Dynamic modelling of anaerobic digestion

The anaerobic digestion model presented here considers a two step process. First, acidogenic bacteria convert glucose into acetate then methanogenic bacteria convert this acid into methane and carbon dioxide. The biomass and metabolite production rates are described by distinct relations. Therefore, there is not a direct relationship between the growth and the energy production related to metabolite formation. The inhibitory effects of the unionized acid concentration on growth rate of both bacterial populations and the methane production from acetate were considered separately. The model was tested in batch cultures with two types of organic loads, i.e. pea bleaching wastewaters and a synthetic substrate containing sucrose and organic acid. The model allowed to simulate satisfactorily the methane production under very different operational conditions.     

Research of parameters affecting sludge digestion process

The parameters characterizing and affecting anaerobic sludge digestion process in three Lithuanian cities are investigated. Results showed that digestion process was effective in all three objects: specific biogas production varied between 0.77 and 0.86 m³/kg volatile solids destroyed, methane content in the biogas varied between 64 and 67% and they complied with the values presented in the scientific references. The increase of VS loading (up to 2.6 kg VS/m³/day) led to the higher level of VS destruction which was up to 59%. The sludge retention time (hydraulic retention time) values must be in ranges of 20–25 days for the digestion process in order to get the design VS destruction, as well the biogas production. In a case of lack of raw materials, the application of wastes from food industry can help to reach the design parameters. The application of wastes from milk industry showed positive results in the digestion process.     

Methanogenic digestion using mixed substrate of acetic, propionic and butyric acids

Experiments on methanogenic digestion using high concentrations of mixed substrate were conducted. The major intermediate products of anaerobic digestion such as acetic, propionic and butyric acids were mixed in a ratio of 2:1:1 (COD basis), respectively, and used as a substrate for feeding into continuous-flow chemostat reactors maintained at 35°C. These reactors were operated stably at higher feed substrate concentrations and shorter hydraulic retention times (HRT) than those of using a single component of volatile fatty acids as a substrate. At an HRT of 4.43 days, the methanogenesis occurred normally up to a feed substrate concentration of 70,000 mg COD I⁻¹. At a feed substrate concentration of 20,000 mg COD I⁻¹, the methanogenesis occurred normally up to an HRT of 2.91 days and the minimum SRT for microbial populations was calculated to be 2.42 days. An increase in feed substrate concentration adversely affected the propionate degradation strikingly, while a decrease in HRT significantly adversely affected the acetate and propionate degradation. The methane production was 0.301 g⁻¹ COD utilized, and it was independent of the feed substrate concentration and HRT. Bacilli were predominant in all reactors, but sarcinae appeared in the reactors with high feed substrate concentrations and short HRTs. Phenomena in digester failure due to methanogen washout were also observed.     

Psychrophilic and mesophilic anaerobic digestion of brewery effluent: a comparative study

Two expanded granular sludge bed-anaerobic filter (EGSB-AF) bioreactors (3.38 l active volume) were used to directly compare psychrophilic (15 degrees C), anaerobic digestion (PAD) to mesophilic (37 degrees C) anaerobic digestion (MAD) for the treatment of a brewery wastewater (chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration of 3,136+/-891 mg l(-1)). Bioreactor performance was evaluated by COD removal efficiency and biogas yields at a range of hydraulic and organic loading rates. Specific methanogenic activity (SMA) assays were also employed to investigate the activity of the biomass in the bioreactors. No significant difference in the COD removal efficiencies (which ranged from 85-93%) were recorded between PAD and MAD during the 194-d trial at maximum organic and hydraulic loading rates of 4.47 kg m(-3) day(-1) and 1.33 m(3) m(-3) day(-1), respectively. In addition, the methane content (%) of the biogas was very similar. The volumetric biogas yield from the PAD bioreactor was approximately 50% of that from the MAD bioreactor at an organic loading rate of 4.47 kg COD m(-3) day(-3) and an applied liquid up-flow velocity (V(up)) of 2.5 m h(-1). Increasing the V(up) in the PAD bioreactor to 5 m h(-1) resulted in a volumetric biogas production rate of approximately 4.1 l d(-1) and a methane yield of 0.28 l CH(4) g(-1) COD d(-1), which were very similar to the MAD bioreactor. Significant and negligible biomass washout was observed in the mesophilic and psychrophilic systems, respectively, thus increasing the sludge loading rate applied to the former and underlining the robustness of the latter, which appeared underloaded. A psychrotolerant mesophilic, but not truly psychrophilic, biomass developed in the PAD bioreactor biomass, with comparable maximum SMA values to the MAD bioreactor biomass. PAD, therefore, was shown to be favourably comparable to MAD for brewery wastewater treatment and biogas generation.     

