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Wang H, Fu X, Huang H, Shen D, Fan D, Zhu L, Dai X, Dong B. Bioenergy recovery and carbon emissions benefits of short-term bio-thermophilic pretreatment on low organic sewage sludge anaerobic digestion: A pilot-scale study. J Environ Sci (China) 2025; 148:321-335. [PMID: 39095168 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2023.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Sewage sludge in cities of Yangzi River Belt, China, generally exhibits a lower organic content and higher silt contentdue to leakage of drainage system, which caused low bioenergy recovery and carbon emission benefits in conventional anaerobic digestion (CAD). Therefore, this paper is on a pilot scale, a bio-thermophilic pretreatment anaerobic digestion (BTPAD) for low organic sludge (volatile solids (VS) of 4%) was operated with a long-term continuous flow of 200 days. The VS degradation rate and CH4 yield of BTPAD increased by 19.93% and 53.33%, respectively, compared to those of CAD. The analysis of organic compositions in sludge revealed that BTPAD mainly improved the hydrolysis of proteins in sludge. Further analysis of microbial community proportions by high-throughput sequencing revealed that the short-term bio-thermophilic pretreatment was enriched in Clostridiales, Coprothermobacter and Gelria, was capable of hydrolyzing acidified proteins, and provided more volatile fatty acid (VFA) for the subsequent reaction. Biome combined with fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that the number of bacteria with high methanogenic capacity in BTPAD was much higher than that in CAD during the medium temperature digestion stage, indicating that short-term bio-thermophilic pretreatment could provide better methanogenic conditions for BTPAD. Furthermore, the greenhouse gas emission footprint analysis showed that short-term bio-thermophilic pretreatment could reduce the carbon emission of sludge anaerobic digestion system by 19.18%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiang Fu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Haozhe Huang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Danni Shen
- Yangtze Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center, China Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing 100038, China; Yangtze River Eco-Environmental Engineering Research Center, Shanghai Investigation, Design and Research Institute Co., LTD, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Dongdong Fan
- China Construction Third Engineering Bureau First Engineering Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Liming Zhu
- China Construction Third Engineering Bureau First Engineering Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Xiaohu Dai
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Bin Dong
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Yangtze Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center, China Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing 100038, China.
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Chipoco Haro DA, Barrera L, Iriawan H, Herzog A, Tian N, Medford AJ, Shao-Horn Y, Alamgir FM, Hatzell MC. Electrocatalysts for Inorganic and Organic Waste Nitrogen Conversion. ACS Catal 2024; 14:9752-9775. [PMID: 38988657 PMCID: PMC11232026 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.4c01398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities have disrupted the natural nitrogen cycle, increasing the level of nitrogen contaminants in water. Nitrogen contaminants are harmful to humans and the environment. This motivates research on advanced and decarbonized treatment technologies that are capable of removing or valorizing nitrogen waste found in water. In this context, the electrocatalytic conversion of inorganic- and organic-based nitrogen compounds has emerged as an important approach that is capable of upconverting waste nitrogen into valuable compounds. This approach differs from state-of-the-art wastewater treatment, which primarily converts inorganic nitrogen to dinitrogen, and organic nitrogen is sent to landfills. Here, we review recent efforts related to electrocatalytic conversion of inorganic- and organic-based nitrogen waste. Specifically, we detail the role that electrocatalyst design (alloys, defects, morphology, and faceting) plays in the promotion of high-activity and high-selectivity electrocatalysts. We also discuss the impact of wastewater constituents. Finally, we discuss the critical product analyses required to ensure that the reported performance is accurate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danae A Chipoco Haro
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Avenue 771 Ferst Dr., Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Luisa Barrera
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 770 Ferst Ave, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, United States
| | - Haldrian Iriawan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Antonia Herzog
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Nianhan Tian
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Andrew J Medford
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Yang Shao-Horn
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Faisal M Alamgir
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Avenue 771 Ferst Dr., Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Marta C Hatzell
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 770 Ferst Ave, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, United States
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Tan Y, Xiao Y, Hao T. Carbon fixation via volatile fatty acids recovery from sewage sludge through electrochemical-pretreatment-based anaerobic digestion. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 258:121736. [PMID: 38754300 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121736] [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: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Capturing the carbon in volatile fatty acids (VFA) produced from the anaerobic digestion (AD) of sewage sludge has the potential to not only provide economic benefits but also reduce greenhouse gas production. This study demonstrates a chemical-free method to collect VFA from an AD instead of methane that involves electrochemical pretreatment (EPT) of sludge. Experimental results show that applying 15 V EPT for 45 min enhances acidogenesis and selectively inhibits methanogenesis, leading to a substantial VFA accumulation (2563.1 ± 307.9 mg COD/L) and achieving 2.5 times more carbon fixation than via methane production. Interfacial thermodynamic analysis shows that EPT induces a decrease in both the repulsive electrostatic energy (from 152.9 kT to 12.2 kT) and the energy barrier (from 57.0 kT to 2.6 kT) in the sludge, leading to increased sludge aggregation and entrapment of microorganisms. Molecular docking sheds lights on how the methanogens interacts with the organic matter released from EPT (e.g., alanine-tRNA ligase), showing that these interactions potentially interfere with the proteins that are associated with the activities of the methanogens and the electron transfer pathways, thereby impeding methanogenesis. Integrating EPT into AD therefore facilitates the recovery of valuable VFA and the capture of carbon from freshwater sludge, providing notable economic and environmental benefits in sewage sludge treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunkai Tan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, PR China
| | - Yihang Xiao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, PR China
| | - Tianwei Hao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, PR China.
