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Jiang T, Li X, Yang J, Wang L, Wang W, Zhang L, Wang B. Potential of free nitrous acid (FNA) for sludge treatment and resource recovery from waste activated sludge: A review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 360:121170. [PMID: 38749134 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121170] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
The escalating production of waste activated sludge (WAS) presents significant challenges to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Free nitrous acid (FNA), known for its biocidal effect, has gained a growing focus on sludge dewatering, sludge reduction, and resource recovery from WAS due to its eco-friendly and cost-effective properties. Nevertheless, there have been no attempts made to systematically summarize or critically analyze the application of FNA in enhancing treatment and resource utilization of sludge. In this paper, we provided an overview of the current understanding regarding the application potential and influencing factors of FNA in sludge treatment, with a specific focus on enhancing sludge dewatering efficiency and reducing volume. To foster resource development from sludge, various techniques based on FNA have recently been proposed, which were comprehensively reviewed with the corresponding mechanisms meticulously discussed. The results showed that the chemical oxidation and interaction with microorganisms of FNA played the core role in improving resource utilization. Furthermore, current challenges and future prospects of the FNA-based applications were outlined. It is expected that this review can refine the theoretical framework of FNA-based processes, providing a theoretical foundation and technical guidance for the large-scale demonstration of FNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tan 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
| | - Xiaodi 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
| | - Jiayi Yang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Lu Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Wen Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Li 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
| | - Bo Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China.
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2
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Chen J, Wang H, Yin W, Wang Y, Lv J, Wang A. Deciphering carbon emissions in urban sewer networks: Bridging urban sewer networks with city-wide environmental dynamics. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 256:121576. [PMID: 38608619 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121576] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
As urbanization accelerates, understanding and managing carbon emissions from urban sewer networks have become crucial for sustainable urban water cycles. This review examines the factors influencing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within urban sewage systems, analyzing the complex effects between water quality, hydrodynamics, and sewer infrastructure on GHG production and emission processes. It reveals significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity in GHG emissions, particularly under long-term scenarios where flow rates and temperatures exhibit strong impacts and correlations. Given the presence of fugitive and dissolved potential GHGs, standardized monitoring and accounting methods are deemed essential. Advanced modeling techniques emerge as crucial tools for large-scale carbon emission prediction and management. The review identifies that traditional definitions and computational frameworks for carbon emission boundaries fail to fully consider the inherent heterogeneity of sewers and the dynamic changes and impacts of multi-source pollution within the sewer system during the urban water cycle. This includes irregular fugitive emissions, the influence of stormwater systems, climate change, geographical features, sewer design, and the impacts of food waste and antibiotics. Key strategies for emission management are discussed, focusing on the need for careful consideration of approaches that might inadvertently increase global emissions, such as ventilation, chemical treatments, and water management practices. The review advocates for an overarching strategy that encompasses a holistic view of carbon emissions, stressing the importance of refined emission boundary definitions, novel accounting practices, and comprehensive management schemes in line with the water treatment sector's move towards carbon neutrality. It champions the adoption of interdisciplinary, technologically advanced solutions to mitigate pollution and reduce carbon emissions, emphasizing the importance of integrating cross-scale issues and other environmentally friendly measures in future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaji Chen
- Key Lab of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China; Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China; Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Hongcheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Wanxin Yin
- College of the Environment, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China
| | - Yuqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiaqiang Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - AiJie Wang
- Key Lab of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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Guo H, Liu S, Wang Y, Hou J, Zhu T, Liu Y. A novel free nitrous acid (FNA)-generation pathway via ferric salts hydrolysis to mitigate sulfide and methane production in sewer: Insights into the performance and microbial mechanisms. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 459:132284. [PMID: 37591170 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Ferric chloride (FeCl3) served as a solid acid has attracted attention recently. However, the feasibility of FeCl3 combined with nitrite for free nitrous acid (FNA) generation in controlling sulfide and methane as well as the triggering mechanisms in the complex syntrophic consortium (i.e., sewer biofilm) remain largely unknown. This work disclosed FeCl3 as an alternative acid source could obtain comparable sulfide and methane mitigations at a low FNA dose (i.e., 0.26 mg N/L), compared to that of HCl acid source. Whereas, a faster recovery rate of sulfide production was observed using FeCl3 under a higher FNA dose (i.e., 0.81 mg N/L) despite the methane control still being comparable. The toxicological mechanisms revealed FNA reacted with proteins amide Ⅰ in extracellular polymeric substances and destroyed protein hydrogen bond. Enzymatic and genic analysis unveiled the overall suppression of hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, sulfidogenesis and methanogenesis steps due to the inactivation of viable cells by reactive nitrogen species. Economic and environmental assessments demonstrated that the ferric-based FNA strategy reduced chemical costs and N2O emission (ca. 26.5% decrease) compared to the traditional HCl-based FNA method. This work broadens the application of iron salt-based technology in urban water system, together with understanding the biological mechanisms of FNA-based technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixiao Guo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Siru Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yufen Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jiaqi Hou
- 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.
