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Yuan H, Zhang Y, Chen Z, Cai S, Zhang Z, Yang P, Peng S, Yu J, Wang D, Zhang W. Molecular transformation pathway and bioavailability of organic phosphorus in sewage sludge under vermicomposting. Sci Total Environ 2024; 906:167796. [PMID: 37838053 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorus reclamation from sewage sludge is essential for sustainable phosphorus management, as large quantities of phosphorus afflux into wastewater treatment plants and are finally enriched in sewage sludge via phosphorus removal technologies. Meanwhile, vermicomposting is a cost-effective biotechnique for sludge stabilization. This work unveiled the molecular transformation pathway and bioavailability of organic phosphorus (OP) in sludge under vermicomposting with solution 31P NMR, FT-ICR MS and enzymatic hydrolysis assay. In conclusion, vermicomposting transformed OP in two stages. In stage I (day 0 to 14), macromolecule CHONP such as phospholipids, phosphoproteins and nucleic acid were decomposed into orthophosphate and high bioavailability OP including flavin mononucleotide, flavin mononucleotide hydrate and N6-isopentenyladenosine 5'-monophosphate under the action of earthworm intestinal flora. This resulted in the bioavailability of OP reaching a maximum of 13.58 mg/L on day 14. In stage II (day 14 to 28), the enzyme in vermicompost began to dominate the transformation of OP. Under the catalysis of phosphate, high bioavailability orthophosphate monoester was decomposed into orthophosphate. Nitrogen-containing aromatic OP polymerization produced humic acid-like OP under the catalysis of ligase. And phytic acid-like OP were produced under the catalysis of transferase. These led to the OP bioavailability decreasing to 5.60 mg/L on day 28. This work provides a new perspective on sludge phosphorus recovery and use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yuan
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Zexu Chen
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Siying Cai
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Ziwei Zhang
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Peng Yang
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Northeast Electric Power University, Jilin 132012, Jilin, China
| | - Siwei Peng
- Datang Environment Industry Group Co., Ltd, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Junxia Yu
- Key Laboratory of Novel Biomass-Based Environmental and Energy Materials in Petroleum and Chemical Industry, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Dongsheng Wang
- Department of environmental engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Weijun Zhang
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China; National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Detoxication and Resource Recovery, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
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Sui Q, Liu L, Hu L, Zhou Y, Li J, Zhou L, Fang D. Elemental sulfur redox bioconversion for selective recovery of phosphorus from Fe/Al-bound phosphate-rich anaerobically digested sludge: Sulfur oxidation or sulfur reduction? Water Res 2023; 244:120449. [PMID: 37572462 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
The biological oxidation of elemental sulfur (S0) to sulfate and the reduction of S0 to sulfide provide a potential route for extracting and reclaiming phosphorus (P) from anaerobically digested sludge (ADS). However, the treatment performance, stability, and cost-effectiveness of the two opposing bioprocesses based on S° for selective P recovery from ADS remain unclear. This study aimed to compare the roles of S0-oxidizing bacteria (S0OB) and S0-reducing bacteria (S0RB) in liberating insoluble P from ADS through single-batch and consecutive multibatch experiments. Changes in P speciation in the sludge during the biological extraction processes were analyzed by using complementary sequential extraction and P X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy. Results showed that S0OB treatment extracted more phosphate from the sludge compared with S0RB treatment, but it also released a considerable amount of metal cations (e.g., heavy metals, Mg2+, Al3+, Ca2+) and negatively affected sludge dewaterability due to intense sludge acidification and cell lysis. At pH 1.2, the S0OB treatment released 92.9% of P from the sludge, with the dissolution of HAP, Fe-PO4, Mg3(PO4)2, and P-fehrrihy contributing 26.8%, 22.1%, 12.8%, and 10.5%, respectively. The S0RB treatment released 63.6% of P from the sludge at pH 7.0, with negligible dissolution of metal cations, thereby avoiding costly purification of the extract and alkali neutralization for pH adjustment. This treatment involved the replacement of phosphates bounded with Fe-PO4 (FePO4 and P-fehrrihy) and Al-PO4 (P-Alumina and AlPO4) with biogenic sulfides, with contributions of 72.7%, and 20.9%, respectively. Consecutive bioprocesses for P extraction were achieved by recirculating the treated sludge. Both S0OB and S0RB treatments did not affect the extent of sludge dewatering but considerably weakened the dewatering rate. The S0OB-treated sludge exhibited prolonged filtration time (from 3010 s to 9150 s) and expressing time (from 795 s to 4690 s) during compression dewatering. After removing metal cations using cation exchange resin (CER) and neutralizing using NaOH, a vivianite product Fe3(PO4)2·8H2O (purity: 84%) was harvested from the S0OB-treated extract through precipitation with FeSO4·7H2O. By contrast, a vivianite product Fe3(PO4)2·8H2O (purity: 81%) was directly obtained from the S0RB-treated extract through precipitation with FeSO4·7H2O. Ultimately, 79.8 and 57.9wt% of P were recovered from ADS through S0OB extraction-CER purification-alkali neutralization-vivianite crystallization, and S0RB extraction-vivianite crystallization, respectively. Collectively, biological S0 reduction is more applicable than biological S0 oxidation for selectively reclaiming P from Fe/Al-associated phosphate-rich ADS due to better cost-effectiveness and process simplicity. These findings are of significance for developing sludge management strategies to improve P reclamation with minimal process inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghong Sui
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Lanlan Liu
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Lingyu Hu
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yujun Zhou
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Jiansheng Li
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Lixiang Zhou
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Di Fang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing 210095, China.