The effects of organic toxicants on methane production and hydrogen gas levels during the anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge

Batch serum bottle assays were conducted to examine the response of the anaerobic digestion process to inhibition induced by the pulse addition of four organic toxicants [chloroform, bromoethanesulfonic acid (BES), trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) and formaldehyde]. The impact that increasing levels of inhibition of methane production had on hydrogen response and volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation were examined. All of the toxicants, with the exception of formaldehyde, appeared to elicit similar hydrogen response patterns and VFA accumulations for similar levels of inhibition. Results indicate that both the hydrogen and acetate catabolizing methanogenic populations were inhibited to approximately the same extent by chloroform, BES, and TCAA. Severe inhibition of methane production (>70% reduction of methane produced compared to controls) resulted in a rapid accumulation of hydrogen in the gaseous headspace. When inhibition was less severe, hydrogen accumulated to levels only slightly above controls. Based on these preliminary results, there appears to be some limits on the potential of using hydrogen as an early warning indicator of process upset. Results do indicate, however, that monitoring hydrogen in consert with conventional process indicators should improve digester monitoring and may provide more rapid indication of process upsets due to toxic shocks.     

碱法麦草浆黑液处理系统的调试

对某造纸厂黑液处理系统的调试经验进行了总结。首先修正了原设计方案，提出酸析木素、中和、第一厌氧池、第二厌氧池相串连的处理流程，重点进行了第一厌氧池和第二厌氧池（UBF）的调试，探讨了挥发性脂肪酸（VFA）、重碳酸盐碱度、pH值及水力条件等工艺参数问题，并对存在的反应器污泥流失、重碳酸盐碱度与VFA浓度控制、水力条件的选择与控制等问题提出了解决办法。     

Effect of acid speciation on solid waste liquefaction in an anaerobic acid digester

Laboratory scale experiments were carried out to evaluate and determine the suitable working conditions for the enhancement of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production with the stabilization of solid pineapple waste (peel) simultaneously when operating two-phase anaerobic digestion. It was found that acid production, enhanced when the digester was operated at neutral pH. VFAs, could be obtained at about 50 g/kg-waste within 14 days when operating at pH 6.5-7.5 compared to 33 g/kg-waste for digester operated at pH 5.0-6.0 for 32 days. The total volatile solid reduction of 42-48% was obtained with a 51-57% volume reduction at neutral pH. The effect of undissociated acids on the activity of acetogenic bacteria was also studied. The inhibitory level of undissociated acids for acidogenesis was found to be about 2300, 650, and 120 mg/L at pH 5, 6, and 7, respectively. The results revealed that at low pH, undissociated acids are inhibitory. It was found that for efficient operation of two-phase anaerobic digestion, both VFAs concentration and pH should be controlled.     