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4
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Han Z, Wang Y, Zhang D, Fan X, Zhang S, Liu M. Free nitrous acid-assisted asymmetrical alternating current electrochemistry (FNA-AACE) for multi-heavy metals decontamination in waste activated sludge. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 242:120259. [PMID: 37390660 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120259] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metal contamination of waste activated sludge (WAS) is a key factor limiting the land application of sludge for nutrients recovery. This study proposes a novel free nitrous acid (FNA)-assisted asymmetrical alternating current electrochemistry (FNA-AACE) process to achieve high-efficiency decontamination of multi-heavy metals (Cd, Pb, and Fe) in WAS. The optimal operating conditions, the heavy metal removal performance of FNA-AACE, and the related mechanisms for maintaining the high performance were systematically investigated. During the FNA-AACE process, FNA treatment was optimal with an exposure time of 13 h at a pH of 2.9 and an FNA concentration of 0.6 mg/g TSS. Then the sludge was washed with EDTA in a recirculating leaching system under asymmetrical alternating current electrochemistry (AACE). The 6-h working and the following electrode cleaning were defined as a working circle of AACE. After three cycles of working-cleaning periods in AACE treatment, the cumulative removal efficiency of the toxic metals Cd and Pb reached over 97% and 93%, respectively, whilst that of Fe was greater than 65%. This surpasses most previously reported efficiencies and possesses a shorter treatment duration and sustainable EDTA circulation. The mechanism analysis suggested that FNA pretreatment provoked the migration of heavy metals for leaching enhancement, as well as reduced the demand for EDTA eluent concentration and increased conductivity, which can improve the AACE efficiency. Meanwhile, the AACE process absorbed the anionic chelates of heavy metals and reduced them to zero-valent particles on the electrode, regenerating the EDTA eluent and maintaining its high extraction efficiency for heavy metals. In addition, FNA-AACE could provide different electric field operation modes, allowing it to have flexibility for the real application processes. This proposed process is expected to be coupled with anaerobic digestion in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for high efficiency of heavy metal decontamination, sludge reduction, and resource/energy recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhibo Han
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yili Wang
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Daxin Zhang
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; School of Soil & Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Xiaoyang Fan
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Shuting Zhang
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Meilin Liu
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
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5
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Ni G, Leung PM, Daebeler A, Guo J, Hu S, Cook P, Nicol GW, Daims H, Greening C. Nitrification in acidic and alkaline environments. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:753-768. [PMID: 37449414 PMCID: PMC10427799 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Aerobic nitrification is a key process in the global nitrogen cycle mediated by microorganisms. While nitrification has primarily been studied in near-neutral environments, this process occurs at a wide range of pH values, spanning ecosystems from acidic soils to soda lakes. Aerobic nitrification primarily occurs through the activities of ammonia-oxidising bacteria and archaea, nitrite-oxidising bacteria, and complete ammonia-oxidising (comammox) bacteria adapted to these environments. Here, we review the literature and identify knowledge gaps on the metabolic diversity, ecological distribution, and physiological adaptations of nitrifying microorganisms in acidic and alkaline environments. We emphasise that nitrifying microorganisms depend on a suite of physiological adaptations to maintain pH homeostasis, acquire energy and carbon sources, detoxify reactive nitrogen species, and generate a membrane potential at pH extremes. We also recognize the broader implications of their activities primarily in acidic environments, with a focus on agricultural productivity and nitrous oxide emissions, as well as promising applications in treating municipal wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaofeng Ni
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pok Man Leung
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anne Daebeler
- Institute of Soil Biology and Biogeochemistry, Biology Centre CAS, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (Formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Shihu Hu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (Formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Perran Cook
