1
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Vo PHN, Ky Le G, Huy LN, Zheng L, Chaiwong C, Nguyen NN, Nguyen HTM, Ralph PJ, Kuzhiumparambil U, Soroosh D, Toft S, Madsen C, Kim M, Fenstermacher J, Hai HTN, Duan H, Tscharke B. Occurrence, spatiotemporal trends, fate, and treatment technologies for microplastics and organic contaminants in biosolids: A review. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 466:133471. [PMID: 38266587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133471] [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: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
This review provides a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, fate, treatment and multi-criteria analysis of microplastics (MPs) and organic contaminants (OCs) in biosolids. A meta-analysis was complementarily analysed through the literature to map out the occurrence and fate of MPs and 10 different groups of OCs. The data demonstrate that MPs (54.7% occurrence rate) and linear alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactants (44.2% occurrence rate) account for the highest prevalence of contaminants in biosolids. In turn, dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and phosphorus flame retardants (PFRs) have the lowest rates (<0.01%). The occurrence of several OCs (e.g., dioxin, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pharmaceutical and personal care products, ultraviolet filters, phosphate flame retardants) in Europe appear at higher rates than in Asia and the Americas. However, MP concentrations in biosolids from Australia are reported to be 10 times higher than in America and Europe, which required more measurement data for in-depth analysis. Amongst the OC groups, brominated flame retardants exhibited exceptional sorption to biosolids with partitioning coefficients (log Kd) higher than 4. To remove these contaminants from biosolids, a wide range of technologies have been developed. Our multicriteria analysis shows that anaerobic digestion is the most mature and practical. Thermal treatment is a viable option; however, it still requires additional improvements in infrastructure, legislation, and public acceptance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phong H N Vo
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - Gia Ky Le
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Lai Nguyen Huy
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Klong Luang, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Lei Zheng
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China; Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| | - Chawalit Chaiwong
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Klong Luang, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Nam Nhat Nguyen
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Hong T M Nguyen
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| | - Peter J Ralph
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Unnikrishnan Kuzhiumparambil
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Danaee Soroosh
- Biotechnology Department, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran 3353-5111, Iran
| | - Sonja Toft
- Urban Utilities, Level 10/31 Duncan St, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Craig Madsen
- Urban Utilities, Level 10/31 Duncan St, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Mikael Kim
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | | | - Ho Truong Nam Hai
- Faculty of Environment, University of Science, 227 Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Viet Nam
| | - Haoran Duan
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ben Tscharke
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
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2
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Mazzeo DEC, Dombrowski A, Oliveira FA, Levy CE, Oehlmann J, Marchi MRR. Endocrine disrupting activity in sewage sludge: Screening method, microbial succession and cost-effective strategy for detoxification. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 330:117207. [PMID: 36621316 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.117207] [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: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Sewage sludge (SS) presents a high agronomic potential due to high concentrations of organic matter and nutrients, encouraging its recycling as a soil conditioner. However, the presence of toxic substances can preclude this use. To enable the safe disposal of this waste in agriculture, SS requires additional detoxification to decrease the environmental risks of this practice. Although some alternatives have been proposed in this sense, little attention is provided to eliminating endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). To fill this gap, this study aimed to develop effective and low-cost technology to eliminate EDCs from SS. For this, a detoxification process combining microorganisms and biostimulating agents (soil, sugarcane bagasse, and coffee grounds) was performed for 2, 4, and 6 months with aerobic and anaerobic SSs. The (anti-)estrogenic, (anti-)androgenic, retinoic-like, and dioxin-like activities of SSs samples were verified using yeast-based reporter-gene assays to prove the effectiveness of the treatments. A fractionation procedure of samples, dividing the target sample extract into several fractions according to their polarity, was conducted to decrease the matrix complexity and facilitate the identification of EDCs. A decrease in the abundance and microbial diversity of the SS samples was noted along the biostimulation with the predominance of filamentous fungal species over yeasts and gram-positive bacteria and non-fermenting rods over enterobacteria. Among the 9 EDCs quantified by LC-ESI-MS/MS, triclosan and alkylphenols presented the highest concentrations in both SS. Before detoxification, the studied SSs induced significant agonistic activity, especially at the human estrogen receptor α (hERα) and the human aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The raw anaerobic sludge also activated the androgen (hAR), retinoic acid (RARα), and retinoid X (RXRα) receptors. However, no significant endocrine-disrupting activities were observed after the SS detoxification, showing that the technology applied here efficiently eliminates receptor-mediated toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dânia Elisa C Mazzeo
- Department of Biotechnology and Plant and Animal Production, Center for Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of São Carlos - UFSCAR, Araras, Brazil.
