1
|
Wang Z, Li X, Liu H, Mou J, Khan SJ, Lin CSK, Wang Q. Evaluating energy balance and environmental footprint of sludge management in BRICS countries. WATER RESEARCH X 2024; 25:100255. [PMID: 39286461 PMCID: PMC11404187 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2024.100255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2024] [Revised: 07/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is driving global endeavours to achieve carbon neutrality and renewable energy expansion. Sludge, a nutrient-rich waste, holds energy potential yet poses environmental challenges that need proper management. We conducted a comprehensive life cycle assessment to evaluate the energy balance and environmental footprint of the most commonly used sludge management scenarios in BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Technologies such as incineration and anaerobic digestion with energy recovery units (i.e., cogeneration unit) maximize energy balance and minimize the environmental footprint, with incineration showing a superior performance. Shifting sludge management scenarios from the worst to the best can boost energy production by 1.4-98.4 times and cut the environmental footprint by 1.5-21.4 times. In 2050, these improvements could lead to a 98-fold boost in energy generation and a 25-fold drop in carbon emissions, according to the Announced Pledges Scenarios. Optimizing parameters such as volatile solids and anaerobic digestion efficiency further boosts energy output and minimizes the environmental footprint. This study offers robust evidence to support sustainable sludge management and thus promote energy recovery and carbon neutrality goals, guide technological transitions, and inform policymaking for sustainable development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyao Wang
- Center for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Xuan Li
- Center for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Huan Liu
- Center for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Jinhua Mou
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, PR China
| | - Stuart J Khan
- School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Carol Sze Ki Lin
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, PR China
| | - Qilin Wang
- Center for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang T, Xu Z, Shi H, Zhao Y, Gao W, Xu Y, Zhang Q. Enhancement of alkaline pretreatment-anaerobically digested sludge dewaterability by chitosan and rice husk powder for land use of biogas slurry. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 369:122356. [PMID: 39217906 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122356] [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: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Alkaline pretreatment can improve the methane yields and dewatering performance of anaerobically digested sludge, but it still needs to be coupled with other conditioning methods in the practical dewatering process. This study utilized four different flocculants and a skeleton builder for conditioning of alkaline pretreatment-anaerobically digested sludge. Chitosan was found to be the most effective in dewatering the sludge. Chitosan coupled with rice husk powder further improved the dewatering performance, which reduced normalized capillary suction time, specific resistance to filtration, and moisture content by 98.7%, 82.0%, and 12.1%. For land use of biogas slurry as a fertilizer, chitosan conditioning promoted the growth of corn seedlings, while the other three flocculants diminished the growth of corn seedlings. Chitosan coupled with rice husk powder further promoted the growth of corn seedlings by 103.5%, 65.0%, and 53.7% in fresh weight, dry weight, and root length, respectively. Overall, chitosan coupled with rice husk powder not only enhanced the dewaterability of alkaline pretreatment-anaerobically digested sludge but also realized the resource utilization of agricultural waste.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianfeng Wang
- College of Petrochemical Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, China.
| | - Ziying Xu
- College of Petrochemical Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Hailong Shi
- College of Petrochemical Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Yanbin Zhao
- College of Petrochemical Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Wenqi Gao
- School of Civil Engineering, Lanzhou Institute of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Yuanshun Xu
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Qingfang Zhang
- College of Petrochemical Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Eng Nkonogumo PL, Zhu Z, Emmanuel N, Zhang X, Zhou L, Wu P. Novel and innovative approaches to partial denitrification coupled with anammox: A critical review. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 358:142066. [PMID: 38670502 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142066] [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: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The partial denitrification (PD) coupled with anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) (PD/A) process is a unique biological denitrification method for sewage that concurrently removes nitrate (NO3--N) and ammonium (NH4+-N) in sewage. Comparing PD/A to conventional nitrification and denitrification technologies, noticeable improvements are shown in energy consumption, carbon source demand, sludge generation and emissions of greenhouse gasses. The PD is vital to obtaining nitrites (NO2--N) in the Anammox process. This paper provided valuable insight by introduced the basic principles and characteristics of the process and then summarized the strengthening strategies. The functional microorganisms and microbial competition have been discussed in details, the S-dependent denitrification-anammox has been analyzed in this review paper. Important factors affecting the PD/A process were examined from different aspects, and finally, the paper pointed out the shortcomings of the coupling process in experimental research and engineering applications. Thus, this research provided insightful information for the PD/A process's optimization technique in later treating many types of real and nitrate-based wastewater. The review paper also provided the prospective economic and environmental position for the actual design implementation of the PD/A process in the years to come.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Luchanganya Eng Nkonogumo
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Zixuan Zhu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Nshimiyimana Emmanuel
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Xiaonong Zhang
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Li Zhou
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Peng Wu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Vo PHN, Ky Le G, Huy LN, Zheng L, Chaiwong C, Nguyen NN, Nguyen HTM, Ralph PJ, Kuzhiumparambil U, Soroosh D, Toft S, Madsen C, Kim M, Fenstermacher J, Hai HTN, Duan H, Tscharke B. Occurrence, spatiotemporal trends, fate, and treatment technologies for microplastics and organic contaminants in biosolids: A review. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 466:133471. [PMID: 38266587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133471] [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: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
This review provides a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, fate, treatment and multi-criteria analysis of microplastics (MPs) and organic contaminants (OCs) in biosolids. A meta-analysis was complementarily analysed through the literature to map out the occurrence and fate of MPs and 10 different groups of OCs. The data demonstrate that MPs (54.7% occurrence rate) and linear alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactants (44.2% occurrence rate) account for the highest prevalence of contaminants in biosolids. In turn, dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and phosphorus flame retardants (PFRs) have the lowest rates (<0.01%). The occurrence of several OCs (e.g., dioxin, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pharmaceutical and personal care products, ultraviolet filters, phosphate flame retardants) in Europe appear at higher rates than in Asia and the Americas. However, MP concentrations in biosolids from Australia are reported to be 10 times higher than in America and Europe, which required more measurement data for in-depth analysis. Amongst the OC groups, brominated flame retardants exhibited exceptional sorption to biosolids with partitioning coefficients (log Kd) higher than 4. To remove these contaminants from biosolids, a wide range of technologies have been developed. Our multicriteria analysis shows that anaerobic digestion is the most mature and practical. Thermal treatment is a viable option; however, it still requires additional improvements in infrastructure, legislation, and public acceptance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phong H N Vo
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - Gia Ky Le
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Lai Nguyen Huy
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Klong Luang, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Lei Zheng
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China; Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| | - Chawalit Chaiwong
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Klong Luang, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Nam Nhat Nguyen
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Hong T M Nguyen
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| | - Peter J Ralph
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Unnikrishnan Kuzhiumparambil
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Danaee Soroosh
- Biotechnology Department, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran 3353-5111, Iran
| | - Sonja Toft
- Urban Utilities, Level 10/31 Duncan St, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Craig Madsen
- Urban Utilities, Level 10/31 Duncan St, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Mikael Kim
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | | | - Ho Truong Nam Hai
- Faculty of Environment, University of Science, 227 Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Viet Nam
| | - Haoran Duan
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ben Tscharke
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Li J, Huang C. Anaerobic co-digestion of corn straw, sewage sludge and fresh leachate: Focusing on synergistic/antagonistic effects and microbial mechanisms. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 395:130414. [PMID: 38310978 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130414] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Effects of sewage sludge (SS) and fresh leachate (FL) addition on corn straw (CS) digestion and underlying mechanisms were investigated. Co-digestion of CS, SS and FL significantly increased cumulative methane production by 7.2-61.1%. Further analysis revealed that co-digestion acted mainly on slowly degradable substrates and exerted dual effects on methane production potential, which was closely related to the volatile solids (VS) content. Antagonistic effects of co-digestion resulted from the dominance of norank_c_Bathyarchaeia, a mixotrophic methanogen that may generate methane inefficiently and consume existing methane. The synergistic enhancement of methane production (0.7-12.7%) was achieved in co-digestion with 33.5-45.5% of total VS added as SS and FL. Co-digestion with more balanced nutrients and higher buffering capacity enriched Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes, and Synergistota, thereby facilitating the substrate degradation. Furthermore, the predominant acetoclastic methanogens, increased hydrogenotrophic methanogens, and decreased methylotrophic methanogens in the digester combined to prompt the synergy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
| | - Chuan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhou Y, Zhang J, Ye B, Tang M, You F, Li X, Yang Q, Wang D, Duan A, Liu J. Synergic effects of free ammonia and sodium percarbonate for enhancing short-chain fatty acid production during sludge fermentation: Effectiveness assessment and mechanism elucidation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 911:168796. [PMID: 38000738 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168796] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
The production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from waste activated sludge (WAS) via anaerobic fermentation is typically restricted by poor sludge decomposition capacity and low substrate-availability. Therefore, the free ammonia (FA)‑sodium percarbonate (SPC) technology was presented to successfully overcome the limitation while addressing unsatisfactory acidogenic fermentation pretreated with sole FA or SPC. It revealed that FA + SPC co-pretreatment could boost the SCFA concentration to 347.1 mg COD/g VSS at 180 mg/L FA and 0.15 g/g TSS SPC. In-depth studies demonstrated that FA + SPC pretreatment greatly improved sludge disintegration, biodegradability of substrates and acidification of hydrolysis products. Furthermore, FA + SPC co-pretreatment stimulated the activity of hydrolytic and acidogenic enzymes but inhibited methanogenic enzymes while changing the microbial structure and promoting the enrichment of fermentation microorganisms. The synergistic effect of FA and SPC in this work improves the yield of SCFAs from WAS and facilitates the study of WAS carbon resource recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yintong Zhou
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Jiamin Zhang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Boqun Ye
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Mengge Tang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Fengyuan You
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Xiaoming Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China.