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Graeme W Nicol
- Univ Lyon, CNRS, INSA Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Ampère, UMR5005, 69134 Ecully, France
| | - Holger Daims
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- The Comammox Research Platform, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Chris Greening
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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6
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Chen K, Edgar AS, Li ZH, Marina OC, Yang D. Roles of HNO x and Carboxylic Acids in the Thermal Stability of Nitroplasticizer. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:14730-14741. [PMID: 37125136 PMCID: PMC10134467 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In the thermal aging of nitroplasticizer (NP), the produced nitrous acid (HONO) can decompose into reactive nitro-oxide species and nitric acid (HNO3). These volatile species are prone to cause cascaded deterioration of NP and give rise to various acidic constituents. To gain insight on the early stage of NP degradation, an adequate method for measuring changes in the concentrations of HONO, HNO3, and related acidic species is imperative. The typical assessment of acidity in nonaqueous solutions (i.e., acid number) cannot differentiate acidic species and thus presents difficulty in the measurement of HONO and HNO3 at a micromolar concentration level. Using liquid-liquid extraction and ion chromatography (IC), we developed a fast and unambiguous analytical method to accurately determine the concentration of HONO, HNO3, acetic/formic acids, and oxalic acid in aged NP samples. Given by the overlay analysis results of liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and IC, the prominent increase of produced HONO after the depletion of antioxidants is the primary cause of HNO3 formation in the late stage of NP degradation, which results in the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of NP into 2,2-dinitropropanol and acetic/formic acids. Our study has demonstrated that the aging temperature plays a crucial role in accelerating the formation and decomposition of HONO, which consequently increases the acidity of aged NP samples and hence accelerates the hydrolyzation of NP. Therefore, to prevent NP from undergoing rapid degradation, we suggest that the concentration of HNO3 should be maintained below 1.35 mM and the temperature under 38 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kitmin Chen
- MST-7:
Engineered Materials Group, Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Alexander S. Edgar
- MST-7:
Engineered Materials Group, Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Zheng-Hua Li
- EES-14:
Earth System Observations Group, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Oana C. Marina
- EES-14:
Earth System Observations Group, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Dali Yang
- MST-7:
Engineered Materials Group, Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
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7
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Wang Z, Song H, Song L, Yin Z, Hui K, Gao W, Xuan L. Dewatering municipal wastewater sludge using electro-coagulation combined with added free nitrous acid. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 306:135484. [PMID: 35810855 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135484] [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: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
An electro-coagulation (EC) process combined with added free nitrous acid (FNA) improves sludge dewaterability. Under optimal conditions(EC voltage of 25 V, EC process time of 60 min, FNA dosage of 1.13 mg/L, pH value of 4.5), specific resistance to filtration (SRF) and water content (WC) was decreased by 89.57%, and 18.90%respectively. The EC process disrupted the sludge structure, reducing sludge particles' size (D50) from 59.5 to 50.5 μm. After adding FNA, the sludge cells lysed, and the DNA concentrations and soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) increased from 6.07 μg/ml and 29 mg/L to 364 μg/ml and 588 mg/L, respectively. The conversion of Fe(II) to Fe(III) was enhanced. The addition of FNA after EC further improved the sludge dewaterability. Combined conditioning using EC and FNA can effectively destroy tightly bound extracellular polymeric substances (TB-EPS) and release bound water. In addition, the pH value is kept low, which benefits sludge dewaterability and the removal of heavy metals. The concentrations of Zn and Mn in the sludge cake were reduced by 92.3% and 69.0%, respectively. The Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction method showed increases in the percentages of the residual fractions of Zn and Mn, showing that EC combined with FNA is an efficient and versatile means of sludge conditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehao Wang
- School of Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010051, PR China
| | - Hongwei Song
- School of Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010051, PR China.