| | - Andrea Dombrowski
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Flávio Andrade Oliveira
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Rua Alexander Fleming, 105, 13081-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos Emílio Levy
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Rua Alexander Fleming, 105, 13081-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Jörg Oehlmann
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mary Rosa R Marchi
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
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Li X, Wang B, Ma Y, Jiang T, Peng Y. Enhanced mesophilic fermentation of waste activated sludge by integration with in-situ nitrate reduction. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 368:128317. [PMID: 36375702 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the reduction of nitrate in a mesophilic waste activated sludge (WAS) fermentation system and determined the effect of nitrate reduction on the hydrolysis, acidogenesis and acetogenesis. Experimental results showed that the initial nitrate concentrations of 100, 200 and 400 mg/L were completely reduced in 1, 2 and 7 days, respectively. The destruction of volatile suspended solids was 1.2, 1.8 and 2.8 times, respectively, that without nitrate, demonstrating nitrate promoted the release of organic matter in sludge and enhanced the biodegradability of sludge organics. Moreover, batch tests using model substrates illustrated nitrate reduction promoted sludge hydrolysis and acetogenesis, but slightly inhibited acidogenesis. This study offers a feasible method to address two major problems currently faced by biological wastewater treatment plants, i.e. the overabundance of WAS and the lack of carbon sources for the denitrification process.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
| | - 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.
| | - Yuqing Ma
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - 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
| | - Yongzhen Peng
- 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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Cao Z, Huang X, Wu Y, Wang D, Du W, Zhang J, Yang Q, Kuang Z, Chen Z, Li X. Tonalide facilitates methane production from anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 779:146195. [PMID: 33740557 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Tonalide (AHTN), a typical polycyclic musk and an emerging pollutant, was found to be enriched in waste activated sludge (WAS). However, the research of its effect on WAS anaerobic digestion was seldom available. This research therefore investigated the effect of AHTN on WAS anaerobic digestion and the underlying mechanism through batch experiments using either real WAS or synthetic wastewaters as the digestion substrates. The results indicated that when the concentration of AHTN increased from 0 to 1000 mg/kg TSS in WAS, the methane production increased linearly from 125.0 ± 2.2 to 162.9 ± 1.6 mL/g VSS, while the AHTN concentration further increased to 2000 mg/kg TSS, the methane production decreased to 146.2 ± 2.1 mL/g VSS. At the same time AHTN can facilitate the utility of volatile fatty acid (VFAs), especially acetate and propionate. It was further found that the degradation efficiency of AHTN in anaerobic digestion was 42.7%. The mechanism investigation demonstrated that AHTN can promote the solubilization, homoacetogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis processes, leading to an increase in methane production. Further analysis revealed that methanogenic archaea mainly belonged to the genera of Methanosaeta and Metheanobacterium, and their relative abundance increased accordingly with the addition of AHTN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiren Cao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China.
| | - Xiaoding Huang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China.
| | - You Wu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; 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, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Wenjie Du
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; 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, Changsha 410082, PR China; 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, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Zhe Kuang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; 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, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China.