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Zhou P, Li D, Zhang C, Ping Q, Wang L, Li Y. Comparison of different sewage sludge pretreatment technologies for improving sludge solubilization and anaerobic digestion efficiency: A comprehensive review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 921:171175. [PMID: 38402967 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171175] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) of sewage sludge reduces organic solids and produces methane, but the complex nature of sludge, especially the difficulty in solubilization, limits AD efficiency. Pretreatments, by destroying sludge structure and promoting disintegration and hydrolysis, are valuable strategies to enhance AD performance. There is a plethora of reviews on sludge pretreatments, however, quantitative comparisons from multiple perspectives across different pretreatments remain scarce. This review categorized various pretreatments into three groups: Physical (ultrasonic, microwave, thermal hydrolysis, electric decomposition, and high pressure homogenization), chemical (acid, alkali, Fenton, calcium peroxide, and ozone), and biological (microaeration, exogenous bacteria, and exogenous hydrolase) pretreatments. The optimal conditions of various pretreatments and their impacts on enhancing AD efficiency were summarized; the effects of different pretreatments on microbial community in the AD system were comprehensively compared. The quantitative comparison based on dissolution degree of COD (DDCOD) indicted that the sludge solubilization performance is in the order of physical, chemical, and biological pretreatments, although with each below 40 % DDCOD. Biological pretreatment, particularly microaeration and exogenous bacteria, excel in AD enhancement. Pretreatments alter microbial ecology, favoring Firmicutes and Methanosaeta (acetotrophic methanogens) over Proteobacteria and Methanobacterium (hydrogenotrophic methanogens). Most pretreatments have unfavorable energy and economic outcomes, with electric decomposition and microaeration being exceptions. On the basis of the overview of the above pretreatments, a full energy and economy assessment for sewage sludge treatment was suggested. Finally, challenges associated with sludge pretreatments and AD were analyzed, and future research directions were proposed. This review may broaden comprehension of sludge pretreatments and AD, and provide an objective basis for the selection of sludge pretreatment technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Dunjie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Cong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Qian Ping
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Lin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Yongmei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
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Sari Erkan H, Bakaraki Turan N. Effects of hydrogen peroxide and calcium hypochlorite on chemical oxygen demand solubilization and disintegration of waste activated sludge by electro-chemical pretreatment. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2024; 45:508-522. [PMID: 35993109 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2022.2114856] [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: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACTThe combination of electrochemical (EC) pretreatment with hydrogen peroxide (HP) and calcium hypochlorite (CHC) was investigated in this study for their effect on soluble chemical oxygen demand (CODs) and disintegration degree (DD) of waste activated sludge (WAS). For this aim, response surface methodology (RSM) and Box-Behnken design (BBD) were applied the determination of the optimum operational conditions. Operational conditions were varied between 0.2 and 2.0 mmol/g SS for HP and CHC dosages, 1-5 A for the applied current, 2-10 for the initial pH, and 15-45 min for the treatment time. Obtained results for each treatment were accurate and significant with correlation coefficients (R2) of 0.8639% and 0.9189% for EC combined with HP pretreatment and EC combined with CHC pretreatment, respectively. According to the obtained results, CODs increased in comparison to the raw sludge (168 mg/L) noting that CODs for EC - CHC (1155 ± 21 mg/L) was higher than EC - HP (811.5 ± 15 mg/L) at optimized conditions (for EC-HP pretreatment: HP dosage: 0.34 mmol/g TSS, Applied current:5 A, Initial pH:10, Time: 45 min, For EC-CHC pretreatment: CHC dosage: 0.23 mmol/g TSS, Applied current:4.83 A, Initial pH:10, Time: 40 min). Besides, the DD in terms of COD, total nitrogen (TN) and total organic carbon (TOC) (DDCOD, DDTN and DDTOC) registered increased values after the application of the EC treatment with both oxidants. The highest DDCOD, DDTN and DDTOC values were obtained with EC-CHC pretreatment for 11.34%, 20.34% and 9.18% respectively compared to EC-HP pretreatment (DDCOD: 7.37%, DDTN: 15.18% and DDTOC: 6.94%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanife Sari Erkan
- Civil Engineering Faculty, Environmental Engineering Department, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nouha Bakaraki Turan
- Civil Engineering Faculty, Environmental Engineering Department, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Sani K, Jariyaboon R, O-Thong S, Cheirsilp B, Kaparaju P, Wang Y, Kongjan P. Performance of pilot scale two-stage anaerobic co-digestion of waste activated sludge and greasy sludge under uncontrolled mesophilic temperature. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 221:118736. [PMID: 35714466 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Waste-activated sludge (WAS) and greasy sludge (GS) discharged from the canned tuna industry are considerably characterized as harsh organic wastes to be individually treated by using traditional anaerobic digestion. This study was attempted to anaerobically co-digest WAS and GS in continuous pilot scale two-stage process, comprising the first 50 L continuous stir tank reactor (CSTR1) and the second 250 L continuous stir tank reactor (CSTR2). The two-stage co-digesting operation of dewatered WAS:GS ratio of 0.4:1 (g-VS) at ambient temperature with the organic loading rate (OLR) of 12.6 ± 0.75 g-VS/L·d and 2.26 ± 0.13 g-VS/L·d, corresponding to 3-day and 17-day hydraulic retention time (HRT) for the first and second stage, respectively generated highest methane production rate of 957 ± 86 mL-CH4/L·d, corresponding to methane yield of 423.4 ± 36 mL-CH4/g-VS. Organic removal efficiency obtained was around 67.5% on COD basis. The microbial diversity was depended on the process's activity. Bacteria were mostly detected in the CSTR1, dominating with the phylum Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, whereas genus Methanosaeta archaea were found dominantly in the CSTR2. The economic analysis of process shows payback period (PBP), internal rate of return (IRR), and net present value (NPV) of 3 years, 30%, and 250,177 USD, respectively. This study demonstrated the potential approach to applying the two-stage anaerobic co-digestion process to stabilize both WAS and GS along with generating valuable bioenergy carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaliyah Sani
- Energy Technology Program, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat-Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand; Bio-Mass Conversion to Energy and Chemicals (Bio-MEC) Research Unit, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani 94000, Thailand
| | - Rattana Jariyaboon
- Bio-Mass Conversion to Energy and Chemicals (Bio-MEC) Research Unit, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani 94000, Thailand; Department of Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University, Meung, Pattani 94000, Thailand
| | - Sompong O-Thong
- International College, Thaksin University, Songkhla 90000, Thailand
| | - Benjamas Cheirsilp
- Biotechnology for Bioresource Utilization Laboratory, Department of Industrial Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkla University, Hat-Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand
| | - Prasad Kaparaju
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Nathan 4111, Australia
| | - Yi Wang
- Key Laboratory of New Materials and Facilities for Rural Renewable Energy, MOA of China, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Prawit Kongjan
- Bio-Mass Conversion to Energy and Chemicals (Bio-MEC) Research Unit, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani 94000, Thailand; Department of Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University, Meung, Pattani 94000, Thailand.