| | - Lei Song
- School of Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010051, PR China.
| | - Zhenzhou Yin
- School of Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010051, PR China
| | - Kai Hui
- School of Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010051, PR China
| | - Wenjian Gao
- School of Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010051, PR China
| | - Lili Xuan
- School of Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010051, PR China
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8
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Liu W, Li J, Li X, Tian Y, Meng J, Zheng M, Yuan Z. Increasing the removal efficiency of antibiotic resistance through anaerobic digestion with free nitrous acid pretreatment. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 438:129535. [PMID: 35816802 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Swine manure is a significant reservoir for antibiotic resistance. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a common biological process used to treat swine manure but still faces low efficiencies in biogas production and antibiotic resistance removal. It is here shown that AD with free nitrous acid pretreatment (FNA) was effective in reducing antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in swine manure. FNA pretreatment (nitrite =250 mg N/L, pH=5.0, temperature=20 ± 1 °C) simultaneously reduced antibiotics (Tetracyclines, Quinones and Sulfonamides), inactivated antibiotics resistance bacteria (ARB) by 0.5-3 logs, and decreased ARGs tet, sul and qnr by 1-2, 1-3 and 0.5 logs, respectively. In the following AD step, the total residual ARGs was reduced to ~3.49 × 107 gene copies/g dry total solids (TS), ~1 log lower than that in the AD without pretreatment (3.55 ×108 gene copies/g dry TS). Microbial community and network analyses revealed that the ARG removal was mainly driven by the direct FNA effect on reducing ARGs and antibiotics, not related to ARB. Besides, the FNA pretreatment doubled biochemical methane production potential from swine manure. Together these results demonstrate that AD with FNA pretreatment is a useful process greatly facilitating swine manure management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 73 Huanghe Road, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Jianzheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 73 Huanghe Road, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Xianhui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 73 Huanghe Road, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Yajie Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 73 Huanghe Road, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Jia Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 73 Huanghe Road, Harbin 150090, China.
| | - Min Zheng
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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9
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Chislett M, Yu Z, Donose BC, Guo J, Yuan Z. Understanding the Effect of Free Nitrous Acid on Biofilms. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:11625-11634. [PMID: 35913828 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01156] [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] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Free nitrous acid (FNA, i.e., HNO2) has been recently applied to biofilm control in wastewater management. The mechanism triggering biofilm detachment upon exposure to FNA still remains largely unknown. In this work, we aim to prove that FNA induces biofilm dispersal via extracellular polymeric matrix breakdown and cell lysis. Biofilms formed by a model organism, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, were treated with FNA at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 15 mg N/L for 24 h (conditions typically used in applications). The biofilms and suspended biomass were monitored both before and after FNA treatment using a range of methods including optical density measurements, viability assays, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. It was revealed that FNA treatment caused substantial and concentration-dependent biofilm detachment. The addition of a reactive nitrogen species (RNS) scavenger, that is, 2-4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide, substantially reduced biofilm dispersal, suggesting that the nitrosative decomposition species of HNO2 (i.e., RNS, e.g., •NO + •NO2) were mainly responsible for the effects. The study provides insight into and support for the use of FNA for biofilm control in wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariella Chislett
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Zhigang Yu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Bogdan C Donose
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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10
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Wang J, Lou Y, Feng K, Zhou H, Liu B, Xie G, Xing D. Enhancing the decomposition of extracellular polymeric substances and the recovery of short-chain fatty acids from waste activated sludge: Analysis of the performance and mechanism of co-treatment by free nitrous acid and calcium peroxide. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 423:127022. [PMID: 34481392 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127022] [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: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