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5
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Dubey M, Mohapatra S, Tyagi VK, Suthar S, Kazmi AA. Occurrence, fate, and persistence of emerging micropollutants in sewage sludge treatment. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 273:116515. [PMID: 33493756 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sludge generated at sewage treatment plants is of environmental concern due to the voluminous production and the presence of a high concentration of emerging contaminants (ECs). This review discusses the fate of ECs in sewage sludge treatment with an emphasis on fundamental mechanisms driving the degradation of compounds based on chemical properties of the contaminant and process operating conditions. The removal of ECs in sewage sludge through various treatment processes of sludge stabilization, such as anaerobic digestion (AD), composting, and pre-treatment methods (thermal, sonication, and oxidation) followed by AD, are discussed. Several transformation mechanisms and remediation strategies for the removal of ECs in sludge are summarized. The study concludes that pH, sludge type, and the types of functional groups are the key factors affecting the sorption of ECs to sludge. During conventional waste stabilization processes such as composting, the degradation of ECs depends on the type of feedstock (TOC, N, P, C/N, C/P) and the initial concentration of the contaminant. In AD, the degree of degradation depends on the hydrophilicity of the compound. The estrogenicity of the sludge may sometimes increase due to the conversion to estrogenic compounds. The pre-treatment techniques can increase the partitioning of ECs in the soluble fraction resulting in enhanced biodegradation up to 10-60%. However, the formation of by-products and loss of OH· to scavenging under high organic content during advanced oxidation processes can make the process uneconomical and require further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Dubey
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Sanjeeb Mohapatra
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 1-Create Way, #15-02 Create Tower, 138602, Singapore
| | - Vinay Kumar Tyagi
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, Uttarakhand, India.
| | - Surindra Suthar
- School of Environment & Natural Resources, Doon University, Dehradun, 248001, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Absar Ahmad Kazmi
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, Uttarakhand, India
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6
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Wang Y, Han K, Wang D, Yi N, Teng Y, Wang W, Liu L, Wang H. Revealing the mechanisms of Triclosan affecting of methane production from waste activated sludge. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 312:123505. [PMID: 32447124 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Triclosan (TCS), as an antimicrobial agent, is considered as a representative emerging contaminant and was frequently detected in excess sludge. This study investigated the effect of TCS on activate wastewater sludge (WAS) digestion through laboratory methane production experiment. It was concluded that TCS had a tendency to restrain methane production from sludge with its exposure level increasing. The results displayed that the yields of final maximum cumulative methane production were similar about 108.4 mL/g VSS at TCS level lower 200 mg TCS/kg TSS, while the values were approximately 95.2 mL/g VSS with TCS level over 550 mg TCS/kg TSS. Although TCS could be degraded, its intermediates in this study had no effect on sludge digestion. In addition, TCS at higher levels had seriously negative effect on the solubilization, hydrolysis, acidification, and methanogenesis processes. Microbial community was further analyzed to understand the TCS's effect on digestion system from a micro perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Governance, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Kai Han
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Governance, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, Hebei Province, PR China
| | - Dongbo Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Neng Yi
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Yajie Teng
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Governance, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, Hebei Province, PR China
| | - Wenjing Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Governance, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, Hebei Province, PR China
| | - Ling Liu
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Governance, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, Hebei Province, PR China
| | - Hongjie Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Governance, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, Hebei Province, PR China.
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7
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Díaz I, Díaz-Curbelo A, Pérez-Lemus N, Fdz-Polanco F, Pérez-Elvira SI. Traceability of organic contaminants in the sludge line of wastewater treatment plants: A comparison study among schemes incorporating thermal hydrolysis treatment and the conventional anaerobic digestion. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 305:123028. [PMID: 32114300 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The traceability of conventional pollutants and 10 organic microcontaminants in the sludge line of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was evaluated. The application of thermal hydrolysis (TH) as pre-treatment to anaerobic digestion (AD) or as inter-treatment (between two AD stages) was considered and compared with the conventional digestion scheme. TH scenarios reduced the mass flow rate of biosolids (40-60%) as well as the ratio of solids (50-100%), organic matter (5-26%) and nitrogen (8-13%) destined to biosolids. Micropollutants showed a strong tendency to accumulate in the solid phase (more than 90% were sorbed) in spite of thermal and dewatering processes, but TH scenarios exhibited greater removal efficiency (80%) in comparison to conventional AD (50%), reducing the ratio of micropollutants destined to biosolids from a conventional 48% to 7-8%. These findings reveal that TH could increase the value of biosolids from sewage sludge treatment because of greater removal of pollutants and dewaterability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Díaz
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Alina Díaz-Curbelo
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Nereida Pérez-Lemus
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Fernando Fdz-Polanco
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Sara Isabel Pérez-Elvira
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain.