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Rajesh Banu J, Kavitha S, Yukesh Kannah R, Varjani S, Gunasekaran M. Mild hydrogen peroxide interceded bacterial disintegration of waste activated sludge for efficient biomethane production. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 817:152873. [PMID: 34998769 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Regardless of the issue of sludge management all over the world, the role of phase separated pretreatment prior to anaerobic digestion are more promising in terms of energy efficient biomethane production. However, the effect of phase separated pretreatment (dissociation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) followed by biological pretreatment in a two-step process) must be sensibly evaluated from various perceptions to consolidate its effectiveness in sludge management and bioenergy recovery. In this study, mild hydrogen peroxide induced bacterial pretreatment (H2O2-BP) was employed as phase separated pretreatment to investigate the effectiveness of EPS dissociation prior to biological pretreatment on sludge solubilization and biomethanation. The novelty of this study is the application of mild dosage of hydrogen peroxide at sludge pH for the removal of EPS layer with lesser formation of recalcitrant substances which thereby enhances the disintegration by enzyme secreting bacterial and methane generation. The outcome confirmed that the higher EPS dissociation was achieved at H2O2 dosage of 8 μL per 100 mL of sludge with negligible cell lysis. An extractable EPS of 172.8 mg/L was obtained after H2O2 treatment. The higher sCOD solubilization of 22% and the suspended solid reduction of 17.14% were achieved in hydrogen peroxide followed by bacterial pretreatment (H2O2-BP) as compared to of bacterial pretreatment alone (BP) (solubilization-11% and suspended solids reduction-9.3%) and control (C) sludges (solubilization-5% and suspended solids reduction-4.3%). The methane generation for H2O2-BP sludge is 0.174 L/gCOD which is higher than BP (0.078 L/gCOD,) and C sludge (0.02175 L/gCOD). A higher biomass solubilization and increased biomethanation in H2O2-BP revealed that dissociation of EPS prior to bacterial pretreatment increases the surface area for bacterial pretreatment facilitating easier accessibility of substrate and enhanced biomethanation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Rajesh Banu
- Department of Life Sciences, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Neelakudi, Thiruvarur 610005, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - S Kavitha
- Department of Civil Engineering, Anna University Regional Campus, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu 627007, India
| | - R Yukesh Kannah
- Department of Civil Engineering, Anna University Regional Campus, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu 627007, India; Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu 620015, India
| | - Sunita Varjani
- Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382010, India
| | - M Gunasekaran
- Department of Physics, Anna University Regional Campus, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu 627007, India.
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Yang M, Chen J, Wang X, Sun Y, Xu Y, Liu Q. Enhancement of phosphorus release from waste activated sludge by electrochemical treatment. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2021; 42:3698-3706. [PMID: 32134366 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2020.1739145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The enhancement of phosphorus (P) released from waste activated sludge (WAS) by electrochemical treatment was investigated in this study. Results showed that the concentration of orthophosphate (ortho-P) and organic phosphorus (OP) in liquid both increased after electrochemical treatment. The ortho-P and OP concentration reached a maximum of 5.020 and 1.888 mg/L under the optimal condition respectively (voltage of 4.5 V and time of 60 min), which were 2.86 and 4.93 times higher than that in raw sludge. Meanwhile, the role of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in this process was also studied. The variation trends of P-release in tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) and loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) were different. In TB-EPS, the concentration of total phosphorus (TP) and ortho-P decreased when the voltage increased. In contrast, the concentration of TP and ortho-P in LB-EPS increased and reached the maximum under the optimal condition. Released metal ions (Ca, Mg, Fe, and Al) had some effects on P-release both in liquid and EPS, which indicated that EPS played an important role. SCOD and TSS revealed that the disintegration of sludge was also enhanced by electrochemical treatment. Additionally, the P fractions in sludge phase suggested that OP was more likely to be released in liquid phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Yang
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyan Chen
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Wang
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Sun
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunfeng Xu
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Liu
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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Barrios JA, Cano A, Rivera FF, Cisneros ME, Durán U. Efficiency of integrated electrooxidation and anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2021; 14:81. [PMID: 33794986 PMCID: PMC8017613 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-021-01929-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most of the organic content of waste activated sludge (WAS) comprises microbial cells hard to degrade, which must be pre-treated for energy recovery by anaerobic digestion (AD). Electrooxidation pre-treatment (EOP) with boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode have been considered a promising novel technology that increase hydrolysis rate, by the disintegrating cell walls from WAS. Although electrochemical oxidation could efficiently solubilize organic substances of macromolecules, limited reports are available on EOP of WAS for improving AD. In this endeavour, the mathematical optimization study and the energy analysis of the effects of initial total solids concentrations [TS] of WAS and current density (CD) during EOP on the methane production and removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and volatile solids (VS) were investigated. Because limited reports are available on EOP of WAS for improving biogas production, it is not well understood; however, it has started to attract