| | - Qi Yang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Dongbo Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Abing Duan
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Junwu Liu
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Mining Site Pollution Remediation, Changsha 410082, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ćwiertniewicz-Wojciechowska M, Cema G, Ziembińska-Buczyńska A. Sewage sludge pretreatment: current status and future prospects. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:88313-88330. [PMID: 37453013 PMCID: PMC10412499 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28613-7] [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: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Sewage sludge is regarded by wastewater treatment plants as problematic, from a financial and managerial point of view. Thus, a variety of disposal routes are used, but the most popular is methane fermentation. The proportion of macromolecular compounds in sewage sludges varies, and substrates treated in methane fermentation provide different amounts of biogas with various quality and quantity. Depending on the equipment and financial capabilities for methane fermentation, different methods of sewage sludge pretreatment are available. This review presents the challenges associated with the recalcitrant structure of sewage sludge and the presence of process inhibitors. We also examined the diverse methods of sewage sludge pretreatment that increase methane yield. Moreover, in the field of biological sewage sludge treatment, three future study propositions are proposed: improved pretreatment of sewage sludge using biological methods, assess the changes in microbial consortia caused with pretreatment methods, and verification of microbial impact on biomass degradation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Grzegorz Cema
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 2A, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Fu Q, Long S, Xu Y, Wang Y, Yang B, He D, Li X, Liu X, Lu Q, Wang D. Revealing an unrecognized role of free ammonia in sulfur transformation during sludge anaerobic treatment. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 452:131305. [PMID: 37002999 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131305] [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: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Free ammonia (FA), the unionized form of ammonium, is presented in anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge (WAS) at high levels. However, its potential role in sulfur transformation, especially H2S production, during WAS anaerobic fermentation process was unrecognized previously. This work aims to unveil how FA affects anaerobic sulfur transformation in WAS anaerobic fermentation. It was found that FA significantly inhibited H2S production. With an increase of FA from 0.04 to 159 mg/L, H2S production reduced by 69.9%. FA firstly attacked tyrosine-like proteins and aromatic-like proteins in sludge EPSs, with CO groups being responded first, which decreased the percentage of α-helix/(β-sheet + random coil) and destroyed hydrogen bonding networks. Cell membrane potential and physiological status analysis showed that FA destroyed membrane integrity and increased the ratio of apoptotic and necrotic cells. These destroyed sludge EPSs structure and caused cell lysis, thus strongly inhibited the activities of hydrolytic microorganisms and sulfate reducing bacteria. Microbial analysis showed that FA reduced the abundance of functional microbes (e.g., Desulfobulbus and Desulfovibrio) and genes (e.g., MPST, CysP, and CysN) involved in organic sulfur hydrolysis and inorganic sulfate reduction. These findings unveil an actually existed but previously overlooked contributor to H2S inhibition in WAS anaerobic fermentation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qizi Fu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Sha Long
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Yunhao Xu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Yan Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Bentao Yang
- Zhongye Changtian International Engineering Co., Ltd., Changsha 410205, PR China
| | - Dandan He
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Xuemei Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Xuran Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Qi Lu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Dongbo Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Han Z, Shao B, Lei L, Pang R, Wu D, Tai J, Xie B, Su Y. The role of pretreatments in handling antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic sludge digestion - A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 869:161799. [PMID: 36709893 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161799] [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: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Sludge is among the most important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which would cause potential environmental risks with the sludge utilization. Currently, anaerobic digestion (AD) is effective to simultaneously realize the resource recovery and pollutants removal, including antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and various pretreatments are used to enhance the performance. Recently, plentiful publications have focused on the effects of pretreatment on ARGs removal, but the contradictory results are often obtained, and a comprehensive understanding of the research progress and mechanisms is essential. This study summarizes various pretreatment techniques for improving AD efficiency and ARGs reduction, investigates promising performance in ARGs removal when pretreatments combined with AD, and analyzes the potential mechanisms accounting for ARGs fates. The results showed that although thermal hydrolysis pretreatment showed the best performance in ARGs reduction during the pretreatment process, the significant rebound of ARGs would occur in the subsequent AD process. Conversely, ozone pretreatment and alkali pretreatment had no significant effect on ARGs abundance in the pretreatment stage, but could enhance ARGs removal by 15.6-24.3 % in the subsequent AD. Considering the efficiency and economic effectiveness, free nitrous acid pretreatment would be a promising and feasible option, which could enhance methane yield and ARGs removal by up to 27 % and 74.5 %, respectively. Currently, the factors determining ARGs fates during pretreatment and AD processes included the shift of microbial community, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and environmental factors. A comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the fate of ARGs and pretreatment technologies could be helpful for systematically evaluating various pretreatments and facilitating the development of emerging and effective pretreatment techniques. Moreover, given the effectiveness, economic efficiency and environmental safety, we called for the applications of modern analysis approaches such as metagenomic and machine learning on the optimization of pretreatment conditions and revealing underlying mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhibang Han
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Boqun Shao
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Lang Lei
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Ruirui Pang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Dong Wu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics & Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jun Tai
- Shanghai Environmental Sanitation Engineering Design Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200232, China
| | - Bing Xie
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics & Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yinglong Su
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics & Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Precision Optics, Chongqing Institute of East China Normal University, Chongqing 401120, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Yue X, Liu H, Wei H, Chang L, Gong Z, Zheng L, Yin F. Reactive and microbial inhibitory mechanisms depicting the panoramic view of pH stress effect on common biological nitrification. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 231:119660. [PMID: 36716566 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.119660] [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: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
pH is a crucial factor of microbial nitrification, which often combines with high-strength ammonium to influence nitrogen removal pathway in wastewater treatment. However, the detailed inhibitory mechanisms of pH stress are not sufficiently disclosed yet. In this study, the pH stress effect on nitrification was comprehensively studied by a set of experiments which identified the reactivity of nitrification processes and activity of nitrifiers, the time dependence of inhibition effect and the hybrid pH stress effect with ammonium. The results revealed two distinct inhibitory mechanisms dominating in alkaline and acid ranges. In alkaline range (pH > 8), pH stress causes physiological damages on microorganisms which is named as microbial inhibition. It has the features of less recoverability of nitrifiers, time-dependent inhibition effect and low pH-tolerance of nitrite oxidation bacteria. Free ammonia enhanced microbial inhibition and greatly promoted nitrite accumulation. A novel reactive inhibition mechanism dominated in acid range (pH < 7) was disclosed. It only impedes ammonia oxidation process (AOP) but not impair microbial activity obviously and the effect is time-independent. The mechanism was clarified from H+ transport because AOP involved H+ production. The H+ transport was impeded under acid stress owing to the decrease of pH gradient across cell membrane. The two mechanisms formed a panoramic view of pH stress effect on nitrification advancing the understanding of nitrifier adaptability and nitritation regulation in wastewater treatment processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuehai Yue
- Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China
| | - Hong Liu
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Haotian Wei
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Lin Chang
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Zhengjun Gong
- Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China
| | - Lei Zheng
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Fengjun Yin
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Guo H, Tian L, Wang Y, Zheng K, Hou J, Zhao Y, Zhu T, Liu Y. Enhanced anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge with periodate-based pretreatment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY 2023; 13:100208. [PMID: 36388632 PMCID: PMC9640319 DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2022.100208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The potential of periodate (PI) in sludge anaerobic digestion is not tapped, although it has recently attracted great research interest in organic contaminants removal and pathogens inactivation in wastewater treatment. This is the first work to demonstrate significant improvement in methane generation from waste activated sludge (WAS) with PI pretreatment and to provide underlying mechanisms. Biochemical methane potential tests indicated that methane yield enhanced from 100.2 to 146.3 L per kg VS (VS, volatile solids) with PI dosages from 0 to 100 mg per g TS (TS, total solids). Electron spin resonance showed PI could be activated without extra activator addition, which might be attributed to the native transition metals (e.g., Fe2+) in WAS, thereby generating hydroxyl radical (•OH), superoxide radicals (•O2 -), and singlet oxygen (1O2). Further scavenging tests demonstrated all of them synergistically promoted WAS disintegration, and their contributions were in the order of •O2 - > •OH > 1O2, leading to the release of substantial biodegradable substances (i.e., proteins and polysaccharides) into the liquid phase for subsequent biotransformation. Moreover, fluorescence and ultraviolet spectroscopy analyses indicated the recalcitrant organics (especially lignocellulose and humus) could be degraded by reducing their aromaticity under oxidative stress of PI, thus readily for methanogenesis. Microbial community analysis revealed some microorganisms participating in hydrolysis, acidogenesis, and acetoclastic methanogenesis were enriched after PI pretreatment. The improved key enzyme activities and up-regulated metabolic pathways further provided direct evidence for enhanced methane production. This research was expected to broaden the application scope of PI and provide more diverse pretreatment choices for energy recovery through anaerobic digestion.