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8
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Kim Lazcano R, de Perre C, Mashtare ML, Lee LS. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in commercially available biosolid-based products: The effect of treatment processes. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2019; 91:1669-1677. [PMID: 31260167 DOI: 10.1002/wer.1174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been used in a variety of consumer and industrial products and are known to accumulate in sewage sludge due to sorption and their recalcitrant nature. Treatment processes ensure safe and high-quality biosolids by reducing the potential for adverse environmental impacts such as pathogen levels; however, they have yet to be evaluated for their impact on the fate of PFAS. The objective of this study was to compare PFAS concentrations in four commercially available biosolid-based products that received different types of treatments: heat treatment, composting, blending, and thermal hydrolysis. Seventeen perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) were quantified using liquid chromatography with tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry followed by screening for 30 PFAA precursors. Treatment processes did not reduce PFAA loads except for blending, which served only to dilute concentrations. Several PFAA precursors were identified with 6:2 and 8:2 fluorotelomer phosphate diesters in all samples pre- and post-treatment. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Heat treatment and composting increased perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) concentrations. Only dilution from blending with non-PFAS material decreased PFAA concentrations. Thermal hydrolysis process had no apparent effect on PFAA concentrations. PFAS sources are a greater driver of PFAS loads in biosolid-based products than treatment processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rooney Kim Lazcano
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Ecological Sciences & Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Chloé de Perre
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Michael L Mashtare
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Ecological Sciences & Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Environmental & Ecological Engineering, College of Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Linda S Lee
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Ecological Sciences & Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Environmental & Ecological Engineering, College of Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
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9
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Limmun W, Ito A, Ishikawa N, Momotori J, Kawamura Y, Majima Y, Sasamoto M, Umita T. Removal of nonylphenol and nonylphenol monoethoxylate from water and anaerobically digested sewage sludge by Ferrate(VI). CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 236:124399. [PMID: 31548172 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nonylphenol (NP) and nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP1EO) have toxic and persistent characteristics, and are incompletely degraded in conventional wastewater treatment processes. These compounds are present in sewage sludge that can be reused as fertilizers or soil conditioners. Accordingly, NP and NP1EO should be properly removed before being discharged in the environment. In this study, potassium ferrate (K2FeO4) containing hexavalent iron (Fe(VI)) was used as an environment-friendly oxidizing agent to mediate NP and NP1EO degradation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pH and Fe(VI) dosage on the degradation of NP and NP1EO in water and anaerobically digested sewage sludge samples. In water samples, under conditions examined in this study, maximum removal efficiencies for NP and NP1EO were 98% and 92%, respectively. For digested sewage sludge samples, the maximum removal efficiencies of NP and NP1EO were 58% and 96%, respectively. The results demonstrated that Fe(VI) can potentially degrade NP and NP1EO in water and digested sewage sludge samples. However, organic matter as a matrix in the sludge sample would inhibit the degradation of NP and NP1EO by Fe(VI). The pH values before and after adding K2FeO4 to the samples had an obvious influence on the removal of NP and NP1EO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warunee Limmun
- Department of Frontier Matters and Function Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan
| | - Ayumi Ito
- Course of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of System Innovation Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan.
