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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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Proano CA, Liu R, Xu X, Meisler S, Hassanein A, Lansing S, Tian K, Li G. Impacts of free nitrous acid on stabilizing food waste and sewage sludge for anaerobic digestion. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 402:130819. [PMID: 38723728 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130819] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
This work investigated the effectiveness of free nitrous acid (FNA) in enhancing organic waste solubilization to improve biogas production in anaerobic digestion (AD). The results indicated that FNA pretreatment can enhance soluble organic content and control H2S odor in tested organic wastes, including food waste, sewage sludge, and their combination. However, a significant decrease (>50 %) in FNA concentration was found in the reactors, possibly due to denitrifier-driven NO2- consumption. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests showed a 25 ± 8 % enhancement in CH4 production in the reactors fed with mixed substrate pretreated with 2.9 mg FNA-N/L. However, the presence of NO2- (325.6-2368.0 mg N/L) in some BMP reactors, due to carryover from FNA pretreatment, adversely affected CH4 production (>55 %) and prolonged lag time (>4.2 times). These findings are valuable for researchers and practitioners in waste management, offering insights for implementing FNA pretreatment to enhance the biodegradability of organic wastes in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila A Proano
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, 4298 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Ruizhe Liu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, 4298 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Xueming Xu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 200 Patton Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Seth Meisler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, 4298 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Amro Hassanein
- Department of Environmental Science & Technology, University of Maryland, 1429 Animal Sciences/Ag. Eng. Bldg, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Stephanie Lansing
- Department of Environmental Science & Technology, University of Maryland, 1429 Animal Sciences/Ag. Eng. Bldg, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Kuo Tian
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Guangbin Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, 4298 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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3
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Zhang P, Shen D, Shao J, He X, Zeng J, Wu SL, Long Y, Wei W, Ni BJ. Green synthesis of Fe 3O 4@ceramsite from sludge improving anaerobic digestion performance of waste activated sludge. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 359:121085. [PMID: 38728986 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121085] [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: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a promising technique for waste management, which can achieve sludge stabilization and energy recovery. This study successfully prepared Fe3O4@ceramsite from WAS and applied it as an additive in sludge digestion, aiming to improve the conversion of organics to biomethane efficiency. Results showed that after adding the Fe3O4@ceramsite, the methane production was enhanced by 34.7% compared with the control group (88.0 ± 0.1 mL/g VS). Further mechanisms investigation revealed that Fe3O4@ceramsite enhanced digesta stability by strong buffering capacity, improved sludge conductivity, and promoted Fe (III) reduction. Moreover, Fe3O4@ceramsite has a larger surface area and better porous structure, which also facilitated AD performance. Microbial community analysis showed that some functional anaerobes related to AD such as Spirochaeta and Smithella were enriched with Fe3O4@ceramsite treatment. Potential syntrophic metabolisms between syntrophic bacteria (Syntrophomonas, associated with DIET) and methanogens were also detected in the Fe3O4@ceramsite treatment AD system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengqu Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Non-ferrous Metal Waste Recycling, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Dongsheng Shen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Non-ferrous Metal Waste Recycling, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jinyang Shao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Non-ferrous Metal Waste Recycling, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xiaoyu He
- Hangzhou Guotai Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd, China
| | - Jianjun Zeng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Non-ferrous Metal Waste Recycling, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Shu-Lin Wu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Non-ferrous Metal Waste Recycling, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - Yuyang Long
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Non-ferrous Metal Waste Recycling, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang Province, 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
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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Lian T, Zhang W, Cao Q, Yin F, Wang S, Zhou T, Wei X, Zhang F, Zhang Z, Dong H. Enzyme enhanced lactic acid fermentation of swine manure and apple waste: Insights from organic matter transformation and functional bacteria. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 356:120573. [PMID: 38479289 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120573] [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: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Anaerobic co-fermentation is a favorable way to convert agricultural waste, such as swine manure (SM) and apple waste (AW), into lactic acid (LA) through microbial action. However, the limited hydrolysis of organic matter remains a main challenge in the anaerobic co-fermentation process. Therefore, this work aims to deeply understand the impact of cellulase (C) and protease (P) ratios on LA production during the anaerobic co-fermentation of SM with AW. Results showed that the combined use of cellulase and protease significantly improved the hydrolysis during the enzymatic pretreatment, thus enhancing the LA production in anaerobic acidification. The highest LA reached 41.02 ± 2.09 g/L within 12 days at the ratio of C/P = 1:3, which was approximately 1.26-fold of that in the control. After a C/P = 1:3 pretreatment, a significant SCOD release of 45.34 ± 2.87 g/L was achieved, which was 1.13 times the amount in the control. Moreover, improved LA production was also attributed to the release of large amounts of soluble carbohydrates and proteins with enzymatic pretreated SM and AW. The bacterial community analysis revealed that the hydrolytic bacteria Romboutsia and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 were enriched after enzyme pretreatment, and Lactobacillus was the dominant bacteria for LA production. This study provides an eco-friendly technology to enhance hydrolysis by enzymatic pretreatment and improve LA production during anaerobic fermentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianjing Lian