Collapse
|
12
|
Liu H, Li X, Zhang Z, Nghiem LD, Wang Q. Urine pretreatment significantly promotes methane production in anaerobic waste activated sludge digestion. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 853:158684. [PMID: 36096217 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158684] [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: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Methane production of waste activated sludge (WAS) in anaerobic digestion is hindered due to the rate-limited hydrolysis process and the low methane potential of WAS. Pretreatment of WAS is a common and appealing strategy to improve methane production in anaerobic digestion. In this study, we proposed to use urine, an easily obtained human waste with high ammonium concentration and pH, as a novel pretreatment strategy for anaerobic WAS digestion. Urine pretreatment at levels of 5-30 % (Vurine/Vurine+WAS) could substantially enhance methane production by 5-35 % in biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests, with the highest methane production of 179.6 ± 3.3 mL/g volatile solids (VS) achieved under the highest level of urine (i.e. 30 % urine addition). Based on the model analysis, the biochemical methane potential (B0) and hydrolysis rate of WAS (k) rose from 131.9 mL/g VS and 0.19 d-1 in the control without pretreatment to 136.3-178.2 mL/g VS and 0.22-0.30 d-1, respectively, after the urine pretreatment (5-30 % addition). Urine pretreatment with 5-30 % addition also improved the degradation extent (Y) of WAS by 3-35 %. The promising results indicate that urine pretreatment in anaerobic digestion is a promising technology to improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion with environmental and economic benefits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huan Liu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Xuan Li
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Zehao Zhang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Long D Nghiem
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Qilin Wang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Varma SK, Singh R. SRB-based bioelectrochemical system: A potential multipollutant combatant for enhanced landfill waste stabilization. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 154:1-14. [PMID: 36202043 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2022.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Due to the lower proportion of organic matter and higher toxicity of the aged landfill, most of the advanced treatment technologies are not effective from economic, environmental, and social perspectives. This study evaluates the potential of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) based bioelectrochemical-system (BES) in the decontamination of landfill wastes by reducing GHGs emissions and levels of soluble pollutants. The landfill waste (solid/leachate) collected from the Pirana Landfill site was assessed for economical long-term treatment and scaling up the feasibility of the designed system. The present system demonstrated significant improvement in volumetric hydrogen production of 3.1:1 (H2:CH4) by suppressing methanogenesis with a significant reduction in heavy metals concentration and other organic components. Despite being amended with 0.1 N ammonia, the treated leachate level of NO3 (2.350 ± 1.077 mg/L) was reduced by 5.3 times, hence reducing further groundwater pollution from landfill leaching. The BES-treated solid waste was more stabilized as shown by a fivefold increase in surface area and can be potentially applied for leachate immobilization and bio-fortification of agricultural fields. The vector arrangement and magnitude with differences in magnitudes for both leachate and solid waste supported the on-site applicability of BES treatment. Concerning the affinity in various treatment systems, the dendrogram clearly showed Ca and Fe placed far from each other (3506.08), in comparison to Fe and Mg (1186.6), followed by Fe and Cu (1544.6). Voltammograms proved the efficacy of the enriched electrochemically active bacteria (EAB), to support the treatment of landfill solid waste and leachate sustainably.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sushma K Varma
- School of Environment & Sustainable Development, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Rajesh Singh
- School of Environment & Sustainable Development, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Rajesh Banu J, Gunasekaran M, Kumar V, Bhatia SK, Kumar G. Enhanced biohydrogen generation through calcium peroxide engendered efficient ultrasonic disintegration of waste activated sludge in low temperature environment. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 365:128164. [PMID: 36283675 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Waste activated sludge is a renewable source for biohydrogen production, whereas the presence of complex biopolymers limits the hydrolysis step during this process, and thus pretreatment is required to disintegrate the sludge biomass. In this study, the feasibility of utilizing waste activated sludge to produce biohydrogen by improving the solubilization by means of thermo CaO2 engendered sonication disintegration (TCP-US) was studied. The optimized condition for extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) dissociation was obtained at the CaO2 dosage of 0.05 g/g SS at 70 °C. The maximum disintegration after EPS removal was achieved at the sonic specific energy input of 1612.8 kJ/kg TS with the maximum solubilization and SS reduction of 23.7% and 18.14%, respectively, which was higher than the US alone pretreatment. Thus, this solubilization yields higher biohydrogen production of 114.3 mLH2/gCOD in TCP-US sample.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Rajesh Banu
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Neelakudi, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu 610005, India
| | - M Gunasekaran
- Department of Physics, Anna University Regional Campus Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu 627007 India
| | - Vinod Kumar
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, United Kingdom
| | - Shashi Kant Bhatia
- Department of Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Gopalakrishnan Kumar
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Tian L, Guo H, Wang Y, Hou J, Zhu T, Tong Y, Sun P, Liu Y. Unveiling the Mechanism of Urine Source Separation-Derived Pretreatment on Enhancing Short-Chain Fatty Acid Yields from Anaerobic Fermentation of Waste Activated Sludge. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:16178-16188. [PMID: 36318116 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
A novel strategy employing urine wastewater derived from source separation technology, to pretreat waste activated sludge (WAS) for promoting yields of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), has been proposed in this study. It was found experimentally that SCFA production could ascend up to 305.4 mg COD/g VSS (volatile suspended solids) with a urine volumetric proportion of 1:2 to the whole reaction system, being 8.8 times that produced in the control. Exploration of the mechanism indicated that WAS disintegration was significantly enhanced due to the synergistic effect of urea and free ammonia (FA). Degradation rates of model organic substrates and measurements of critical enzymatic activities demonstrated that hydrolysis and acidogenesis were inhibited under high urine content (urine proportion of 1:2), while not significantly affected under low urine content (i.e., 1:4), which might be attributed to metal ions existing in urine wastes alleviating the inhibition induced by FA. In contrast, methanogenesis was negatively suppressed by any urine concentration owing to its higher sensitivity to the environmental variations. Shift of microbial population further elucidated the abundance of hydrolytic and acidogenic microbes were enriched in the fermenters with urine addition. The findings provide a new thought for recovering resources from wastes, potentially reducing the pressure of sewage and sludge treatment in wastewater treatment plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Tian
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, P. R. China
| | - Haixiao Guo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, P. R. China
| | - Yufen Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, P. R. China
| | - Jiaqi Hou
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, P. R. China
| | - Tingting Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, P. R. China
| | - Yindong Tong
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, P. R. China
| | - Peizhe Sun
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, P. R. China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ren S, Yang P, Zhang F, Jiang H, Wang C, Li X, Zhang Q, Peng Y. Continuous plug-flow anammox system for mature landfill leachate treatment: Key zone for anammox pathway. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 363:127865. [PMID: 36049709 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study established the one-stage partial nitrification coupled anammox and partial denitrification coupled anammox process in an anoxic/oxic continuous plug-flow system and operated for 465 days to treat mature landfill leachate. 97.9 %-98.1 % of inorganic nitrogen was removed when the nitrogen loading rate was maintained at 0.33-0.36 kg N/m3/d, and a high anammox contribution to nitrogen removal (89.8 %-92.4 %) was achieved. The long-term in-situ free ammonia (FA) anoxic treatment contributed to the stable performances of partial nitrification and in-situ fermentation. The employed integrated fixed-film activated sludge technology favored the enrichment of hzsA, hzsB, hdh, amoA, hao, narG, and napA functional genes. The oxic zone, particularly oxic biofilm, was the key zone for anammox pathway, where Candidatus_Kuenenia (from 1.6 % to 8.3 %) with high tolerance to FA and salinity stress outcompeted Candidatus_Brocadia (from 18.3 % to 0.1 %) as the dominant anammox bacteria. This study could provide guidance for anammox-mediated landfill leachate treatment in practical projects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shang Ren
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Pei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China; Beijing Environmental Engineering Technology Co. Ltd., PR China
| | - Fangzhai Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Hao Jiang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Chuanxin Wang
- Guangdong Shouhui Lantian Engineering and Technology Co. Ltd., PR China
| | - Xiyao Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Qiong Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Yongzhen Peng
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Xu Q, Luo L, Li D, Johnravindar D, Varjani S, Wong JWC, Zhao J. Hydrochar prepared from digestate improves anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and sewage sludge: Performance, mechanisms, and implication. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 362:127765. [PMID: 35985463 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This work reported a new waste functionalization and utilization method, which use digestate to prepare hydrochar to improve methane production from food waste (FW) and sewage sludge (SS). Experimental results presented that 10 g/L hydrochar obtained the cumulative methane production of 133.11 ± 1.18 mL/g volatile solids added, 26.99 % higher than that without hydrochar addition. By monitoring the conversion of model metabolic intermediates, 10 g/L hydrochar was determined to favor hydrolysis, acidogenesis and methonogenesis bio-processes involved in methane production, thus improving the degradation of solubilized organics and consumption of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) during the co-digestion. Microbial investigation revealed that 10 g/L hydrochar enriched the microbes relevant to methane production (e.g., Methanosaeta and Syntrophomonas), but reduced the abundances of hydrolysis- and acidogenesis-related microbes (e.g., Acinetobacter). This hydrochar-based preparation and utilization strategy might offer a novel paradigm for waste-control-waste, bringing economic and environmental benefits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiuxiang Xu
- Institute of Bioresource and Agriculture, Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Liwen Luo
- Institute of Bioresource and Agriculture, Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Dongyi Li
- Institute of Bioresource and Agriculture, Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Davidraj Johnravindar
- Institute of Bioresource and Agriculture, Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Sunita Varjani
- Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382010, India
| | - Jonathan W C Wong
- Institute of Bioresource and Agriculture, Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Jun Zhao