| | - Nao Ishikawa
- Course of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of System Innovation Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan
| | - Jin Momotori
- Division of Regional Development and Creativity, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Iwate University, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan
| | - Yumi Kawamura
- Division of Regional Development and Creativity, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Iwate University, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan
| | - Yu Majima
- Course of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of System Innovation Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan
| | - Makoto Sasamoto
- Technical Office, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan
| | - Teruyuki Umita
- Course of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of System Innovation Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan
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10
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Taboada-Santos A, Braz GHR, Fernandez-Gonzalez N, Carballa M, Lema JM. Thermal hydrolysis of sewage sludge partially removes organic micropollutants but does not enhance their anaerobic biotransformation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 690:534-542. [PMID: 31301494 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pretreatment technologies prior to anaerobic digestion (AD) have been developed with the aim of enhancing biogas productivity and reducing the presence of pathogens in digested sludge. Among them, thermal hydrolysis (TH) appears as the most promising one. In wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) sludge is the end point of many organic micropollutants (OMPs), which was proved to lead to important environmental and human risks since sludge is commonly used in agriculture. The objective of this work is to determine the fate OMPs in TH and subsequent AD. Sewage sludge was pretreated in a TH pilot plant at 170 °C for 20 min. Afterwards, two anaerobic digesters with a working volume of 14 L fed with fresh and pretreated sludge were operated in parallel in mesophilic conditions. TH proved to be an effective technology to partially or totally remove the dissolved fraction of OMPs as well as the fraction sorbed into those suspended solids that are solubilised after this pretreatment. However, it did not affect the OMPs sorbed concentration into solids that are not solubilised. Globally, the OMPs removal efficiency during TH appears to be linked to the solids solubilisation during this process. Afterwards, the OMPs biotransformation efficiency in AD of fresh and pretreated sludge was determined. Noticeable differences between the microbiome of both reactors was determined, but the anaerobic biotransformation was not substantially different for most of the OMPs. However, it affected musk fragrances, which presented considerably lower biotransformation efficiency in the reactor fed with pretreated sludge. Therefore, TH was proved effective in partially removing OMPs but not in enhancing their bioavailability and subsequent anaerobic biotransformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Taboada-Santos
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E- 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Guilherme H R Braz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E- 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Nuria Fernandez-Gonzalez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E- 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Marta Carballa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E- 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Juan M Lema
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E- 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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Analytical methodologies for the determination of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in sewage sludge: A critical review. Anal Chim Acta 2019; 1083:19-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2019.06.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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12
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Duan X, Wang X, Xie J, Feng L, Yan Y, Wang F, Zhou Q. Acidogenic bacteria assisted biodegradation of nonylphenol in waste activated sludge during anaerobic fermentation for short-chain fatty acids production. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2018; 268:692-699. [PMID: 30144744 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.08.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Nonylphenol (NP) biodegradation under anaerobic conditions is difficult. Here, enhancement of anaerobic NP biodegradation mainly by regulating the role of acidogenic bacteria during anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge (WAS) for short-chain fatty acids production is reported. The maximum degradation efficiency of NP (69.4%) was achieved under conditions of pH 10.0 and 10 mg/L Brij 35 within 8 d, which was nearly 3-fold of that in the control (24.6%). Mechanism exploration revealed that the bioavailability of NP and specific NP-degrading bacteria and their functional genes were advantageous to NP biodegradation with alkaline pH and surfactant. More importantly, acidogenic bacteria, the dominant functional bacteria in WAS fermentation systems, were demonstrated to be involved in NP anaerobic biodegradation by providing intermediate organic substrates, as well as through their intrinsic NP-degrading abilities. Possible pathways of NP biodegradation assisted by acidogenic bacteria during anaerobic fermentation were also proposed based on the detected metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Shanghai Waterway Engineering Design and Consulting Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jing Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Leiyu Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Yuanyuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; Research & Service Center for Environmental Industry, Yancheng 224051, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Feng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
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Xin Y, Wang G, Zhu X, Gao M, Liu Y, Chen Q. Photodegradation performance and mechanism of 4-nonylphenol by WO 3/TiO 2 and TiO 2 nanotube array photoelectrodes. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2017; 38:3084-3092. [PMID: 28142626 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2017.1290143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