Mitigating ammonia inhibition of thermophilic anaerobic treatment of digested piggery wastewater: use of pH reduction, zeolite, biomass and humic acid

High free ammonia released during anaerobic digestion of livestock wastes is widely known to inhibit methanogenic microorganisms and result in low methane production. This was encountered during our earlier thermophilic semi-continuously fed continuously-stirred tank reactor (CSTR) treatment of piggery wastewater. This study explored chemical and biological means to mitigate ammonia inhibition on thermophilic anaerobic treatment of piggery wastewater with the aim to increase organic volatile carbon reduction and methane production. A series of thermophilic anaerobic batch experiments were conducted on the digested piggery effluent to investigate the effects of pH reduction (pH 8.3 to 7.5, 7.0 and 6.5) and additions of biomass (10% v/v and 19% v/v anaerobic digested piggery biomass and aerobic-anaerobic digested municipal biomass), natural zeolite (10, 15 and 20 g/L) and humic acid (1, 5 and 10 g/L) on methane production at 55 °C for 9-11 days. Reduction of the wastewater pH from its initial pH of 8.3 to 6.5 produced the greatest stimulation of methane production (3.4 fold) coupled with reductions in free ammonia (38 fold) and total volatile fatty acids (58% TVFA), particularly acetate and propionate. Addition of 10-20 g/L zeolite to piggery wastewater with and without pH reduction to 6.5 further enhanced total VFA reduction and methane production over their respective controls, with 20 g/L zeolite producing the highest enhancement effect despite the ammonia-nitrogen concentrations of the treated wastewaters remaining high. Without pH reduction, zeolite concentration up to 20 g/L was required to achieve comparable methane enhancement as the pH-reduced wastewater at pH 6.5. Although biomass (10% v/v piggery and municipal wastes) and low humic acid (1 and 5 g/L) additions enhanced total VFA reduction and methane production, they elevated the residual effluent total COD concentrations over the control wastewaters (pH-unadjusted and pH-reduced) unlike zeolite treatment. The outcomes from these batch experiments support the use of pH reduction to 6.5 and zeolite treatment (10-20 g/L) as effective strategies to mitigate ammonia inhibition of the thermophilic anaerobic treatment of piggery wastewater.     

Methanogenic granular sludge as a seed in an anaerobic baffled reactor

This paper reviews the importance of phase separation in anaerobic wastewater treatment, characteristics of anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR), properties of anaerobic granular sludge, granulation process and advantages of granular sludge over nongranular sludge. The performance data of ABR and its modified configurations with regard to carbonaceous matter removal by using various seed sludges are compared. It is concluded that enhanced wastewater treatment efficiencies can be achieved with methanogenic granular seed sludge in an ABR because of a number of advantages associated with granular biomass over nongranular aggregates.     

Statistical modelling anaerobic digestion for process optimisation and bench‐marking: a case study of E. coli inactivation across all Thames Water conventional sewage sludge treatment sites

Untreated sewage sludge potentially contains a wide range of enteric pathogens that present a risk to human health. Mesophilic anaerobic digestion (MAD) is the most‐favoured process for sewage sludge treatment in the United Kingdom. It is a well‐established approach to sludge stabilisation, but the mechanisms responsible for pathogen removal are poorly understood. Operational data collected by Thames Water from conventional MAD sites were statistically scrutinised to examine the effects of primary and secondary digestion on the removal of the enteric indicator bacteria, Escherichia coli, by using the IBM SPSS statistical software package for ANOVA, post‐hoc and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that the process temperature conditions at the MAD plants were equivalent to or exceeded the minimum estimated by the analysis necessary to comply with the 2 log₁₀ removal standard for E. coli. The results also showed that primary digestion conditions (specifically temperature) sublethally damaged E. coli and increased decay in secondary digestion and therefore over the whole digestion process.     