interest of scientists and engineers. RESULTS In the present work, the energy recovery as biogas and WAS conversion were comprehensively affected by CD and [TS], in an integrated EOP and AD system. When working with WAS at 3% of [TS] pre-treated at current density of 24.1 mA/cm2, the highest COD and VS removal were achieved, making it possible to obtain the maximum methane (CH4) production of 305 N-L/kg VS and a positive energy balance of 1.67 kWh/kg VS. Therefore, the current densities used in BDD electrode are adequate to produce the strong oxidant (hydroxyl radical, ·OH) on the electrode surface, allow the oxidation of organic compounds that favours the solubilization of particulate matter and VS from WAS. CONCLUSIONS The improvement of VS removal and COD solubilization were due to the effects of pre-treatments, which help to break down the microbial cells for faster subsequent degradation; this allows a decomposition reaction that leads to biodegrade more compounds during AD. The balance was positive, suggesting that even without any optimization the energy used as electricity could be recovered from the increased methane production. It is worth noting that this kind of analysis have not been sufficiently studied so far. It is therefore important to understand how operational parameters can influence the pre-treatment and AD performances. The current study highlights that the mathematical optimization and energy analysis can make the whole process more convenient and feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Barrios
- Instituto de Ingeniería, UNAM, P.O. Box 70-186, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - A Cano
- Instituto de Ingeniería, UNAM, P.O. Box 70-186, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - F F Rivera
- CONACYT-Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica. Parque Tecnológico Querétaro S/N Sanfandila, Pedro Escobedo, Querétaro, C.P. 76703, Mexico, Mexico
| | - M E Cisneros
- Instituto de Ingeniería, UNAM, P.O. Box 70-186, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - U Durán
- Instituto de Ingeniería, UNAM, P.O. Box 70-186, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Xu Y, Hu F, Wang X, Qu Y, Xu L, Liu Q. Improvement of phosphorus release from sludge by combined electrochemical-EDTA treatment. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2021; 83:1824-1833. [PMID: 33905355 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2021.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, combined with the addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), the electrochemical treatment of waste activated sludge (WAS) was investigated to explore its effect on the release of phosphorus (P) from WAS. The results showed that during the electrochemical treatment, the addition of EDTA could significantly promote the release of P from the WAS to the supernatant, the optimal amount of EDTA was 0.4 g/g total suspended solids (TSS), when the release of total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), organic phosphorus (OP) and molybdate reactive phosphorus (PO43--P) were 187.30, 173.84 and 13.46 mg/L, respectively. OP was the most likely form of P to be released during this process. Moreover, combined electrochemical-EDTA treatment could promote the release of P and metal ions from extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) to the supernatant, and increase the solubility and disintegration of sludge. EDTA chelated the metal ions of sludge flocs and phosphate precipitates to cause sludge floc decomposition, thereby promoting the release of P from WAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfeng Xu
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, No. 99, Shangda Rd, Shanghai 200444, China E-mail:
| | - Fanglu Hu
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, No. 99, Shangda Rd, Shanghai 200444, China E-mail:
| | - Xin Wang
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, No. 99, Shangda Rd, Shanghai 200444, China E-mail:
| | - Yangwei Qu
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, No. 99, Shangda Rd, Shanghai 200444, China E-mail:
| | - Lu Xu
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, No. 99, Shangda Rd, Shanghai 200444, China E-mail:
| | - Qiang Liu
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, No. 99, Shangda Rd, Shanghai 200444, China E-mail:
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11
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Jafari M, Botte GG. Electrochemical treatment of sewage sludge and pathogen inactivation. J APPL ELECTROCHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10800-020-01481-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Iglesias-Iglesias R, Campanaro S, Treu L, Kennes C, Veiga MC. Valorization of sewage sludge for volatile fatty acids production and role of microbiome on acidogenic fermentation. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 291:121817. [PMID: 31374412 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This work explored the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) through the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge (SS). The first experiment took place at batch scale to evaluate the combined effect of using a thermal pre-treatment (120 °C, 15 min) and different Substrate/Inoculum ratios (S/I) (1, 2, 4 and 6 g VS substrate/g VS inoculum) on the acidogenic potential of the SS. The results showed that the thermal pre-treatment influenced positively the degree of acidification of the SS at low S/I ratios, reaching maximum of 45%. Afterwards, a continuous lab-scale experiment, was set-up to study two ranges of organic loading rates (OLR): 1300-1600 mg COD L-1 d-1 and 2400-3500 mg COD L-1 d-1. The highest degree of acidification (22%) was achieved at the lowest OLR. Analysis of the microbial community in the reactor revealed that OTUs most abundant present genes related with amino acids and carbohydrates fermentation being crucial for VFA production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Iglesias-Iglesias
- Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (CICA), University of Coruña, Rua da Fraga 10, E - 15008 A Coruña, Spain
| | - Stefano Campanaro
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, Padova 35131, Italy; CRIBI Biotechnology Center, University of Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Laura Treu
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Christian Kennes
- Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (CICA), University of Coruña, Rua da Fraga 10, E - 15008 A Coruña, Spain
| | - Maria C Veiga
- Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (CICA), University of Coruña, Rua da Fraga 10, E - 15008 A Coruña, Spain.