TiO2 Nanotube arrays (TNA) and WO3-coated TNA photoelectrodes were fabricated using an in situ anodization and pulse electrochemical deposition technology. The performance of the TNA photoelectrodes in the photocatalytic (PC) and photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) was investigated. The effects of the initial pH and the anions on the degradation rates and reaction mechanism of 4-NP were studied by the photoluminescence (PL) spectra and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). The degradation of 4-NP was fitted to a first-order reaction, and the apparent kinetic constants were 1.9 × 10-2 min-1 for TNA photoelectrodes and 2.4 × 10-2 min-1 for WO3/TNA photoelectrodes. When a bias potential of 1.0 V was applied, the values for TNA and WO3/TNA photoelectrodes increased to 2.5 × 10-2 and 3.0 × 10-2 min-1, respectively. The degradation of 4-NP was controlled by a charge-transfer process one. WO3-decorated TNA photoelectrodes could increase the adsorption of 4-NP and promote its degradation. For the TNA and WO3/TNAs photoelectrodes, acid and alkaline solutions could facilitate the formation of hydroxyl radicals, whereas the removal of 4-NP was inhibited. The presence of [Formula: see text] , Cl-, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] has a negative effect on the formation of •OH, so did the removal of 4-NP. For the TNA photoelectrodes, the inhibition effect of [Formula: see text] on the formation of hydroxyl radicals and the removal of 4-NP was the most serious compared with that of [Formula: see text], Cl- and [Formula: see text] , while for the WO3/TNA photoelectrodes the inhibition effect of [Formula: see text] on the removal of 4-NP was maximum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Xin
- a Qingdao Engineering Research Center for Rural Environment, College of Resource and Environment , Qingdao Agricultural University , Qingdao , People's Republic of China
- b The Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science and Ecology , Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China , Qingdao , People's Republic of China
- c College of Science and Information , Qingdao Agricultural University , Qingdao , People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Wang
- a Qingdao Engineering Research Center for Rural Environment, College of Resource and Environment , Qingdao Agricultural University , Qingdao , People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangwei Zhu
- a Qingdao Engineering Research Center for Rural Environment, College of Resource and Environment , Qingdao Agricultural University , Qingdao , People's Republic of China
| | - Mengchun Gao
- b The Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science and Ecology , Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China , Qingdao , People's Republic of China
| | - Yongping Liu
- c College of Science and Information , Qingdao Agricultural University , Qingdao , People's Republic of China
| | - Qinghua Chen
- a Qingdao Engineering Research Center for Rural Environment, College of Resource and Environment , Qingdao Agricultural University , Qingdao , People's Republic of China
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Armstrong DL, Rice CP, Ramirez M, Torrents A. Influence of thermal hydrolysis-anaerobic digestion treatment of wastewater solids on concentrations of triclosan, triclocarban, and their transformation products in biosolids. CHEMOSPHERE 2017; 171:609-616. [PMID: 28056447 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.12.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The growing concern worldwide regarding the presence of emerging contaminants in biosolids calls for a better understanding of how different treatment technologies at water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) can influence concentrations prior to biosolids land application. This study focuses on the influence of solids treatment via the Cambi Thermal Hydrolysis Process™ in conjunction with anaerobic digestion (TH-AD) on concentrations of triclosan (TCS), triclocarban (TCC), and their transformation products in biosolids and sludges. Concentrations of the target analytes in biosolids from the TH-AD process (Class A), sludges from the individual TH-AD treatment steps, and limed biosolids (Class B) from the same WRRF were compared. TCC concentrations were significantly lower in Class A biosolids than those in the Class B product - a removal that occurred during thermal hydrolysis. Concentrations of TCS, methyl triclosan, and 2,4-dichlorophenol, conversely, increased during anaerobic digestion, leading to significantly higher concentrations of these compounds in Class A biosolids when compared to Class B biosolids. Implementation of the TH-AD process had mixed effect on contaminant concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana L Armstrong
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Clifford P Rice
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, ARS-USDA, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Mark Ramirez
- DCWater, District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Alba Torrents
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
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Hoffman TC, Zitomer DH, McNamara PJ. Pyrolysis of wastewater biosolids significantly reduces estrogenicity. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2016; 317:579-584. [PMID: 27344259 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.05.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Most wastewater treatment processes are not specifically designed to remove micropollutants. Many micropollutants are hydrophobic so they remain in the biosolids and are discharged to the environment through land-application of biosolids. Micropollutants encompass a broad range of organic chemicals, including estrogenic compounds (natural and synthetic) that reside in the environment, a.k.a. environmental estrogens. Public concern over land application of biosolids stemming from the occurrence of micropollutants hampers the value of biosolids which are important to wastewater treatment plants as a valuable by-product. This research evaluated pyrolysis, the partial decomposition of organic material in an oxygen-deprived system under high temperatures, as a biosolids treatment process that could remove estrogenic compounds from solids while producing a less hormonally active biochar for soil amendment. The estrogenicity, measured in estradiol equivalents (EEQ) by the yeast estrogen screen (YES) assay, of pyrolyzed biosolids was compared to primary and anaerobically digested biosolids. The estrogenic responses from primary solids and anaerobically digested solids were not statistically significantly different, but pyrolysis of anaerobically digested solids resulted in a significant reduction in EEQ; increasing pyrolysis temperature from 100°C to 500°C increased the removal of EEQ with greater than 95% removal occurring at or above 400°C. This research demonstrates that biosolids treatment with pyrolysis would substantially decrease (removal>95%) the estrogens associated with this biosolids product. Thus, pyrolysis of biosolids can be used to produce a valuable soil amendment product, biochar, that minimizes discharge of estrogens to the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- T C Hoffman
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Marquette University, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - D H Zitomer
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Marquette University, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - P J McNamara
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Marquette University, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA.
