018; 8:18682-18689. [PMID: 35541131 PMCID: PMC9080545 DOI: 10.1039/c8ra03153c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial electrochemical processes have potential to remediate acid mine drainage (AMD) wastewaters which are highly acidic and rich in sulfate and heavy metals, without the need for extensive chemical dosing. In this manuscript, a novel hybrid microbial/electrochemical remediation process which uses a 3-reactor system – a precipitation vessel, an electrochemical reactor and a microbial electrochemical reactor with a sulfate-reducing biocathode – was modelled. To evaluate the long-term operability of this system, a dynamic model for the fluxes of 140 different ionic species was developed and calibrated using laboratory-scale experimental data. The model identified that when the reactors are operating in the desired state, the coulombic efficiency of sulfate removal from AMD is high (91%). Modelling also identified that a periodic electrolyte purge is required to prevent the build-up of Cl− ions in the microbial electrochemical reactor. The model furthermore studied the fate of sulfate and carbon in the system. For sulfate, it was found that only 29% can be converted into elemental sulfur, with the rest complexating with metals in the precipitation vessel. Finally, the model shows that the flux of inorganic carbon under the current operational strategy is insufficient to maintain the autotrophic sulfate-reducing biomass. The modelling approach demonstrates that a change in system operational strategies plus close monitoring of overlooked ionic species (such as Cl− and HCO3−) are key towards the scaling-up of this technology. Microbial electrochemical processes have potential to remediate acid mine drainage (AMD) wastewaters which are highly acidic and rich in sulfate and heavy metals, without the need for extensive chemical dosing.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guillermo Pozo
- Advanced Water Management Centre
- The University of Queensland
- Australia
| | | | - Stefano Freguia
- Advanced Water Management Centre
- The University of Queensland
- Australia
| | - Pablo Ledezma
- Advanced Water Management Centre
- The University of Queensland
- Australia
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15
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Thompson Brewster E, Jermakka J, Freguia S, Batstone DJ. Modelling recovery of ammonium from urine by electro-concentration in a 3-chamber cell. WATER RESEARCH 2017; 124:210-218. [PMID: 28759793 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.07.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Electro-concentration enables treatment and nutrient recovery from source-separated urine, and is a potential technology for on-site treatment using a 3 compartment configuration that has anode, cathode and middle concentrate compartments. There is a particular focus on driving concentration towards the precipitation threshold in the concentrate compartment to generate solid ammonium salts, including ammonium bicarbonate. To evaluate controlling mechanisms and the feasibility of achieving high concentrations, a dynamic mechanistic model was developed and validated using experiments with synthetic urine. It was identified that high concentrations are prevented by increased back diffusion (diffusion from the middle chamber to the anolyte and catholyte) due to large concentration gradients, and the preferential migration of protons or hydroxide ions due to a loss of buffering capacity in the anolyte and catholyte (due to pH extremes). Model-based sensitivity analysis also identified that electrolyte ion concentrations (including buffer capacity) were the main controlling mechanisms, rather than membrane or electrolyte current transfer capacity. To attain high concentrations, operation should be done using a) a high current density (however there is a maximum efficient current density); b) feed at short hydraulic retention time to ensure sufficient buffer capacity; and c) a feed high in ammonium and carbonate, not diluted, and not contaminated with other salts, such as pure ureolysed urine. Taking into account electron supply and bio-anodic buffer limitations, model testing shows at least double the aqueous concentrations observed in the experiments may be achieved by optimising simple process and operational parameters such as flow rate, current density and feed solution composition. Removal of total ammonium nitrogen (TAN) and total carbonate carbon (TCC) was between 43-57% and 39-53%, respectively. Balancing the sometimes conflicting process goals of high concentrations and removal percentage will need to be considered in further application. Future experimental work should be directed towards developing electrodes capable of higher current densities. In addition it would be desirable to use ion exchange membranes with higher resistance to water fluxes and which limit back diffusion. Future modelling work should describe osmotic and electro-osmotic water fluxes as a function of the concentration gradient across the membranes and ionic fluxes, respectively. More generalised wastewater physico-chemistry speciation models should identify best methods where relatively simple Davies activity corrections do not apply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Thompson Brewster
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Johannes Jermakka
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 541, 33101 Tampere, Finland
| | - Stefano Freguia
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Damien J Batstone
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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16
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Belashova E, Pismenskaya N, Nikonenko V, Sistat P, Pourcelly G. Current-voltage characteristic of anion-exchange membrane in monosodium phosphate solution. Modelling and experiment. J Memb Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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17