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Xiao K, Deng J, Zeng L, Guo T, Gong Y, Yang B, Zhao X, Duan H. Enhancement of municipal sludge dewaterability by electrochemical pretreatment. J Environ Sci (China) 2019; 75:98-104. [PMID: 30473311 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Electrolysis is a promising technology to improve sludge dewaterability efficiently with negligible environmental impact. To intensify the electrolytic efficiency, the effect of electrolytes (NaCl, Na2SO4, NaNO3, and NaClO4) on electrolysis pretreatment of municipal sludge and its mechanisms was investigated using Ti/PbO2 electrodes. The electrolytes, which enhanced the production of oxidative radicals, showed a significant synergetic effect in reducing the capillary suction time (CST) of sludge. NaCl was distinguished from the other electrolytes since it formed a large amount of active chlorine species, which oxidized the sludge cells to improve the sludge dewaterability. The surface morphologies as well as the soluble proteins and polysaccharides were analyzed to unravel the underlying mechanisms of sludge dewaterability. Additionally, an economic assessment showed that NaCl addition in the electrolysis pretreatment can be a suitable technique for enhancing municipal sludge dewaterability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Xiao
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecological Remediation, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
| | - Jianping Deng
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecological Remediation, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Li Zeng
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecological Remediation, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Tao Guo
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecological Remediation, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yan Gong
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecological Remediation, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Bo Yang
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecological Remediation, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
| | - Xu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Huabo Duan
- Smart City Research Institute, College of Civil Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
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Den W, Sharma VK, Lee M, Nadadur G, Varma RS. Lignocellulosic Biomass Transformations via Greener Oxidative Pretreatment Processes: Access to Energy and Value-Added Chemicals. Front Chem 2018; 6:141. [PMID: 29755972 PMCID: PMC5934431 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change, principally induced by the large volume of carbon dioxide emission from the global economy driven by fossil fuels, has been observed and scientifically proven as a major threat to civilization. Meanwhile, fossil fuel depletion has been identified as a future challenge. Lignocellulosic biomass in the form of organic residues appears to be the most promising option as renewable feedstock for the generation of energy and platform chemicals. As of today, relatively little bioenergy comes from lignocellulosic biomass as compared to feedstock such as starch and sugarcane, primarily due to high cost of production involving pretreatment steps required to fragment biomass components via disruption of the natural recalcitrant structure of these rigid polymers; low efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of refractory feedstock presents a major challenge. The valorization of lignin and cellulose into energy products or chemical products is contingent on the effectiveness of selective depolymerization of the pretreatment regime which typically involve harsh pyrolytic and solvothermal processes assisted by corrosive acids or alkaline reagents. These unselective methods decompose lignin into many products that may not be energetically or chemically valuable, or even biologically inhibitory. Exploring milder, selective and greener processes, therefore, has become a critical subject of study for the valorization of these materials in the last decade. Efficient alternative activation processes such as microwave- and ultrasound irradiation are being explored as replacements for pyrolysis and hydrothermolysis, while milder options such as advanced oxidative and catalytic processes should be considered as choices to harsher acid and alkaline processes. Herein, we critically abridge the research on chemical oxidative techniques for the pretreatment of lignocellulosics with the explicit aim to rationalize the objectives of the biomass pretreatment step and the problems associated with the conventional processes. The mechanisms of reaction pathways, selectivity and efficiency of end-products obtained using greener processes such as ozonolysis, photocatalysis, oxidative catalysis, electrochemical oxidation, and Fenton or Fenton-like reactions, as applied to depolymerization of lignocellulosic biomass are summarized with deliberation on future prospects of biorefineries with greener pretreatment processes in the context of the life cycle assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Den
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Virender K. Sharma
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Mengshan Lee
- Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Govind Nadadur
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Rajender S. Varma
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czechia
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