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16
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Semblante GU, Hai FI, Huang X, Ball AS, Price WE, Nghiem LD. Trace organic contaminants in biosolids: Impact of conventional wastewater and sludge processing technologies and emerging alternatives. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2015; 300:1-17. [PMID: 26151380 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This paper critically reviews the fate of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) in biosolids, with emphasis on identifying operation conditions that impact the accumulation of TrOCs in sludge during conventional wastewater and sludge treatment and assessing the technologies available for TrOC removal from biosolids. The fate of TrOCs during sludge thickening, stabilisation (e.g. aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion, alkaline stabilisation, and composting), conditioning, and dewatering is elucidated. Operation pH, sludge retention time (SRT), and temperature have significant impact on the sorption and biodegradation of TrOCs in activated sludge that ends up in the sludge treatment line. Anaerobic digestion may exacerbate the estrogenicity of sludge due to bioconversion to more potent metabolites. Application of advanced oxidation or thermal pre-treatment may minimise TrOCs in biosolids by increasing the bioavailability of TrOCs, converting TrOCs into more biodegradable products, or inducing complete mineralisation of TrOCs. Treatment of sludge by bioaugmentation using various bacteria, yeast, or fungus has the potential to reduce TrOC levels in biosolids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galilee U Semblante
- Strategic Water Infrastructure Laboratory, School of Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Faisal I Hai
- Strategic Water Infrastructure Laboratory, School of Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| | - Xia Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Andrew S Ball
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora 3083, Australia
| | - William E Price
- Strategic Water Infrastructure Laboratory, School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Long D Nghiem
- Strategic Water Infrastructure Laboratory, School of Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
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17
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Samaras VG, Stasinakis AS, Thomaidis NS, Mamais D, Lekkas TD. Fate of selected emerging micropollutants during mesophilic, thermophilic and temperature co-phased anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2014; 162:365-72. [PMID: 24768891 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.03.154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The removal of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was studied in three lab-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) systems; a single-stage mesophilic, a single-stage thermophilic and a two-stage thermophilic/mesophilic. All micropollutants underwent microbial degradation. High removal efficiency (>80%) was calculated for diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen and ketoprofen; whereas triclosan, bisphenol A and the sum of nonylphenol (NP), nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP1EO) and nonylphenol diethoxylate were moderately removed (40-80%). NSAIDs removal was not affected by the type of AD system used; whereas slightly higher EDCs removal was observed in two-stage system. In this system, most microcontaminants were removed in thermophilic digester. Biotransformation of NP1EO and NP was affected by the temperature applied to bioreactors. Under mesophilic conditions, higher removal of NP1EO and accumulation of NP was noticed; whereas the opposite was observed under thermophilic conditions. For most analytes, higher specific removal rates were calculated under thermophilic conditions and 20 days SRT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasilios G Samaras
- Water and Air Quality Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Greece
| | - Athanasios S Stasinakis
- Water and Air Quality Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Greece.