- Institute of Bioresource and Agriculture, Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Xu Y, Liu R, Liu H, Geng H, Dai X. Novel anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge via isoelectric-point pretreatment: Ultra-short solids retention time and high methane yield. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 220:118657. [PMID: 35635912 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The prolonged reaction period and low methane yield have become a pivotal bottleneck in the anaerobic digestion (AD) of waste activated sludge (WAS), severely limiting its use in bioenergy. This study evaluated the long-term semi-continuous AD of WAS with isoelectric-point (pI) pretreatment in terms of the reaction period, methane yield, material resource recovery, and economic and environmental benefits. The experimental results show that after pI pretreatment, at the same solids retention time (SRT), the average methane yield and methane content in the biogas of WAS increased by 120.9% and 15.5%, respectively. The average methane yield from AD with pI pretreatment at a 5-day SRT was 1.6 times that of the AD without pI pretreatment at a 15-day SRT, indicating that pI pretreatment significantly (P < 0.001) increased the methane yield from the AD of WAS at different SRTs, even at an ultra-short SRT. Statistical analyses of the changes in the concentrations of soluble organic matter in the AD process with and without pI pretreatment confirmed that pI pretreatment enhanced the biochemical reactions related to the transformation of sludge organic matter during the whole AD process, but not the initial organic solubilisation and hydrolysis of the sludge. Furthermore, pI pretreatment recovered the NaHCO3, Na2S, and multivalent metals from the sludge, indicating that AD with pI pretreatment efficiently recovered both bioenergy and material resources from the sludge. Economic and environmental analyses of AD with and without pI pretreatment further indicated that with pI pretreatment, the annual economic benefit of AD increases by 162% and carbon emissions decreases by approximately 2.63 × 107 kg CO2/year compared with conventional AD. These findings serve as an important reference for the development of a novel AD technology for sludge that incorporates second-generation pretreatment and operates at an ultra-short SRT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Rui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Haoyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Hui Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiaohu Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Wei W, Shi X, Wu L, Liu X, Ni BJ. Calcium peroxide pre-treatment improved the anaerobic digestion of primary sludge and its co-digestion with waste activated sludge. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 828:154404. [PMID: 35271918 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Primary sludge (PS) and Waste activated sludge (WAS) as two main sludge streams in wastewater treatment plants are commonly anaerobically co-digested, which though may be differently affected by pretreatment. Previous work has found that calcium peroxide (CaO2) pretreatment effectively enhanced anaerobic digestion of WAS. However, the feasibilities of this strategy on PS anaerobic digestion and co-digestion of WAS and PS are still unclear. Herein, this work provided new insights into these systems. Biomethane potential test demonstrated that CaO2 pretreatment at 0.02-0.26 g/g-volatile suspended solids (VSS) promoted anaerobic digestion of PS. Then the feasibility of CaO2 pretreatment for improving anaerobic co-digestion of PS and WAS mixture was confirmed, with the highest improvement in methane production, VSS destruction and sludge reduction being approximately 37.4%, 38.9% and 19.9%, achieved at 0.14 g/g-VSS of CaO2. Process modelling analysis revealed that CaO2 pretreatment increased both degradable faction and actually degraded fraction in sludge mixture. The changes of sludge characteristics via pretreatment and key enzyme activity in sludge anaerobic co-digestion system demonstrated that increased CaO2 concentration resulted in increased soluble organics release from sludge mixture in the pretreatment stage and inhibited activity of coenzyme F420 responsible for methanogenesis. Further mechanism investigation disclosed that OH-, O2- and OH were main contribution factors, and the order of their contributions were OH- >O2- >OH. This work laid the theoretical foundation and provided guidance for the practical application of CaO2 pre-treatment technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Xingdong Shi
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Lan Wu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Wang Z, Zheng M, Duan H, Yuan Z, Hu S. A 20-Year Journey of Partial Nitritation and Anammox (PN/A): from Sidestream toward Mainstream. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:7522-7531. [PMID: 35657148 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c06107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) was discovered as a new microbial reaction in the late 1990s, which led to the development of an innovative energy- and carbon-efficient technology─partial nitritation and anammox (PN/A)─for nitrogen removal. PN/A was first applied to remove the nitrogen from high-strength wastewaters, e.g., anaerobic digestion liquor (i.e., sidestream), and further expanded to the main line of wastewater treatment plants (i.e., mainstream). While sidestream PN/A has been well-established with extensive full-scale installations worldwide, practical application of PN/A in mainstream treatment has been proven extremely challenging to date. A key challenge is achieving stable suppression of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). This study examines the progress of NOB suppression in both sidestream- and mainstream PN/A over the past two decades. The successful NOB suppression in sidestream PN/A was reviewed, and these successes were evaluated in terms of their transferability into mainstream PN/A. Drawing on the learning over the past decades, we anticipate that a hybrid process, comprised of biofilm and floccular sludge, bears great potential to achieve efficient mainstream PN/A, while a combination of strategies is entailed for stable NOB suppression. Furthermore, the recent discovery of novel nitrifiers would trigger new opportunities and new challenges for mainstream PN/A.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyao Wang
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Min Zheng
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Haoran Duan
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Shihu Hu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Tian L, Guo H, Wang Y, Su Z, Zhu T, Liu Y. Insights into Fe(Ⅱ)-sulfite-based pretreatment strategy for enhancing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production from waste activated sludge: Performance and mechanism. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 353:127143. [PMID: 35427734 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
This paper proposed a concept of "co-treating" waste activated sludge (WAS) with waste-derived sulfite and environmentally-friendly ferrous iron. The maximal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production from WAS anaerobic fermentation ascended by 27.1 times after pretreated by Fe(Ⅱ) activated sulfite with a sulfite dosage of 500 mg S/L and a Fe(Ⅱ)/sulfite ratio of 1.25. Mechanism explorations elucidated that the production of SO4·- and ·OH induced by Fe(Ⅱ)-activated sulfite-auto-oxidation remarkably promoted the disintegration of WAS and the biodegradability of dissolved organic matter, leading to enrichment of substances available for SCFAs-producing microbes. Besides, activities of hydrolytic and acidogenic enzymes were stimulated, while enzymes related to SCFAs consumption were inhibited severely. Further microbial community investigation confirmed that the abundances of hydrolytic microorganisms and acidogens were enriched. In addition, sludge dewaterability and vivianite production was enhanced after Fe(Ⅱ)-sulfite pretreated WAS fermentation, thereby benefiting the subsequent sludge disposal and resource recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Tian
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Haixiao Guo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Yufen Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Zhongxian Su
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Tingting Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
The effects of sulfite pretreatment on the biodegradability and solubilization of primary sludge: Biochemical methane potential, kinetics, and potential implications. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.121439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
23
|
Granular Natural Zeolites: Cost-Effective Adsorbents for the Removal of Ammonium from Drinking Water. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14060939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Increasing food demand has resulted in an ever increasing demand for nitrogen fertilizers. Ammonium is the main constituent of these fertilizers and is a threat to aquatic environments around the world. With a focus on the treatment of drinking water, the scope of this study was to investigate the influence of key parameters on the suitability of granular natural zeolites as adsorbents for ammonium. Sorption experiments were performed in artificial matrices by varying the grain size, contact time, ammonium concentration, pH, content of competing ions, and regeneration solutions used. Additionally, natural matrices and the point of zero charge (pzc) were investigated. With an initial ammonium concentration of 10 mgN/L, the grain size was shown to have no significant effect on the sorption efficiency (97–98%). The experimental data obtained was best described by the Langmuir adsorption model (R2 = 0.99). Minor effects on sorption were observed at different pH values and in the presence of competing anions. In addition, the pHPZC was determined to be between pH 6.24 and pH 6.47. Potassium ions were shown to be better than sodium ions for the regeneration of previously loaded zeolites, potassium is also the main competitor to ammonium sorption. The use of tap, bank filtrate, river, and groundwater matrices decreased the ammonium sorption capacity of granular natural zeolites by up to 8%. Based on our results, granular natural zeolites are promising cost-effective adsorbents for drinking water treatment, especially in threshold and developing countries.
Collapse
|
24
|
Wang Y, Wei W, Dai X, Ni BJ. Corncob ash boosts fermentative hydrogen production from waste activated sludge. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:151064. [PMID: 34673056 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
With the increasing demand for sustainable development, the recycling and utilization of wastes has received widespread attention. This study proposed a green method of using one waste, corncob ash, to boost microbial the production of hydrogen from another waste, waste activated sludge, during anaerobic fermentation. The corncob ash dosage and the fermentative hydrogen production was positively correlated, and the maximum production of hydrogen reached up to 46.8 ± 1.0 mL/g VS, which was about 3.5 times that of the control group without corncob ash dosage (17.0 ± 0.9 mL/g VS). Mechanistic studies found that corncob ash was beneficial to the solubilization, hydrolysis and acetogenesis processes involved in fermentative hydrogen production process. The microbial community analysis indicated that corncob ash enriched more hydrolytic microorganisms (e.g., Bacteroides sp. and Leptolinea sp.), and has less impact on acidifying microorganisms, compared to the control group. The strategy of using corncob ash to boost the production of hydrogen during anaerobic waste activated sludge fermentation proposed in this study might provide a new waste-control-waste paradigm, making sludge disposal and wastewater treatment more sustainable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Wei Wei
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Xiaohu Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Zhang Z, Li X, Liu H, Zamyadi A, Guo W, Wen H, Gao L, Nghiem LD, Wang Q. Advancements in detection and removal of antibiotic resistance genes in sludge digestion: A state-of-art review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 344:126197. [PMID: 34710608 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Sludge from wastewater treatment plants can act as a repository and crucial environmental provider of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Over the past few years, people's knowledge regarding the occurrence and removal of ARGs in sludge has broadened remarkably with advancements in molecular biological techniques. Anaerobic and aerobic digestion were found to effectively achieve sludge reduction and ARGs removal. This review summarized advanced detection and removal techniques of ARGs, in the last decade, in the sludge digestion field. The fate of ARGs due to different sludge digestion strategies (i.e., anaerobic and aerobic digestion under mesophilic or thermophilic conditions, and in combination with relevant pretreatment technologies (e.g., thermal hydrolysis pretreatment, microwave pretreatment and alkaline pretreatment) and additives (e.g., ferric chloride and zero-valent iron) were systematically summarized and compared in this review. To date, this is the first review that provides a comprehensive assessment of the state-of-the-art technologies and future recommendations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zehao Zhang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Xuan Li
- School of Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Australia.