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Dykstra JE, Keesman KJ, Biesheuvel PM, van der Wal A. Theory of pH changes in water desalination by capacitive deionization. WATER RESEARCH 2017; 119:178-186. [PMID: 28458059 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.04.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
In electrochemical water desalination, a large difference in pH can develop between feed and effluent water. These pH changes can affect the long-term stability of membranes and electrodes. Often Faradaic reactions are implicated to explain these pH changes. However, quantitative theory has not been developed yet to underpin these considerations. We develop a theory for electrochemical water desalination which includes not only Faradaic reactions but also the fact that all ions in the water have different mobilities (diffusion coefficients). We quantify the latter effect by microscopic physics-based modeling of pH changes in Membrane Capacitive Deionization (MCDI), a water desalination technology employing porous carbon electrodes and ion-exchange membranes. We derive a dynamic model and include the following phenomena: I) different mobilities of various ions, combined with acid-base equilibrium reactions; II) chemical surface charge groups in the micropores of the porous carbon electrodes, where electrical double layers are formed; and III) Faradaic reactions in the micropores. The theory predicts small pH changes during desalination cycles in MCDI if we only consider phenomena I) and II), but predicts that these pH changes can be much stronger if we consider phenomenon III) as well, which is in line with earlier statements in the literature on the relevance of Faradaic reactions to explain pH fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Dykstra
- Department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
| | - K J Keesman
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands; Biobased Chemistry & Technology, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - P M Biesheuvel
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - A van der Wal
- Department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Evides, Schaardijk 150, 3063 NH, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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18
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Thompson Brewster E, Ward AJ, Mehta CM, Radjenovic J, Batstone DJ. Predicting scale formation during electrodialytic nutrient recovery. WATER RESEARCH 2017; 110:202-210. [PMID: 28006710 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2016.11.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Electro-concentration of nutrients from waste streams is a promising technology to enable resource recovery, but has several operational concerns. One key concern is the formation of inorganic scale on the concentrate side of cation exchange membranes when recovering nutrients from wastewaters containing calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and carbonate, commonly present in anaerobic digester rejection water. Electrodialytic nutrient recovery was trialed on anaerobic digester rejection water in a laboratory scale electro-concentration unit without treatment (A), following struvite recovery (B), and following struvite recovery as well as concentrate controlled at pH 5 for scaling control (C). Treatment A resulted in large amount of scale, while treatment B significantly reduced the amount of scale formation with reduction in magnesium phosphates, and treatment C reduced the amount of scale further by limiting the formation of calcium carbonates. Treatment C resulted in an 87 ± 7% by weight reduction in scale compared to treatment A. A mechanistic model for the inorganic processes was validated using a previously published general precipitation model based on saturation index. The model attributed the reduction in struvite scale to the removal of phosphate during the struvite pre-treatment, and the reduction in calcium carbonate scale to pH control resulting in the stripping of carbonate as carbon dioxide gas. This indicates that multiple strategies may be required to control precipitation, and that mechanistic models can assist in developing a combined approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Thompson Brewster
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew J Ward
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Chirag M Mehta
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jelena Radjenovic
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Parc Científic i Tecnològic de la Universitat de Girona, 17003, Girona, Spain
| | - Damien J Batstone
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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19
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Puyol D, Batstone DJ, Hülsen T, Astals S, Peces M, Krömer JO. Resource Recovery from Wastewater by Biological Technologies: Opportunities, Challenges, and Prospects. Front Microbiol 2017; 7:2106. [PMID: 28111567 PMCID: PMC5216025 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.02106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Limits in resource availability are driving a change in current societal production systems, changing the focus from residues treatment, such as wastewater treatment, toward resource recovery. Biotechnological processes offer an economic and versatile way to concentrate and transform resources from waste/wastewater into valuable products, which is a prerequisite for the technological development of a cradle-to-cradle bio-based economy. This review identifies emerging technologies that enable resource recovery across the wastewater treatment cycle. As such, bioenergy in the form of biohydrogen (by photo and dark fermentation processes) and biogas (during anaerobic digestion processes) have been classic targets, whereby, direct transformation of lipidic biomass into biodiesel also gained attention. This concept is similar to previous biofuel concepts, but more sustainable, as third generation biofuels and other resources can be produced from waste biomass. The production of high value biopolymers (e.g., for bioplastics manufacturing) from organic acids, hydrogen, and methane is another option for carbon recovery. The recovery of carbon and nutrients can be achieved by organic fertilizer production, or single cell protein generation (depending on the source) which may be utilized as feed, feed additives, next generation fertilizers, or even as probiotics. Additionlly, chemical oxidation-reduction and bioelectrochemical systems can recover inorganics or synthesize organic products beyond the natural microbial metabolism. Anticipating the next generation of wastewater treatment plants driven by biological recovery technologies, this review is focused on the generation and re-synthesis of energetic resources and key resources to be recycled as raw materials in a cradle-to-cradle economy concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Puyol