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Wanqin Zhang
- China Huadian Engineering Co. Ltd., Beijing 100160, China
| | - Qitao Cao
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Fubin Yin
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shunli Wang
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Tanlong Zhou
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiaoman Wei
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Fangyu Zhang
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zengqiang Zhang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
| | - Hongmin Dong
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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Ye B, Zhang J, Zhou Y, Tang M, You F, Li X, Yang Q, Wang D, Liu X, Duan A, Liu J. Pretreatment of free nitrous acid combined with calcium hypochlorite for enhancement of hydrogen production in waste activated sludge. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 900:165774. [PMID: 37499831 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165774] [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: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
A variety of variables limit the recovery of resources from anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge (WAS), hence pretreatment strategies are necessary to be investigated to increase its efficiency. A combination of free nitrous acid (FNA) and calcium hypochlorite [Ca(ClO)2] was employed in this investigation to significantly improve sludge fermentation performance. The yields of cumulative hydrogen for the blank and FNA treatment group were 1.09 ± 0.16 and 7.36 ± 0.21 mL/g VSS, respectively, and 6.59 ± 0.24 [0.03 g Ca(ClO)2/g TSS], 7.75 ± 0.20 (0.06), and 8.58 ± 0.22 (0.09) mL/g VSS for the Ca(ClO)2 groups. The co-treatment greatly boosted hydrogen generation, ranging from 39.97 ± 2.26 to 76.20 ± 4.78 % as compared to the solo treatment. Mechanism analysis demonstrated that the combined treatment disturbed sludge structure and cell membrane permeability even more, which released more organic substrates and enhanced biodegradability of fermentation broth. This paper describes a unique strategy to sludge pretreatment that expands the use of Ca(ClO)2 and FNA in anaerobic fermentation, with implications for sludge disposal and energy recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
| | - 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
| | - 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
| | - 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
| | - Xuran Liu
- 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
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6
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Luiz FN, Passarini MRZ, Magrini FE, Gaio J, Somer JG, Meyer RF, Paesi S. Metataxonomic characterization of the microbial community involved in the production of biogas with microcrystalline cellulose in pilot and laboratory scale. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 39:184. [PMID: 37147463 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03573-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Biogas, produced in anaerobic digestion, is a sustainable alternative for generating energy from agro-industrial and municipal waste. Information from the microbiota active in the process expands the possibilities for technological innovation. In this study, taxonomic annotations, and functional prediction of the microbial community of the inoculum of two processes were carried out: an industrial unit (pilot-scale urban solid waste plant-IU) and a laboratory-scale reactor fed with swine and cattle waste (LS). The biochemical potential of biogas was obtained using tested inoculum with microcrystalline cellulose, obtaining 682 LN/kgVS (LSC-laboratory scale inoculum and microcrystalline cellulose), and 583 LN/kgVS (IUC-industrial unit inoculum and microcrystalline cellulose), which is equivalent to a recovery of 91.5% of total biogas to LSC. The phyla Synergistota and Firmicutes were more abundant in LS/LSC. In the IU/IUC (treatment of restaurant waste and customs seizures), there was a greater microbiological variety and a predominance of the Bacteroidota, Cloacimonadota, Firmicutes and Caldatribacteriota. The genus Methanosaeta predominated in the process, and it was possible to infer the genes (K01895, K00193 and K00625) related to acetoclastic pathway, as well as endoglucanases that are involved in the metabolism of cellulose (LSC). Terpenoids, polyketides, cofactors, and vitamin metabolism were higher in reactors that received different substrates (IU; IUC). The taxonomic and functional differences revealed the importance of determining the microbiota in the analysis of the potential of an inoculum, combined with the use of microcrystalline cellulose, which can provide optimization information in the production of clean energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franciele Natividade Luiz
- International Center of Renewable Energy (CIBIOGAS-ER)-Itaipu, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brazil
- Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA)-Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Flaviane Eva Magrini
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Biotechnology Institute, University of Caxias Do Sul (UCS), Caxias do Sul, RS, 95070-560, Brazil
| | - Juliano Gaio
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Biotechnology Institute, University of Caxias Do Sul (UCS), Caxias do Sul, RS, 95070-560, Brazil
| | - Juliana Gaio Somer
- International Center of Renewable Energy (CIBIOGAS-ER)-Itaipu, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brazil
- Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA)-Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Faust Meyer
- International Center of Renewable Energy (CIBIOGAS-ER)-Itaipu, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brazil
- Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA)-Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brazil
| | - Suelen Paesi
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Biotechnology Institute, University of Caxias Do Sul (UCS), Caxias do Sul, RS, 95070-560, Brazil.