厌氧/好氧/物化组合工艺处理DSD酸废水

采用微电解/上流式厌氧污泥反应床(UASB)/高效曝气生物滤池(GBAF)/微电解—Fenton氧化组合工艺处理DSD酸废水,进水COD和色度分别为4980mg/L和50000倍,经过近11个月的调试启动后,出水相应指标分别为69mg/L和30倍,可稳定达到《污水综合排放标准》(GB8978—1996)的一级标准。废水处理直接运行费用为14.452元/m3。     

Partial wet oxidation of p-coumaric acid: Oxidation intermediates, reaction pathways and implications for wastewater treatment

p-Coumaric acid is representative of the polyphenolic fraction typically found in olive oil processing and wine-distillery wastewaters. The batch oxidation of p-coumaric acid has been investigated using a high-pressure reactor at temperatures varying from 403 to 523 K and pressures from 3 to 7 MPa. Concentrations of reaction intermediates were determined as a function of oxidation time using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) as the main analytical technique, and an oxidation mechanism for p-coumaric acid is suggested. The results are discussed with respect to developing an integrated chemical-biological treatment process for organic wastewater.     

二级曝气中和法处理酸洗废水工艺的研究

根据酸洗废水的水质特点，介绍了二级曝气中和法作为酸洗废水的处理工艺，并在理论上对该工艺进行了探讨，模拟试验结果表明，二级曝气中和法对酸洗废水中污染物去除效果显著，出水符合排放要求，工艺合理可行。     

Source identification of heavy metals in sewage sludge and the effect of influent characteristics: a case study from China

To advance the reclamation of sewage sludge and evaluate the potential risk during sludge application, wastewater and sludge were sampled from seven secondary wastewater treatment plants seasonally in 2016 and 2017. The influent characteristics and the accumulation of eight toxic heavy metals in sludge were analyzed. According to the results, copper, chromium, nickle and zinc were the main heavy metals constraining reclamation of sewage sludge in Shanghai and they were mainly from domestic wastewater. Influent concentration, treatment process and coexisting elements had significant effects on accumulation of heavy metals in sludge. Lead concentration in sludge from AAC plants was generally higher than that from AAO plants, but for other metals the differences were insignificant or depended on the initial concentrations. Nutrients, suspended solids and coexisting heavy metals had significant effects on heavy metal accumulation in sludge when the initial concentration was controlled.     

Potential for wastewater reuse in irrigation: case study from Aden (Yemen)

Wastewater treatment with waste stabilization ponds (WSP) is a very efficient, low cost and low maintenance operation. The treated wastewater from WSP should be considered as a valuable resource for reuse by water resources managers. Yemen’s water resources are currently experiencing a crisis, because all surface water and groundwater resources are exploited beyond the level of recharge. Promoting water reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation could mitigate this water crisis. This paper assesses the performance of a WSP in the city of Aden by examining the quality of treated sewage predominantly of domestic origin. A comparison with international guidelines reveals that it is possible to use the final effluent to a limited extent in irrigation. This paper includes an outline of the social, religious and political reasons for the water crisis, and explores the idea of reuse of effluent for different irrigation practices.     

A cost–benefit analysis of alternative wastewater treatment standards: a case study in Israel

This paper analyses a number of possible standards for wastewater treatment in Israel from a cost–benefit perspective. Specifically, the paper examines the possibility to introduce stricter standards with respect to both sanitary quality and salinity levels, under the assumption that the treated wastewater is then reused in agriculture. The costs associated with each standard are compared with its expected benefits, and the economically efficient standard is identified. As wastewater reuse in agriculture is an attractive option for countries suffering from water scarcity, it is important to develop guidelines for optimal public policy in the field, and herein lies the main contribution of the paper.     

Nutrient recovery and crop yield enhancement in irrigation with reclaimed wastewater: a case study

The paper reports results of treated wastewater reuse field experiments carried out in Apulia (Southern Italy). Fennel and lettuce were irrigated with four different water sources: three reclaimed wastewater streams, obtained by applying different treatment schemes to the same municipal wastewater, and a conventional source (well water). Differences between the three effluents were significant in terms of suspended solids and faecal indicators. Both lettuce and fennel yields were enhanced by the high content of nutrients in the effluent of one of the treatment plants, which had been operated for partial nitrogen removal. In particular, fennel productivity was enhanced by replacing chemical fertirrigation with the supply of nutrients contained in the irrigation water.     