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Nan H, Yang F, Li D, Cao X, Xu X, Qiu H, Zhao L. Calcium enhances phosphorus reclamation during biochar formation: Mechanisms and potential application as a phosphorus fertilizer in a paddy soil. Waste Manag 2023; 162:83-91. [PMID: 36948116 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Transformation of phosphorus (P) species during pyrolytic production of biochar from P-rich biowastes with a subsequent soil amendment is important to P reclamation. Aiming at increasing the content of plant-available P and restraining the formation of easily mobile P in pyrolysis product, this study used exogenous calcium ions (20 wt% CaCl2) addition prior to pyrolysis to regulate the pyrolytic transformation of P chemical fractions from sewage sludge and bone dreg. Results showed that active Ca catalyzed the decomposition of organic P to transform into inorganic orthophosphate. Based on Hedley's sequential extraction method, this study found that addition of Ca ions remarkably reduced the content of soluble P, exchange P, Fe/Al bound P, and occluded P in biochar, while increased Ca bound P from 78 to 85% to 85-96%. Liquid 31P NMR indicated that exogenous Ca induced the crack of the P-O-P bond in pyrophosphate to become orthophosphates. It also explained why new orthophosphates including chlorapatite (Ca5(PO4)3Cl) and calcium hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) appeared in the Ca-composite biochar compared to pristine biochar. Combined with rapid P-release test in paddy soil (pH 6.27) and 30-days rice seedling growth test under flooded condition (10 wt% biochar addition ratio), it was confirmed that compared to pristine biochar, Ca-composite biochar released more P in paddy soil, but also promoted more P to be taken in by rice root and stalk. These results suggested that pretreating biowaste with Ca ion was a friendly approach to enhance P reclamation during biochar formation, making it a promising P fertilizer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Nan
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Henan 450001, China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Fan Yang
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Deping Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xinde Cao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaoyun Xu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Hao Qiu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ling Zhao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
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Su L, Hu L, Sui Q, Ding C, Fang D, Zhou L. Improvement of fungal extraction of phosphorus from sewage sludge ash by Aspergillus niger using sludge filtrate as nutrient substrate. Waste Manag 2023; 157:25-35. [PMID: 36516581 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2022.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Fungal extraction is a promising approach for reclaiming phosphorus (P) from sewage sludge ash (SSA). However, this approach faces notable technical and economic challenges, including an unknown P speciation evolution and the addition of expensive chemical organic carbon. In this study, the use of an organic-rich effluent produced in sludge dewatering as nutrient source is proposed to initiate the fungal extraction of SSA-borne P with Aspergillus niger. The changes in P speciation in the ash during fungal treatment was analyzed by combined sequential extraction, solid-state 31P nuclear magnetic resonance, and P X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy. Results showed that after 5 days of fungal treatment using sludge-derived organics, 85 % of P was leached from SSA. Dominantly, this considerable release of P resulted from the dissolution of Ca3(PO4)2, AlPO4, FePO4, and Mg3(PO4)2 in the ash, and their individual contribution rates to P released accounted for 28.0 %, 24.3 %, 20.6 %, and 18.8 %, respectively. After removal of metal cations (e.g., Mg2+, Al3+, Fe3+, and heavy metals) by cation exchange resin (CER), a hydroxyapatite (HAP) product with a purity of > 85 % was harvested from the extract by precipitation with CaCl2. By contrast, without CER purification, a crude product of Ca/Mg-carbonates and phosphates mixture were obtained from this extract. A total of 73.2 wt% of P was ultimately recovered from SSA through integrated fungal extraction, CER purification, and HAP crystallization. These findings provide a mechanistic basis for the development of waste management strategies for improved P reclamation with minimal chemical organics consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Su
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Lingyu Hu
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Qinghong Sui
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Chengcheng Ding
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Di Fang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Lixiang Zhou
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing 210095, China
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Silva C, Saldanha Matos J, Rosa MJ. Performance indicators and indices of sludge management in urban wastewater treatment plants. J Environ Manage 2016; 184:307-317. [PMID: 27726898 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.09.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/18/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Sludge (or biosolids) management is highly complex and has a significant cost associated with the biosolids disposal, as well as with the energy and flocculant consumption in the sludge processing units. The sludge management performance indicators (PIs) and indices (PXs) are thus core measures of the performance assessment system developed for urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The key PIs proposed cover the sludge unit production and dry solids concentration (DS), disposal/beneficial use, quality compliance for agricultural use and costs, whereas the complementary PIs assess the plant reliability and the chemical reagents' use. A key PI was also developed for assessing the phosphorus reclamation, namely through the beneficial use of the biosolids and the reclaimed water in agriculture. The results of a field study with 17 Portuguese urban WWTPs in a 5-year period were used to derive the PI reference values which are neither inherent to the PI formulation nor literature-based. Clusters by sludge type (primary, activated, trickling filter and mixed sludge) and by digestion and dewatering processes were analysed and the reference values for sludge production and dry solids were proposed for two clusters: activated sludge or biofilter WWTPs with primary sedimentation, sludge anaerobic digestion and centrifuge dewatering; activated sludge WWTPs without primary sedimentation and anaerobic digestion and with centrifuge dewatering. The key PXs are computed for the DS after each processing unit and the complementary PXs for the energy consumption and the operating conditions DS-determining. The PX reference values are treatment specific and literature based. The PI and PX system was applied to a WWTP and the results demonstrate that it diagnosis the situation and indicates opportunities and measures for improving the WWTP performance in sludge management.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Silva
- Urban Water Division, Hydraulics and Environment Department, National Civil Engineering Laboratory, Av. Brasil 101, 1700-066 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - J Saldanha Matos
- Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources Department, CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - M J Rosa
- Urban Water Division, Hydraulics and Environment Department, National Civil Engineering Laboratory, Av. Brasil 101, 1700-066 Lisboa, Portugal
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