| | - Huan Liu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Arash Zamyadi
- Water Research Australia Limited, Melbourne & Adelaide SA 5001, Australia
| | - Wenshan Guo
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Haiting Wen
- School of Environment and Nature Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, PR China
| | - Li Gao
- South East Water, 101 Wells Street, Frankston, VIC 3199, Australia
| | - Long D Nghiem
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Qilin Wang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Wang Y, Zheng K, Guo H, Tong Y, Zhu T, Liu Y. Unveiling the mechanisms of how vivianite affects anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 343:126045. [PMID: 34592460 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126045] [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: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Recently, phosphorus recovery as vivianite from sludge digestion system has attracted increasing attention because of its high recovery efficiency and economic value. However, the potential impact of vivianite on anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge remains largely unknown. This study therefore aims to provide such support. Experimental results revealed that the maximal methane yield decreased from 103.55 to 76.55 mL/g volatile solids, with the vivianite level increasing from 0 to 500 mg P/L. Mechanism explorations showed that vivianite caused more substrates remaining in tightly-bound extracellular polymeric substances, and thus suppressed sludge solubilization. In addition, it was observed that hydrolysis, acidiogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis bio-processes were all inhibited by vivianite. Microbial analysis revealed that vivianite significantly decreased the relative abundances of hydrolytic microbes, acidogens and methanogens. Further investigation showed that vivianite benefited sludge agglomeration and can enhance the mass transfer resistance of anaerobic digestion, further supporting the inhibitions on anaerobic digestion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yufen Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Kaixin Zheng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Haixiao Guo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yindong Tong
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Tingting Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Guo H, Wang Y, Tian L, Wei W, Zhu T, Liu Y. Insight into the enhancing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production from waste activated sludge via polyoxometalates pretreatment: Mechanisms and implications. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 800:149392. [PMID: 34388643 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Polyoxometalates (POMs), a versatile and environmentally-friendly inorganic material, have been extensively studied and applied in chemical catalytic oxidation and biological nutrients removal processes. However, little is known about effects of POMs pretreatment on anaerobic sludge fermentation. This study thereby filled such knowledge gap and provided insights into the underlying mechanisms. Results demonstrated the maximal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production increased by 6.18 times with POMs rising from 0 to 0.05 g/g TSS. Mechanistic investigations revealed that the oxidation stress of POMs as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) activated by POMs were responsible for the disintegration of waste activated sludge (WAS). More importantly, POMs pretreatment improved the biodegradability of organics released, providing more biodegradable substrates for SCFAs generation. Furthermore, the inhibition of POMs to SCFAs producers was less severe than that to SCFAs consumers, leading to SCFAs accumulation. Microbial community analysis exhibited that increased the population of hydrolysis (i.e., Longilinea) and SCFAs generation microbes (i.e., Acinetobacter and Fusibacter). Further evaluation showed that the POMs-based technology is economically and environmentally attractive for the pretreatment of WAS. Finally, a "closed-loop" concept of the reutilization of renewable POMs may provide an important implication of WAS management in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haixiao Guo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Yufen Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Lixin Tian
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Wei Wei
- School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, P. R. China
| | - Tingting Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Guo H, Wang Y, Tian L, Wei W, Zhu T, Liu Y. Unveiling the mechanisms of a novel polyoxometalates (POMs)-based pretreatment technology for enhancing methane production from waste activated sludge. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 342:125934. [PMID: 34536839 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
This study proposed a novel polyoxometalates (POMs)-based pretreatment technology to improve methane production from waste activated sludge (WAS) for the first time. Experimental results indicated methane production from WAS pretreated with 0.25 g POMs/g TSS increased by 43.7%. Mechanism analysis revealed POMs pretreatment promoted WAS disintegration and improved the biodegradability of the released organics. The declined oxidation-reduction potential of digestion system provided a more favorable situation for anaerobes, and hence had positive impacts on the activity of enzymes associated with hydrolysis/acidification/methanogenesis. Model-based analysis elucidated POMs pretreatment remarkably increased both biochemical methane potential and hydrolysis rate. Microbial community analysis showed microbial community was shifted toward increase hydrolytic and acidification-associated microbes and enriched the abundance of Methanosaeta sp. This work is expected to develop an innovative technology that will simultaneously enhance energy production from WAS in the sludge treatment line and improve biological nutrient removal in the wastewater treatment line of WWTPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haixiao Guo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yufen Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Lixin Tian
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Wei Wei
- School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Tingting Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
He H, Xin X, Qiu W, Li D, Liu Z, Ma J. Waste sludge disintegration, methanogenesis and final disposal via various pretreatments: Comparison of performance and effectiveness. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 8:100132. [PMID: 36156996 PMCID: PMC9488032 DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2021.100132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This study compared the three wastewater pretreatments of ozonation, Fe2+-S2O8 2- and freeze-thawing (F/T) in the disintegration, anaerobic digestion (AD) and final disposal of the sludge. The F/T pretreatment increased the dewaterability and settleability of the sludge by 7.8% and 47.1%, respectively. The ozonation pretreatment formed more volatile fatty acids (VFAs), with a peak value of 320.82 mg SCOD/L and controlled the release of sulfides. The Fe2+-S2O8 2- pretreatment removed heavy metals through the absorption and flocculation of ferric particles formed in-situ. During the anaerobic digestion of the sludge, the ozonation pretreatment accelerated the hydrolysis rate (k) rather than the biochemical methane potential (B0) of the sludge due to the high VFA content in the supernatant. Comparatively, the F/T pretreatment facilitated the B0 with great economic efficiency by enhancing the solubilisation of the sludge. Although Fe2+-S2O8 2- pretreatment decreased the methane production, the ferric particle was a unique advantage in the disintegration and harmless disposal of the sludge. The digested sludge had more VFAs after ozonation pretreatment, which contributed to the recycling of carbon. In addition, the lower sludge volume could save the expense of transportation and disposal by ozonation pretreatment. Different pretreatments had different characteristics. The comparative study provided information allowing the selection of the type of pretreatment to achieve different objectives of the treatment and disposal of sludge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang He
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Xiaodong Xin
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, China
| | - Wei Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Dong Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Zhicen Liu
- School of Geosciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JU, UK
| | - Jun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
- Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Liu F, Hu X, Zhao X, Gao Y. Effect of carrier particle size on enrichment and shift in nitrifier community behaviors for treating increased strength wastewater. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2021; 93:1959-1968. [PMID: 33797157 DOI: 10.1002/wer.1567] [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: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In activated sludge systems, adding carriers can improve nitrifier enrichment. Different attachment area induced by different particle sizes of carriers may result in different nitrifier community. This research investigated the effect of different particle sizes of coal ash on nitrifier enrichment treating increased strength wastewater. Results indicated efficient nitrifying coal ash was obtained with smaller coal ash. The ammonia removal rates reached over 98%, which outclassed that in negative control (63.28%), and no nitrite accumulated in these systems under high nitrogen concentration of 1123.35 mg N/L. The high-throughput sequencing assays indicated carriers changed the microbial community structure significantly, thus facilitated the nitrification capacity. Increase abundance of nitrifier has a negative correlation with particle size of carriers. Nitrosomonas became the biggest beneficiary, which maximum composed 50.29% in fillers system and only 13.69% in negative control, whereas the number of Nitrobacter (less than 3.04%) became much lower than ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). However, the shift of microbial structures, large number of Dokdonella for instance, may guarantee the complete nitrification in systems with smaller carriers. Batch experiments showed a high dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration (4 mg/L) and slightly alkaline condition (pH 8.0) had a positive effect on nitrifying coal ash. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The increase size of nitrifier has a negative correlation with particle size of coal ash. The smaller coal ash reduces the adverse effect of high nitrogen on nitrification. The ammonia removal rate reached 99.82% with influent of 1123.35 mg NH 4 + - N /L in the smallest carriers system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Resource & Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaomin Hu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Resource & Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Resource & Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yong Gao
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Wu SL, Wei W, Ni BJ. Enhanced methane production from anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge through preliminary pretreatment using calcium hypochlorite. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 295:113346. [PMID: 34348434 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Methane recovery from waste activated sludge (WAS) through anaerobic digestion is generally restricted by the poor degradability of WAS. Herein, a novel sludge pretreatment technology by using the calcium hypochlorite (Ca(ClO)2) in enhancing the methane production from WAS anaerobic digestion was reported. The solubilization of WAS was significantly increased after 10-240 mg Ca(ClO)2/g VS (VS: volatile solids) pretreatment for 48 h, under which the solubilization was 1.7-3.4 folds (i.e., 0.17-0.34 mg SCOD/mg VS; SCOD: soluble chemical oxygen demand) higher than that without Ca(ClO)2 pretreatment (i.e., 0.1 mg SCOD/mg VS). Correspondingly, the methane production was increased from 250.0 ± 5.3 mL/g VS to 385.1 ± 3.3 mL/g VS with the doses of Ca(ClO)2 increasing from 10 mg/g VS to 240 mg/g VS, resulted in an increasing methane production of 3.6%-59.7% than that without Ca(ClO)2 pretreatment. The microbial community composition results exhibited that the populations of key acidogens (e.g., Longilinea sp.) and methanogens (e.g., Methanosaeta sp.) were both reduced significantly. Moreover, Ca(ClO)2 decreased the cells viability, leading to a 76.2% reduction of living cells fraction. Accordingly, it was further confirmed that high dosage of Ca(ClO)2 could inhibit three microbial-related processes relevant to methane production, i.e., acidification, hydrolysis and methanogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Lin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Wei Wei
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Liu H, Li X, Zhang Z, Nghiem LD, Gao L, Wang Q. Semi-continuous anaerobic digestion of secondary sludge with free ammonia pretreatment: Focusing on volatile solids destruction, dewaterability, pathogen removal and its implications. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 202:117481. [PMID: 34358904 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Our previous work has reported the pretreatment of secondary sludge with free ammonia (NH3, FA) enhanced the methane production in batch biochemical methane potential tests. However, the batch biochemical methane potential test could only provide conservative results compared to continuous/semi-continuous anaerobic digestion. Also, the impacts of FA pretreatment on the key anaerobic digestion parameters, including volatile solids (VS) destruction, sludge dewaterability and pathogen removal, are still unknown. This study for the first time investigated these impacts using semi-continuous anaerobic digestion systems for 130 days. Pretreatment of secondary sludge for 24 h at an FA concentration of 560 mg NH3-N/L improved VS destruction by 26.4% (from 22.0 to 27.8%), supported by a similar increase of 28.6% in methane production (from 126.7 to 162.9 ml CH4/g VSfed). Model based analysis revealed that FA pretreatment improved the sludge degradability extent, which may be the reason for the enhanced VS destruction. Equally importantly, the dewaterability of the digested sludge with FA pretreatment was also enhanced by 9.2% (from 12.0 to 13.1% in solids content of the dewatered digested sludge), which could be partly attributed to the increased zeta potential from -16.7 to -14.5 mV. Anaerobic digestion with FA pretreatment enhanced the removals of Fecal Coliform and E. Coli by 1.3 and 1.4 log MPN/g TS (MPN: Most Probable Number; TS: Total Solids), indicating FA pretreatment was effective in enhancing pathogen removal. With inorganic solids representing 21% of the sludge used, the volume of dewatered sludge to be disposed of was reduced by 14.5% via FA pretreatment. This will substantially decrease the cost as evaluated by economic analysis. In brief, this study provides a promising strategy to enhance sludge reduction in anaerobic digestion and is of great significance in promoting the application of FA pretreatment strategy in the real world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huan Liu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Xuan Li