Simulation of closed double‐sludge retention time anoxic‐oxic process in wastewater treatment: case study for a utility model process

The ‘closed double‐sludge retention time anoxic‐oxic (SRT AO) process’ is a utility model designed by the Shanghai Urban Construction Design and Research Institute. It can quantitatively control the nitrification level by adjusting wastewater distribution and mixed sludge return during wastewater treatment, and can thus considerably reduce construction investment and operation costs. However, mixed sludge return from the sedimentation tank may dilute the concentration of nitrobacteria because the heterotrophic bacteria propagate faster. In this paper, the closed double‐SRT AO process was modelled and simulated based on its application at the Zhuyuan Second Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The distribution ratio was found to have a significant influence on the nitrobacteria's concentration but does not eliminate the existence of nitrobacteria in the system. Extension of sludge age enhanced the heterotrophic bacteria concentration and to a greater extent the nitrobacteria concentration, thus attenuated the dilution of nitrobacteria. Mixed liquid recycling showed little effect on nitrobacteria concentration. The closed double‐SRT AO process in Zhuyuan Second WWTP had enough capacity for complete nitrification, but the shortage of organic matter in the influent impeded the nitrogen removal.     

Application of food waste disposers and alternate cycles process in small-decentralized towns: a case study

The use of food waste disposers (FWDs) can be an interesting option to integrate the management of municipal wastewaters and household organic waste in small towns and decentralized areas. This strategy can be even more environmentally friendly if a suitable treatment process of the resulting sewage is performed in order to control nutrients emission. However, still nowadays, part of the scientific and technical community considers the application of this technology a possible source of problems. In this study, the FWDs were applied, with a market penetration factor of 67%, in a mountain village of 250 inhabitants. Further, the existing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was upgraded by applying an automatically controlled alternate cycles process for the management of nutrients removal. With specific reference to the observed results, the impact of the ground food waste on the sewerage system did not show particular solids sedimentation or significant hydraulic overflows. Further, the WWTP was able to face the overloads of 11, 55 and 2g per capita per day of TSS, COD and TN, respectively. Then, the increase of the readily biodegradable COD (rbCOD/COD from 0.20 to 0.25) and the favourable COD/TN ratio (from 9.9 to 12) led to a specific denitrification rate of some 0.06kgNO(3)-N/(kg MLVSS day). Therefore, not only COD removal, but also the total nitrogen removal increased: the denitrification efficiency reached 85%. That led to a better exploitation of the nitrogen-bound oxygen and a consequent reduction of energy requirements of 39%. The final economic evaluation showed the benefits of the application of this technology with a pay back time of 4-5 years.     

Interactive Time-of-use demand response for industrial electricity customers: A case study

Demand response (DR) programs are regarded as one of the most reliable and reasonable methods to benefit electricity suppliers and consumers. This paper presents a modified approach to DR based on an Interactive Time-of-Use (ITOU) model by which volunteer industrial customers and their electricity suppliers obtain the best possible performance. Owing to this aim, when studying the region's electrical load profile to determine the peak-hours, the one-year production and sales profile of industrial customers is also studied to select off-peak hours for industrial subscribers. The results of program implementation for the selected and volunteer industrial customers at the sub-transmission level are presented to evaluate the performance of the proposed model. Considering the electricity bills of the subscribers in the program based on reduced energy consumption at peak hours (selected by the utility), and increased energy consumption at the off-peak price (selected by industrial customers), the economic benefits to industrial customers are calculated and verified. Plotting new load curves confirms load shifting from the peak to the valley of the load curve. The obtained results of the conventional TOU and ITOU models indicate that the proposed ITOU is more effective in achieving program goals.