- Group of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Experimental Sciences and Technology, King Juan Carlos UniversityMostoles, Spain
| | - Damien J. Batstone
- Advanced Water Management Centre, University of Queensland, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
- CRC for Water Sensitive Cities, ClaytonVIC, Australia
| | - Tim Hülsen
- Advanced Water Management Centre, University of Queensland, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
- CRC for Water Sensitive Cities, ClaytonVIC, Australia
| | - Sergi Astals
- Advanced Water Management Centre, University of Queensland, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
| | - Miriam Peces
- Centre for Solid Waste Bioprocessing, School of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
| | - Jens O. Krömer
- Advanced Water Management Centre, University of Queensland, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
- Centre for Microbial Electrochemical Systems, University of Queensland, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
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20
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Flores-Alsina X, Solon K, Kazadi Mbamba C, Tait S, Gernaey KV, Jeppsson U, Batstone DJ. Modelling phosphorus (P), sulfur (S) and iron (Fe) interactions for dynamic simulations of anaerobic digestion processes. WATER RESEARCH 2016; 95:370-82. [PMID: 27107338 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2016.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2016] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
This paper proposes a series of extensions to functionally upgrade the IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) to allow for plant-wide phosphorus (P) simulation. The close interplay between the P, sulfur (S) and iron (Fe) cycles requires a substantial (and unavoidable) increase in model complexity due to the involved three-phase physico-chemical and biological transformations. The ADM1 version, implemented in the plant-wide context provided by the Benchmark Simulation Model No. 2 (BSM2), is used as the basic platform (A0). Three different model extensions (A1, A2, A3) are implemented, simulated and evaluated. The first extension (A1) considers P transformations by accounting for the kinetic decay of polyphosphates (XPP) and potential uptake of volatile fatty acids (VFA) to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (XPHA) by phosphorus accumulating organisms (XPAO). Two variant extensions (A2,1/A2,2) describe biological production of sulfides (SIS) by means of sulfate reducing bacteria (XSRB) utilising hydrogen only (autolithotrophically) or hydrogen plus organic acids (heterorganotrophically) as electron sources, respectively. These two approaches also consider a potential hydrogen sulfide ( [Formula: see text] inhibition effect and stripping to the gas phase ( [Formula: see text] ). The third extension (A3) accounts for chemical iron (III) ( [Formula: see text] ) reduction to iron (II) ( [Formula: see text] ) using hydrogen ( [Formula: see text] ) and sulfides (SIS) as electron donors. A set of pre/post interfaces between the Activated Sludge Model No. 2d (ASM2d) and ADM1 are furthermore proposed in order to allow for plant-wide (model-based) analysis and study of the interactions between the water and sludge lines. Simulation (A1 - A3) results show that the ratio between soluble/particulate P compounds strongly depends on the pH and cationic load, which determines the capacity to form (or not) precipitation products. Implementations A1 and A2,1/A2,2 lead to a reduction in the predicted methane/biogas production (and potential energy recovery) compared to reference ADM1 predictions (A0). This reduction is attributed to two factors: (1) loss of electron equivalents due to sulfate [Formula: see text] reduction by XSRB and storage of XPHA by XPAO; and, (2) decrease of acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis due to [Formula: see text] inhibition. Model A3 shows the potential for iron to remove free SIS (and consequently inhibition) and instead promote iron sulfide (XFeS) precipitation. It also reduces the quantities of struvite ( [Formula: see text] ) and calcium phosphate ( [Formula: see text] ) that are formed due to its higher affinity for phosphate anions. This study provides a detailed analysis of the different model assumptions, the effect that operational/design conditions have on the model predictions and the practical implications of the proposed model extensions in view of plant-wide modelling/development of resource recovery strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Flores-Alsina
- CAPEC-PROCESS Research Center, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Kimberly Solon
- Division of Industrial Electrical Engineering and Automation, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Christian Kazadi Mbamba
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Stephan Tait
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Krist V Gernaey
- CAPEC-PROCESS Research Center, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ulf Jeppsson
- Division of Industrial Electrical Engineering and Automation, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Damien J Batstone
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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