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Zehao Zhang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Long D Nghiem
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Li Gao
- South East Water, 101 Wells Street, Frankston, VIC 3199, Australia
| | - Qilin Wang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Zhang Z, Li X, Liu H, Gao L, Wang Q. Free ammonia pretreatment enhances the removal of antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic sludge digestion. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 279:130910. [PMID: 34134439 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Sludge has been recognized as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the wastewater treatment plants. Our previous study has demonstrated that free ammonia (FA, i.e., NH3-N) pretreatment is an effective method for enhancing anaerobic digestion of sludge. However, the effects of FA pretreatment on the removal of ARGs in the anaerobic sludge digestion is still unknown. In this study, several ARGs representing various antibiotic classes and integrase gene (intI1) which is crucial for horizontal transfer of ARGs were chosen. This study demonstrated that combined FA pretreatment (420 mg NH3-N/L for 24 h, under which the highest anaerobic sludge biodegradability was achieved in our previous study) and anaerobic digestion could enhance the removal of aac(6')-Ib-cr, blaTEM, sul2, tetA, tetB and tetX from sludge by 17-74% compared with anaerobic digestion without FA pretreatment, resulting in a lower ARGs abundance in the anaerobically digested sludge. This is caused by the removal of tested ARGs during FA pretreatment and the reduced abundance of potential microbial hosts of ARGs due to FA pretreatment during anaerobic digestion. The removal of IntI1 was not significantly affected by FA pretreatment and intI1 did not play a large role in the fate of the tested ARGs in this study. This study indicated that FA pretreatment for anaerobic digestion could potentially reduce the spread of ARGs from the sludge to the natural environment during sludge disposal or reuse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zehao Zhang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Xuan Li
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Huan Liu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Li Gao
- South East Water, 101 Wells Street, Frankston, VIC, 3199, Australia
| | - Qilin Wang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Yu D, Wang T, Liang Y, Liu J, Zheng J, Chen M, Wei Y. Delivery and effects of proton pump inhibitor on anaerobic digestion of food and kitchen waste under ammonia stress. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 416:126211. [PMID: 34492971 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia stress changes microbial metabolism of anaerobic digestion and decreases methane yield, where proton pump overactivated by free ammonia suggested to be the centre of the metabolism changes in anaerobic digestion under ammonia stress. The work demonstrated that proton pump inhibitor (PPI) could alleviate the overactivated proton pump and mitigate ammonia inhibition. Its impacts on iron transporter, substrates uptake, and energy conservation were investigated in anaerobic digestion treating food and kitchen waste. The PPI formed a stimuli-responsive drug delivery system driven by pH for the more inhibited microbe (p < 0.01), confirmed by FE-SEM/EDS and high throughput sequencing, implying the PPI was activated at inhibited microbe more than mixed liquor. Consistent microbial population increase observed in syntrophs and methanogens, who utilized the substrates for high yielding pathway and facilitated the energy sharing by direct interspecies electron transfer. These results demonstrated PPI could recovery methane production and could mitigate fatty-acid accumulation under high ammonia stress by delivery and activation in acetoclastic methanogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Yu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Laboratory of Water Pollution Control Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; BIOMATH, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Tuo Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Laboratory of Water Pollution Control Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yushuai Liang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Laboratory of Water Pollution Control Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Jibao Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Laboratory of Water Pollution Control Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiaxi Zheng
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Laboratory of Water Pollution Control Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Meixue Chen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Laboratory of Water Pollution Control Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuansong Wei
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Laboratory of Water Pollution Control Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Zan F, Huang H, Guo G, Chen G. Sulfite pretreatment enhances the biodegradability of primary sludge and waste activated sludge towards cost-effective and carbon-neutral sludge treatment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 780:146634. [PMID: 33774306 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Sulfite pretreatment is effective for enhancing the biodegradability of waste activated sludge (WAS). However, the mixture of primary sludge (PS) and WAS is normally collected and treated together, and the effect of sulfite on the sludge mixture remains unclear. Here, we reported that sulfite pretreatment could disintegrate the flocs of the sludge mixture and improve sludge biodegradability. The substrate release from the sludge mixture after sulfite pretreatment (100, 300, and 500 mg SO32--S/L) could be enhanced with soluble chemical oxygen demand by up to 1.58 times, soluble nitrogen by up to 1.38 times, soluble polysaccharides by up to 3.04 times and proteins by up to 6.08 times. Further analysis on flocs structure suggests that sulfite may destruct the functional groups of proteins and amino acids and lyse the main structure of sludge cell walls. Moreover, methane production from the sludge mixture could be enhanced by 16% after pretreated by sulfite at 500 mg S/L (i.e., 123.59 CH4/kg VSadded), whereas the digested sludge volume could be reduced by 1.51 times. Environmental implications suggest that sulfite pretreatment could save sludge treatment costs by 1.06 $/PE/y and reduce CO2-equivalent emissions by 5.19 kg CO2/PE/y, demonstrating its potential as a cost-effective and carbon-neutral technology for sludge management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feixiang Zan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution (Hong Kong Branch) and Water Technology Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hao Huang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution (Hong Kong Branch) and Water Technology Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gang Guo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Guanghao Chen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution (Hong Kong Branch) and Water Technology Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
He D, Xiao J, Wang D, Liu X, Fu Q, Li Y, Du M, Yang Q, Liu Y, Wang Q, Ni BJ, Song K, Cai Z, Ye J, Yu H. Digestion liquid based alkaline pretreatment of waste activated sludge promotes methane production from anaerobic digestion. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 199:117198. [PMID: 33984590 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This work proved an efficient method to significantly increase methane production from anaerobic digestion of WAS. This method is to reflux proper of digestion liquid into waste activated sludge pretreatment unit (pH 9.5 for 24 h). The yield of maximum methane improved between 174.2 ± 7.3 and 282.5 ± 14.1 mL/g VSS with the reflux ratio of digestion liquid increasing from 0% to 20%. It was observed that the biodegradable organics in the digestion liquid did not affect the biological processes related to anaerobic digestion but increased methane production through reutilization. The ammonium in the digestion liquid was the main contributor to the increase in methane production via promoting sludge solubilization, but refractory organics were the major inhibitors to anaerobic digestion. It should be emphasized that the metal ions present in the digestion liquid were beneficial rather than harmful to the biological processes in the anaerobic digestion, which may be connected with the fact that certain metal ions were involved in the expression and activation of key enzymes. In addition, it was found that anaerobes in digestion liquid were another potential contributor to the enhanced anaerobic digestion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dandan He
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Jun Xiao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Dongbo Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China.
| | - Xuran Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Qizi Fu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Yifu Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Mingting Du
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Qi Yang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Qilin Wang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Kang Song
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Zhe Cai
- Hunan Qing Zhi Yuan Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd, Changsha 410004, PR China
| | - Jun Ye
- Hunan Qing Zhi Yuan Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd, Changsha 410004, PR China
| | - Haitao Yu
- Hunan Qing Zhi Yuan Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd, Changsha 410004, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Xu Q, Luo TY, Wu RL, Wei W, Sun J, Dai X, Ni BJ. Rhamnolipid pretreatment enhances methane production from two-phase anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 194:116909. [PMID: 33609905 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.116909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
In this work, a rhamnolipid (RL) pretreatment technology was proposed to promote methane production from two-phase anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge. In the first phase (i.e., acidogenic phase), the WAS hydrolysis and acidogenesis were significantly enhanced after RL pretreatment for 4 day, under which the concentration of soluble protein and the short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the presence of RL at 0.04 g/g TSS was respectively 2.50 and 5.02 times higher than that without RL pretreatment. However, methane production was inhibited in the presence of RL. In the second phase (i.e., methanogenic phase), batch biochemical methane potential tests suggested that the addition of RL is effective in promoting anaerobic methane production. With an increase of RL dosage from 0 to 0.04 g/g TSS, the cumulative methane yield increased from 100.42 ± 3.01 to 168.90 ± 5.42 mL. Although the added RL could be utilized to produce methane, it was not the major contributor to the enhancement of methane yield. Further analysis revealed that total cumulative yield from the entire two-phase anaerobic digestion (sum of the yield of the acidogenic phase and methanogenic phase) increased from 113.42 ± 3.56 to 164.18 ± 5.20 mL when RL dosage increased from 0 to 0.03 g/g TSS, indicating that the addition of RL induced positive effect on the methane production of the entire two-phase anaerobic digestion. The enzyme activity analysis showed that although higher dosages of RL still inhibited the microorganisms related to methanogenesis to some extends in the methanogenic phase, the inhibitory effect was significantly weakened compared to the acidogenic phase. Microbial analysis revealed that RL reduced the abundance of Candidatus_Methanofastidiosum sp. while increased the abundance of Methanosaeta sp., causing the major methanogenesis pathway to change from hydrogenotrophic to aceticlastic. Moreover, the community of hydrolytic microbes and acidogens was shifted in the direction that is conducive to hydrolysis-acidogenesis. The findings reported not only expand the application field of RL, but also may provide supports for sustainable operation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiuxiang Xu
- 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, Shanghai200092, PR China
| | - Tian-Yi Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Ruo-Lan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Wei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Jing Sun
- 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, Shanghai200092, PR China
| | - Xiaohu Dai
- 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, Shanghai200092, PR China
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- 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, Shanghai200092, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
A Review of Pretreatment Methods to Enhance Solids Reduction during Anaerobic Digestion of Municipal Wastewater Sludges and the Resulting Digester Performance: Implications to Future Urban Biorefineries. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/app10249141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The rapid increase in the population is expected to result in the approaching of design capacity for many US wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) over the next decade. WWTPs treat both municipal and industrial wastewater influents, resulting in the production of biosolids after digestion. Biogas, a potential recovered alternative energy source, is also produced as an output from successful anaerobic digestion. More than 7M of dry tons/year of biosolids produced in the US are most often disposed in either landfills or land-applied (~80%). These options are becoming more challenging to implement due to increases in transportation costs and tipping fees, decreases in the availability of landfill/landfarm space, and most importantly, increased regulations. This situation is strongly encouraging WWTPs to find alternatives for the disposal of biosolids. Developing alternative management/disposal options for biosolids are evolving. One of the most attractive alternative option from a sustainability perspective are biorefineries (converts waste to commercial products), which are a fast-growing option given the push toward circular urban source economies (little to no waste generation). Anaerobic digestion has been widely applied in WWTPs to reduce the volume of activated sludge due to its low energy requirements, effective handling of fluctuations due to organic loading rate, relative flexibility with temperature and pH changes, and since biogas is produced that can be transformed into energy. Various pretreatment methods for waste sludges prior to digestion that have been studied to reduce solids production and increase the energetic content of the biogas are presented and discussed. Solids handling and management, which comprises ~60% of the operational cost of a WWTP, is estimated to save more than $100 M annually by achieving at least 20% reduction in the annual production of biosolids within the US. This review incorporates an assessment of various pretreatment methods to optimize the anaerobic digestion of waste sludges with a focus on maximizing both biosolids reduction and biogas quality.