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Wang J, Lou Y, Ma D, Feng K, Chen C, Zhao L, Xing D. Co-treatment with free nitrous acid and calcium peroxide regulates microbiome and metabolic functions of acidogenesis and methanogenesis in sludge anaerobic digestion. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 870:161924. [PMID: 36736410 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Wasted activated sludge (WAS) is a promising feedstock for carbon management because of its abundance and carbon-neutral features. Currently, the goal is to maximize the energy in WAS and avoid secondary toxic effects or accumulation of harmful substances in the environment. Chemical pretreatment is an effective strategy for enhancing WAS disintegration and production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). However, the role of pretreatment in shaping the core microbiome and functional metabolism of anaerobic microorganisms remains obscure. Here, the mechanisms of SCFA synthesis and microbiome response to free nitrous acid (FNA) and calcium peroxide (CaO2) co-treatment during sludge anaerobic digestion (AD) were investigated. The combination of FNA and CaO2 enriched acidogenic Macellibacteroides, Petrimonas, and Sedimentibacter to a relative abundance of 15.0%, 10.3%, and 7.3%, respectively, resulting in an apparent increase in SCFA production. Metagenome analysis indicated that FNA + CaO2 co-treatment facilitated glycolysis, phosphate acetyltransferase-acetate kinase pathway, amino acid metabolism, and acetate transport, but inhibited CO2 reduction and common pathway of methanogenesis compared with the untreated control. This work provides theoretical insights into the functional activity and interaction of microorganisms with ecological factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Yu Lou
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Dongmei Ma
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Kun Feng
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Chuan Chen
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Lei Zhao
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Defeng Xing
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
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8
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Wang C, Wang Y, Chen Z, Wei W, Chen X, Mannina G, Ni BJ. A novel strategy for efficiently transforming waste activated sludge into medium-chain fatty acid using free nitrous acid. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 862:160826. [PMID: 36502988 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The global energy crisis is approaching due to rapid population growth and overexploitation of fossil fuels. Therefore, the development and use of new and renewable energy sources is already in the extreme urgency. This work developed a novel technology to efficiently produce renewable liquid bioenergy from discarded wastes, by effectively transforming sewage sludge into high-value medium chain fatty acids (MCFA). The maximum MCFA yield in the anaerobic sludge fermentation was revealed to be 10.6 times of control when utilizing sewage sludge with 1.78 mg-N/L free nitrous acid (FNA) pretreatment. The carbon flow from sewage sludge into MCFA in the fermentation system was significantly enhanced with appropriate levels (0.71-1.78 mg-N/L) of FNA pretreatment. Compared to FNA pretreatment, however, its direct addition severely inhibited total products (i.e., carboxylates and complex alcohols) generation because of the toxicity on live cells (decreasing to 8.3 %-13.9 %) in sludge. Kinetic models (one-substrate and two-substrate) were utilized to investigate the mechanism of MCFA promotion by FNA pretreatment on anaerobic sludge fermentation, in which linear relationship analysis between FNA-derived organic release and the fitted parameters were also performed. The results indicated that the conversion of refractory materials into rapidly bioavailable substrates for MCFA production contributed to increasing MCFA production rate and potential. Moreover, the relative abundances of functional microorganisms related to hydrolysis-acidification and chain elongation process increased under FNA pretreatment, further favoring the MCFA production. This study provides a novel and effective technology of sludge energy recovery that can achieve the next-generation sustainable sewage sludge management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Zhijie Chen
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Wei Wei
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - Xueming Chen
- Fujian Provincial Engineering Research Center of Rural Waste Recycling Technology, College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fujian 350116, China
| | - Giorgio Mannina
- Engineering Department, Palermo University, Ed. 8 Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
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9
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Krohn C, Khudur L, Dias DA, van den Akker B, Rees CA, Crosbie ND, Surapaneni A, O'Carroll DM, Stuetz RM, Batstone DJ, Ball AS. The role of microbial ecology in improving the performance of anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1079136. [PMID: 36590430 PMCID: PMC9801413 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1079136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of next-generation diagnostic tools to optimise the anaerobic digestion of municipal sewage sludge has the potential to increase renewable natural gas recovery, improve the reuse of biosolid fertilisers and help operators expand circular economies globally. This review aims to provide perspectives on the role of microbial ecology in improving digester performance in wastewater treatment plants, highlighting that a systems biology approach is fundamental for monitoring mesophilic anaerobic sewage sludge in continuously stirred reactor tanks. We further highlight the potential applications arising from investigations into sludge ecology. The principal limitation for improvements in methane recoveries or in process stability of anaerobic digestion, especially after pre-treatment or during co-digestion, are ecological knowledge gaps related to the front-end metabolism (hydrolysis and fermentation). Operational problems such as stable biological foaming are a key problem, for which ecological markers are a suitable approach. However, no biomarkers exist yet to assist in monitoring and management of clade-specific foaming potentials along with other risks, such as pollutants and pathogens. Fundamental ecological principles apply to anaerobic digestion, which presents opportunities to predict and manipulate reactor functions. The path ahead for mapping ecological markers on process endpoints and risk factors of anaerobic digestion will involve numerical ecology, an expanding field that employs metrics derived from alpha, beta, phylogenetic, taxonomic, and functional diversity, as well as from phenotypes or life strategies derived from genetic potentials. In contrast to addressing operational issues (as noted above), which are effectively addressed by whole population or individual biomarkers, broad improvement and optimisation of function will require enhancement of hydrolysis and acidogenic processes. This will require a discovery-based approach, which will involve integrative research involving the proteome and metabolome. This will utilise, but overcome current limitations of DNA-centric approaches, and likely have broad application outside the specific field of anaerobic digestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Krohn
- ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia,*Correspondence: Christian Krohn,
| | - Leadin Khudur
- ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Daniel Anthony Dias
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Discipline of Laboratory Medicine, STEM College, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Aravind Surapaneni
- ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Denis M. O'Carroll
- Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard M. Stuetz
- Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Damien J. Batstone
- ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia,Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, Gehrmann Building, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Andrew S. Ball
- ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
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10
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Wu Z, Duan H, Li K, Ye L. A comprehensive carbon footprint analysis of different wastewater treatment plant configurations. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:113818. [PMID: 35843274 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113818] [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: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
With the growing concern of global warming, many water utilities are pioneering in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with some water utilities aiming to achieve net-zero emissions operation in the next decade. However, for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), the carbon footprint of different treatment technologies and its contribution among various units within each treatment configuration is still unclear. This study evaluates the impacts of process design on the carbon footprint of WWTPs through the analysis of scope 1 (direct emission), scope 2 (indirect emission), and scope 3 (value chain emission) emissions. The comprehensive configuration design in this work considered three nutrient removal processes including typical aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment technologies. Emissions from the sludge management processes are also calculated, including aerobic and anaerobic sludge stabilization processes, short-term and long-term sludge storage, and three sludge disposal options. In total, 45 processes were analysed and the results were compared. The results showed the carbon footprints are highly dependent on the treatment configurations of WWTPs. Analysis suggested scope 2 & 3 emissions can be reduced by selecting suitable processes. In general, anaerobic wastewater and sludge stabilization technologies are more suitable than aerobic technologies to reduce scope 2 & 3 emissions, leading to a lower overall carbon footprint. In comparison, configuration design offers limited opportunities to reduce scope 1 emissions, which may be the future challenge for WWTP to achieve carbon neutrality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziping Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Haoran Duan
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia; Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, Formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Kaili Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Liu Ye
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
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Nabi M, Gao D, Liang J, Cai Y, Zhang P. Combining high pressure homogenization with free nitrous acid pretreatment to improve anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 318:115635. [PMID: 35949088 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Single pretreatment of sewage sludge, either physical, chemical or biological, has its own drawbacks in term of poor sanitization, energy intensity and high operational and capital cost. To tackle these drawbacks, combined high pressure homogenization (HPH) and free nitrous acid (FNA) pretreatment for sludge solubilization and further biodegradation in anaerobic digestion was investigated. Synergistic effect of combined HPH (40 MPa) and FNA (2.49 mg/L) pretreatment (HPH-FNA) for improving anaerobic digestion was evaluated, and its effect on archaeal and bacterial community structure was analyzed. Compared with single HPH and FNA pretreatments, HPH-FNA pretreatment efficiently solubilized wasted activated sludge (WAS), subsequently improved anaerobic digestion. Cumulative biogas production from sewage sludge pretreated with HPH-FNA was 154%, 108% and 284% more than that with single pretreatment of FNA, HPH and raw sludge, respectively. In addition, volumetric biogas production of combined pretreatment system (815 ml) was more than the sum from single pretreatment (710 ml). Methane content in biogas for raw sludge, FNA, HPH and HPH-FNA pretreated sludge was 45%, 51%, 55% and 65%, respectively. Illumina MiSeq sequencing analysis revealed that HPH-FNA pretreatment promoted bacterial growth of phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Synergistetes and archaeal genera Methanospirillum and Methanosaeta. Overall, combined HPH-FNA pretreatment of sewage sludge, prior to anaerobic digestion, is an environmentally-friendly and potentially economic technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Nabi
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China; School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Dawen Gao
- School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Jinsong Liang
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yajing Cai
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Panyue Zhang
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
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