At present, the bioproduction of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from waste activated sludge (WAS) has attracted worldwide attention due to the demand of carbon neutrality during waste treatment. Calcium peroxide (CaO2) has been reported to be an effective method for the solubilization of WAS and the accumulation of SCFAs, but the high reagent cost limits its industrial application. Therefore, free nitrous acid (FNA) was introduced into the WAS pretreatment system to assist with CaO2 for enhancing the disruption of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and the subsequent acidogenesis process. The results showed that FNA and CaO2 synergistically enhanced EPS decomposition and the release of biodegradable organic compounds during pretreatment. The highest soluble chemical oxygen demand (3.1- and 2.6-fold higher compared to individual pretreatments at the same concentrations) after pretreatment and the highest SCFAs accumulation (2.0- and 6.4-fold compared to individual pretreatments at the same concentrations) after a 2-day fermentation period was observed in the FNA + CaO2 (0.15 g/g VSS) co-treated group. Therefore, the FNA + CaO2 (0.15 g/g VSS) co-treatment was determined to be the optimal strategy for ensuring the disintegration of the EPS matrix and enhancing the accumulation of SCFAs in pretreated sludge during anaerobic digestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Yu Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Kun Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Huihui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Bingfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Guojun Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Defeng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
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Xu R, Fang S, Zhang L, Cheng X, Huang W, Wang F, Fang F, Cao J, Wang D, Luo J. Revealing the intrinsic drawbacks of waste activated sludge for efficient anaerobic digestion and the potential mitigation strategies. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 345:126482. [PMID: 34864182 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an effective approach for waste activated sludge (WAS) disposal with substantial recovery of valuable substrates. Previous studies have extensively explored the correlations of common operational parameters with AD efficiency, but the impacts of intrinsic characteristics of WAS on the AD processes are generally underestimated. This study focused on disclosing the association of intrinsic drawbacks in WAS with AD performance, and found that the cemented WAS structure, low fraction of biomass and various high levels of inhibitory pollutants (e.g., organic pollutants and heavy metals), as the integral parts of WAS all greatly restricted the AD performance. The main potential strategies and underlying mechanisms to mitigate the restrictions for efficient WAS digestion, including the practical pretreatment methods, bioaugmentation and aided substances addition, were critically analyzed. Also, future directions for the improvement of WAS digestion were proposed from the perspectives of technical, management and economic aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runze Xu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Shiyu Fang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Le Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Xiaoshi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Wenxuan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Fang Fang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, 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, 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
| | - Jingyang Luo
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China.
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12
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Calderon AG, Duan H, Seo KY, Macintosh C, Astals S, Li K, Wan J, Li H, Maulani N, Lim ZK, Yuan Z, Hu S. The origin of waste activated sludge affects the enhancement of anaerobic digestion by free nitrous acid pre-treatment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 795:148831. [PMID: 34246135 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion is a common stabilization method for treating primary sludge (PS) and waste activated sludge (WAS). However, its application is often limited by the degradation of WAS. Recent studies have demonstrated FNA to be an effective pre-treatment for enhancing WAS degradability, while having limited effect on PS degradability. WAS characteristics are impacted by wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) configuration and this study is the first to compare the effectiveness of FNA pre-treatment on WAS from WWTP with and without primary treatment. In this study, WAS samples were collected from four full-scale WWTPs with or without primary treatment. Sludge characterization, biomethane potential tests and mathematical modeling were conducted to assess the impacts of FNA pre-treatment on anaerobic digestion. The results showed that FNA pre-treatment was consistently effective for WAS from different WWTPs, while the extent of enhancement varied between WWTPs. For WAS from WWTPs without primary treatment, FNA pretreatment increased the rate of hydrolysis by 54-66% compared to 22-33% increase for WAS without primary treatment. In contrast, WAS from WWTPs with primary treatment experienced greater increases in methane potential (22-24%) compared to WAS from WWTPs without primary treatment (14-16%). These variances could be associated with primary treatment impacting the wastewater COD/N ratio and thus portion of extracellular polymetric substances (EPS) and cells in WAS. FNA pre-treatment targets the destruction of polymetric substances and cells, therefore WAS with a higher proportion of cells (i.e., WAS with primary treatment) experienced greater improvements in methane yield. Similarly, greater improvements in hydrolysis rate were observed for WAS from WWTP without primary sedimentation which contain higher proportions of large EPS molecules. Despite its consistent effectiveness on WAS samples, FNA pre-treatment was ineffective for improving the digestibility of high-rate activated sludge (HRAS).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Haoran Duan
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Kai Yee Seo
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | | | - Sergi Astals
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, University of Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kaili Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jingjing Wan
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Huijuan Li
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nova Maulani
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Zhuan Khai Lim
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Shihu Hu
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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