Collapse
|
39
|
Xu Q, Huang QS, Wei W, Sun J, Dai X, Ni BJ. Improving the treatment of waste activated sludge using calcium peroxide. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 187:116440. [PMID: 32980604 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The treatment and disposal of waste activated sludge (WAS) has become one of the major challenges for the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) due to large output, high treatment costs and enriched substantial emerging contaminants (ECs). Therefore, reducing sludge volume, recovering energy and resource from WAS, and removing ECs and decreasing environmental risk have gained increasing attentions. Calcium peroxide (CaO2), a versatile and safe peroxide, has been widely applied in terms of WAS treatment including sludge dewatering, anaerobic sludge digestion and anaerobic sludge fermentation due to its specific properties such as generating free radicals and alkali, etc., providing supports for sludge reduction, recycling, and risk mitigation. This review outlines comprehensively the recent progresses and breakthroughs of CaO2 in the fields of sludge treatment. In particular, the relevant mechanisms of CaO2 enhancing WAS dewaterability, methane production from anaerobic digestion, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and hydrogen production from anaerobic fermentation, and the removal of ECs in WAS and role of experiment parameters are systematically elucidated and discussed, respectively. Finally, the knowledge gaps and opportunities in CaO2-based sludge treatment technologies that need to be focused in the future are prospected. The review presented can supply a theoretical basis and technical reference for the application of CaO2 for improving the treatment of WAS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiuxiang Xu
- 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, P.R. China.
| | - Qi-Su Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Wei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Jing Sun
- 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, P.R. China
| | - Xiaohu Dai
- 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, P.R. China
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- 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, P.R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Yu D, Zhang J, Chulu B, Yang M, Nopens I, Wei Y. Ammonia stress decreased biomarker genes of acetoclastic methanogenesis and second peak of production rates during anaerobic digestion of swine manure. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 317:124012. [PMID: 32822891 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Research shows that anaerobic digestion could acclimate to ammonia stress; however, the acclimation remained unaddressed. In this study, evolution of microbial community, functional gene, and pathway was linked with apparent kinetic and performance in unacclimated inoculum under ammonia stress, to deepen understanding of the acclimation. The second peak in production rate demonstrated crucial kinetic changes under ammonia stress. The methane loss was mainly protein in residual COD. Metagenomic showed initial inhibition in all methane metabolism pathways under ammonia stress, and recovery in acetate uptake was the key to ammonia acclimation. The acclimation was found in alternative pathway of Acetyl-CoA (CH3CO-S-CoA) synthesis from acetate, accompanying by syntrophic methanogenesis. Ammonia inhibited acetoclastic methanogenesis by competing CH3-CO-Pi with pta and formed speculative sediment CH3-CO-PO4[NH4]2. Biomarker of methanogenesis kinetic was suggested as mcr, hdr, and mch. The biomarker could indicate acclimation stages to ammonia, empowering anaerobic digestion by early warning of methane loss.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Yu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Water Pollution Control Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; BIOMATH, Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent B-9000, Belgium
| | - Junya Zhang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Water Pollution Control Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Buhe Chulu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Water Pollution Control Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Min Yang
- BIOMATH, Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent B-9000, Belgium
| | - Ingmar Nopens
- BIOMATH, Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent B-9000, Belgium
| | - Yuansong Wei
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Water Pollution Control Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Zuo Z, Song Y, Ren D, Li H, Gao Y, Yuan Z, Huang X, Zheng M, Liu Y. Control sulfide and methane production in sewers based on free ammonia inactivation. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 143:105928. [PMID: 32673907 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Emissions of hydrogen sulfide and methane are two of the major concerns in sewers, causing corrosion, odour and health problems. This study proposed a new free ammonia (FA)-based approach for controlling the biological production of sulfide and methane in sewers. This is based on the discovery that the FA contained in urine wastewater is strongly biocidal to anaerobic sewer biofilms. Long-term operation of two laboratory sewer reactors, with one being dosed with urine wastewater and the other being dosed with raw sewage as a control, revealed the effectiveness of the proposed FA approach. The results showed that dosing of real urine wastewater at FA concentration of 154 mg NH3-N/L with exposure for 24 h immediately reduced over 80% sulfide and methane in the experimental sewer reactor, while the time for recovering 50% sulfide and methane production were 6 days and 28 days, respectively. It also showed that intermittent dosing with an interval time of 5-15 days reduced around 60% sulfide on average. As suggested by community analysis, the remaining sulfide might be produced by a sulfate-reducing bacterial genus Desulfobulbus. Collectively, urine is a part of municipal sewage, and thus separation and re-dosing of the urine wastewater into the sewer for sulfide and methane control should enable the minimization of operational costs and environmental impacts, compared with the previous dosing of chemicals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Zuo
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yarong Song
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Daheng Ren
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - He Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ying Gao
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Xia Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Min Zheng
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Yanchen Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Evaluation of Green Coffee-Roasting Biogas with Modeling Valorization of Possible Solutions. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17196947. [PMID: 32977541 PMCID: PMC7579661 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17196947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
According to the European Union Directive 2009/28/EC, the goals of obtaining 20% of all energy requirements from renewable sources and a 20% reduction in primary energy use must be fulfilled by 2020. In this work, an evaluation was performed, from the environmental and energy point of view, of anaerobic digestion as a valid solution for the treatment of the byproducts obtained from the coffee-roasting process. In particular, thermophilic anaerobic digestion tests were carried out. Output values from the laboratory were used as input for the MCBioCH4 model to evaluate the produced flow of biogas and biomethane and two different biogas valorization alternatives, namely, the traditional exploitation of biogas for heat/energy production and biomethane conversion. The results of the preliminary simulation showed that a full-scale implementation of the coffee waste biogas production process is technically feasible and environmentally sustainable. Furthermore, the performed analysis validates a general methodology for energy production compatibility planning.
Collapse
|
43
|
Wang Y, Wei W, Wu SL, Ni BJ. Zerovalent Iron Effectively Enhances Medium-Chain Fatty Acids Production from Waste Activated Sludge through Improving Sludge Biodegradability and Electron Transfer Efficiency. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:10904-10915. [PMID: 32867479 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c03029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A novel zerovalent iron (ZVI) technique to simultaneously improve the production of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) from waste activated sludge (WAS) and enhance WAS degradation during anaerobic WAS fermentation was proposed in this study. Experimental results showed that the production and selectivity of MCFAs were effectively promoted when ZVI was added at 1-20 g/L. The maximum MCFAs production of 15.4 g COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand)/L and MCFAs selectivity of 71.7% were both achieved at 20 g/L ZVI, being 5.3 and 4.8 times that without ZVI (2.9 g COD/L and 14.9%). Additionally, ZVI also promoted WAS degradation, which increased from 0.61 to 0.96 g COD/g VS when ZVI increased from 0 to 20 g/L. The microbial community analysis revealed that the ZVI increased the populations of key anaerobes related to hydrolysis, acidification, and chain elongation. Correspondingly, the solubilization, hydrolysis, and acidification processes of WAS were revealed to be improved by ZVI, thereby providing more substrates (short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)) for producing MCFAs. The mechanism studies showed that ZVI declined the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), creating a more favorable environment for the anaerobic biological processes. More importantly, ZVI with strong conductivity could act as an electron shuttle, contributing to increasing electron transfer efficiency from electron donor to acceptor. This strategy provides a new paradigm of transforming waste sludge into assets by a low-cost waste to bring significant economic benefits to sludge disposal and wastewater treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Wei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Shu-Lin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- 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, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Zhou X, Jin W, Wang L, Ding W, Chen C, Xu X, Tu R, Han SF, Feng X, Lee DJ. Improving primary sludge dewaterability by oxidative conditioning process with ferrous ion-activated peroxymonosulfate. KOREAN J CHEM ENG 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11814-020-0517-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
|
45
|
Yuan Y, Hu X, Wang D, Liu Y, Zeng Z, Chen H. Octylphenol facilitates fermentative volatile fatty acids recovery from waste activated sludge. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 729:139035. [PMID: 32498178 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The presence of endocrine disruptor compounds (EDCs) in wastewater treatment plants has attracted widespread attention, but their potential impact on anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge (WAS) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to reveal the effect of typical EDC octylphenol (OP) on the recovery of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in anaerobic fermentation. The results show that OP has a positive effect on the recovery of VFAs from WAS. The presence of 200 mg/kg dry sludge of OP increased the cumulative amount of VFAs from 3245 in the control (without OP) to 6828 mg COD/L. The increase in VFA production was mainly attributed to the accumulation of acetic acid, which rose from 1511 to 4425 mg COD/L, almost tripled. Further research found that OP promoted solubilization and hydrolysis by improving the biodegradability of WAS, and severely inhibited the methanogenesis process by inhibiting the activity of coenzyme F420, thereby significantly increasing the accumulation of acetic acid. These findings are of great significance to clarify the role of OP in anaerobic fermentation, and provide theoretical basis and guidance for the selection of target products in anaerobic fermentation of WAS containing OP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yayi Yuan
- College of Environment and Resources, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China
| | - Xiayi Hu
- College of Chemical Engineering, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China
| | - Dongbo Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Hunan BG Well-point Environmental Science & Technology Co., Ltd, Changsha 41000, China
| | - Zhaogang Zeng
- Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center of Sepiolite Resource for Efficient Utilization, Xiangtan 411100, China
| | - Hongbo Chen
- College of Environment and Resources, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Wei W, Wu L, Liu X, Chen Z, Hao Q, Wang D, Liu Y, Peng L, Ni BJ. How does synthetic musks affect methane production from the anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 713:136594. [PMID: 31951844 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The increasing use of synthetic musks has led to a large amount of synthetic musks retaining in waste activated sludge (WAS) via wastewater treatment, thereby entering anaerobic digester. However, the potential effects of synthetic musks on WAS anaerobic digestion remain unknown. Herein, this study selected the dominant galaxolide (HHCB) in WAS as the typical synthetic musks and experimentally evaluated the long-term effects on WAS anaerobic digestion using continuous lab-scale anaerobic digesters as well as the mechanisms involved. The results demonstrated that the increased HHCB levels (i.e., 90, 150 and 200 mg/kg-dw) resulted in the decreased methane production, with the methane production at 200 mg/kg-dw being only 80.5 ± 0.1% of the control. Supporting the methane production data, volatile solids (VS) destruction decreased by 18.6 ± 0.9%, which increased 6.8% of volume waste sludge for transfer and disposal. Correspondingly, the microbial community was shifted in the direction against anaerobic digestion. By modeling based on biochemical methane potential tests and investigating the key stages involved in anaerobic digestion, it was found that although the HHCB showed little impacts on the solubilization, WAS hydrolysis-acidification steps was inhibited by HHCB with the decreased hydrolysis rate and methane production potential, thereby causing the deteriorated performance of WAS anaerobic digestion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Lan Wu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Zhijie Chen
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Qiang Hao
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Dongbo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Lai Peng
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Zhang W, Li X, He Y, Xu X, Chen H, Zhang A, Liu Y, Xue G, Makinia J. Ammonia amendment promotes high rate lactate production and recovery from semi-continuous food waste fermentation. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 302:122881. [PMID: 32014732 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a reliable approach using ammonia nitrogen was proposed to increase lactate production during semi-continuous food waste (FW) fermentation under mesophilic conditions. Both free ammonia nitrogen (FAN) and ammonium ion (NH4+-N) were present in mesophilic reactors, with a wide FAN/NH4+-N ratio variation due to the intermittent pH control. The investigation of responsible mechanisms revealed that the increased production yield of LA was associated with the acceleration of solubilization, hydrolysis, glycolysis and acidification. The presence of FAN and NH4+-N in proper concentrations increased lactate production by 2.4 folds and recovered lactate production to 24.5 g COD/L from low rate control reactor (9.6 g COD/L) under mesophilic conditions. Furthermore, the microorganisms responsible for LA accumulation (Bavariicoccus, Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium and Corynebacterium) were selectively enriched, and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways associated with carbohydrate transport and LA production were enhanced in nitrogen fed reactors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Zhang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Environmental Protection Engineering Centre for Pollution Treatment and Control in Textile Industry, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Xiang Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Environmental Protection Engineering Centre for Pollution Treatment and Control in Textile Industry, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai 201620, China; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, United States
| | - Ya He
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, United States
| | - Xianbao Xu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Environmental Protection Engineering Centre for Pollution Treatment and Control in Textile Industry, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Hong Chen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Environmental Protection Engineering Centre for Pollution Treatment and Control in Textile Industry, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Ai Zhang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Environmental Protection Engineering Centre for Pollution Treatment and Control in Textile Industry, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Yanan Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Environmental Protection Engineering Centre for Pollution Treatment and Control in Textile Industry, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Gang Xue
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Environmental Protection Engineering Centre for Pollution Treatment and Control in Textile Industry, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai 201620, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Jacek Makinia
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, ul. Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Luo J, Zhang Q, Zhao J, Wu Y, Wu L, Li H, Tang M, Sun Y, Guo W, Feng Q, Cao J, Wang D. Potential influences of exogenous pollutants occurred in waste activated sludge on anaerobic digestion: A review. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 383:121176. [PMID: 31525683 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion is a promising approach for waste activated sludge (WAS) disposal. However, a wide range of exogenous pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, nanoparticles) exists in WAS and their influences on anaerobic digestion are neglected. This study investigates the correlations between exogenous pollutants and anaerobic digestion performance. The results indicate that exogenous pollutants exhibit dose-dependent influences on WAS digestion. Most of the pollutants improve the performance of anaerobic digestion by partially or wholly promoting the hydrolysis, acidification and methanogenesis processes at low dose, but exhibit negative effects at high levels due to their toxicity. Generally, methanogens are more vulnerable than those hydrolytic and acidogenic bacteria. Poly-aluminum chloride and polyacrylamide show strong inhibition on WAS digestion, which are primarily attributed to their physical enmeshments of organic matters in WAS. The synergistic effects of different mixed pollutants and the mitigating strategies for typical pollutants inhibition deserve more attention in light of WAS anaerobic digestion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingyang Luo
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Qin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Jianan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Yang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Lijuan Wu
- Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Environmental Science, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Han Li
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Min Tang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Yaqing Sun
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Wen Guo
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Qian Feng
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Jiashun Cao
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Dongbo Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
You QG, Wang JH, Qi GX, Zhou YM, Guo ZW, Shen Y, Gao X. Anammox and partial denitrification coupling: a review. RSC Adv 2020; 10:12554-12572. [PMID: 35497592 PMCID: PMC9051081 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra00001a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
As a new wastewater biological nitrogen removal process, anammox and partial denitrification coupling not only plays a significant role in the nitrogen cycle, but also holds high engineering application value. Because anammox and some denitrifying bacteria are coupled under harsh living conditions, certain operating conditions and mechanisms of the coupling process are not clear; thus, it is more difficult to control the process, which is why the process has not been widely applied. This paper analyzes the research focusing on the coupling process in recent years, including anammox and partial denitrification coupling process inhibitors such as nitrogen (NH4+, NO2−), organics (toxic and non-toxic organics), and salts. The mechanism of substrate removal in anammox and partial denitrification coupling nitrogen removal is described in detail. Due to the differences in process methods, experimental conditions, and sludge choices between the rapid start-up and stable operation stages of the reactor, there are significant differences in substrate inhibition. Multiple process parameters (such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, redox potential, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, and sludge) can be adjusted to improve the coupling of anammox and partial denitrification to modify nitrogen removal performance. As a new wastewater biological nitrogen removal process, anammox and partial denitrification coupling not only plays a significant role in the nitrogen cycle, but also holds high engineering application value.![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Guo You
- National Research Base of Intelligent Manufacturing Service
- Chongqing Technology and Business University
- Chongqing 400067
- China
- Chongqing South-to-Thais Environmental Protection Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd
| | - Jian-Hui Wang
- National Research Base of Intelligent Manufacturing Service
- Chongqing Technology and Business University
- Chongqing 400067
- China
- Chongqing South-to-Thais Environmental Protection Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd
| | - Gao-Xiang Qi
- National Research Base of Intelligent Manufacturing Service
- Chongqing Technology and Business University
- Chongqing 400067
- China
- Chongqing South-to-Thais Environmental Protection Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd
| | - Yue-Ming Zhou
- National Research Base of Intelligent Manufacturing Service
- Chongqing Technology and Business University
- Chongqing 400067
- China
- Chongqing South-to-Thais Environmental Protection Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd
| | - Zhi-Wei Guo
- National Research Base of Intelligent Manufacturing Service
- Chongqing Technology and Business University
- Chongqing 400067
- China
- Chongqing South-to-Thais Environmental Protection Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd
| | - Yu Shen
- National Research Base of Intelligent Manufacturing Service
- Chongqing Technology and Business University
- Chongqing 400067
- China
- Chongqing South-to-Thais Environmental Protection Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd
| | - Xu Gao
- National Research Base of Intelligent Manufacturing Service
- Chongqing Technology and Business University
- Chongqing 400067
- China
- Chongqing South-to-Thais Environmental Protection Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Yu H, Tian Z, Zuo J, Song Y. Enhanced nitrite accumulation under mainstream conditions by a combination of free ammonia-based sludge treatment and low dissolved oxygen: reactor performance and microbiome analysis. RSC Adv 2020; 10:2049-2059. [PMID: 35494565 PMCID: PMC9048193 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra07628j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Partial nitritation under mainstream conditions is one of the major bottlenecks for the application of deammonification processes to municipal wastewater treatment plants. This study aimed at evaluating the combination effect of a side-stream free ammonia (FA) treatment and low dissolved oxygen (0.2 ± 0.1 mg L−1) on inhibiting nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) from enhancing nitrite accumulation in long-term lab-scale experiments. Two continuous floccular sludge reactors treating low-strength synthetic wastewater (60 mg N–NH4+ L−1 without COD) with a fixed nitrogen loading rate of 0.22 ± 0.03 g N per L per day were operated in a varied temperature range of 7–31 °C, with one acting as the experimental reactor and the other as the control. Side-stream sludge treatment with a stepwise elevation of FA concentration (65.2–261.1 mg NH3 L−1) was carried out every day in the experimental reactor; the nitrite accumulation ratio (NAR, (NO2–N/(NO2−–N + NO3−–N) × 100%)) in the experimental reactor was always about twice that in the control one. Quantitative PCR (q-PCR) and high-throughput sequencing analyses showed the dominant NOB was mostly Nitrobacter, while there was an alternating trend between Nitrobacter and Nitrospira. Even though the whole microbial communities of each experimental stage between the two reactors were relatively clustered due to an incomplete NOB washout, three abundant metabolisms (amino acid metabolism, pyruvate metabolism and nitrogen metabolism) and key functional genes of nitrification predicted by PICRUSt in the experimental reactor were enriched, providing a better understanding of nitrite accumulation. These results have demonstrated that the positive hybrid effects of FA side-stream sludge treatment and a low DO could enhance nitrite accumulation. It is expected that a complete washout of NOB would be achieved after further process optimization. An introduction of the combination of side-stream sludge treatment using FA and low DO could more effectively enhance nitrite accumulation than single low DO.![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heng Yu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control
- School of Environment
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing 100084
- China
| | - Zhiyong Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences
- Department of Urban Water Environmental Research
- Beijing 100012
- China
| | - Jiane Zuo
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control
- School of Environment
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing 100084
- China
| | - Yonghui Song
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences
- Department of Urban Water Environmental Research
- Beijing 100012
- China
| |
Collapse
|