| | - Nikolaos S Thomaidis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Daniel Mamais
- Department of Water Resources, Faculty of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou, Athens 15773, Greece
| | - Themistokles D Lekkas
- Water and Air Quality Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Greece
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Mills N, Pearce P, Farrow J, Thorpe RB, Kirkby NF. Environmental & economic life cycle assessment of current & future sewage sludge to energy technologies. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2014; 34:185-195. [PMID: 24060290 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2013.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2013] [Revised: 08/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The UK Water Industry currently generates approximately 800GWh pa of electrical energy from sewage sludge. Traditionally energy recovery from sewage sludge features Anaerobic Digestion (AD) with biogas utilisation in combined heat and power (CHP) systems. However, the industry is evolving and a number of developments that extract more energy from sludge are either being implemented or are nearing full scale demonstration. This study compared five technology configurations: 1 - conventional AD with CHP, 2 - Thermal Hydrolysis Process (THP) AD with CHP, 3 - THP AD with bio-methane grid injection, 4 - THP AD with CHP followed by drying of digested sludge for solid fuel production, 5 - THP AD followed by drying, pyrolysis of the digested sludge and use of the both the biogas and the pyrolysis gas in a CHP. The economic and environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) found that both the post AD drying options performed well but the option used to create a solid fuel to displace coal (configuration 4) was the most sustainable solution economically and environmentally, closely followed by the pyrolysis configuration (5). Application of THP improves the financial and environmental performance compared with conventional AD. Producing bio-methane for grid injection (configuration 3) is attractive financially but has the worst environmental impact of all the scenarios, suggesting that the current UK financial incentive policy for bio-methane is not driving best environmental practice. It is clear that new and improving processes and technologies are enabling significant opportunities for further energy recovery from sludge; LCA provides tools for determining the best overall options for particular situations and allows innovation resources and investment to be focused accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Mills
- Innovation Department, Thames Water Utilities Limited, Reading, UK; Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
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Bilgin Oncu N, Akmehmet Balcioglu I. Microwave-assisted chemical oxidation of biological waste sludge: simultaneous micropollutant degradation and sludge solubilization. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2013; 146:126-134. [PMID: 23928124 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.07.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2013] [Revised: 07/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Microwave-assisted hydrogen peroxide (MW/H2O2) treatment and microwave-assisted persulfate (MW/S2O8(2-)) treatment of biological waste sludge were compared in terms of simultaneous antibiotic degradation and sludge solubilization. A 2(3) full factorial design was utilized to evaluate the influences of temperature, oxidant dose, and holding time on the efficiency of these processes. Although both MW/H2O2 and MW/S2O8(2-) yielded ≥97% antibiotic degradation with 1.2g H2O2 and 0.87 g S2O8(2-) per gram total solids, respectively, at 160 °C in 15 min, MW/S2O8(2-) was found to be more promising for efficient sludge treatment at a lower temperature and a lower oxidant dosage, as it allows more effective activation of persulfate to produce the SO4(-) radical. Relative to MW/H2O2, MW/S2O8(2-) gives 48% more overall metal solubilization, twofold higher improvement in dewaterability, and the oxidation of solubilized ammonia to nitrate in a shorter treatment period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nalan Bilgin Oncu
- Bogazici University, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Bebek, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey.
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Lian J, Liu J. Fate and degradation of nonylphenolic compounds during wastewater treatment process. J Environ Sci (China) 2013; 25:1511-1518. [PMID: 24520688 DOI: 10.1016/s1001-0742(12)60218-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In order to explore the biodegradation behavior of nonylphenolic compounds during wastewater treatment processing, two full-scale wastewater treatment plants were investigated and batch biodegradation experiments were conducted. The biodegradation pathways under the various operational conditions were identified from batch experiments: shortening of ethoxy-chains dominated under the anaerobic condition, whereas oxidizing of the terminal alcoholic group prevailed over the other routes under the aerobic condition. Results showed that the anoxic condition could accelerate the biodegradation rates of nonylphenolic compounds, but had no influence on the biodegradation pathway. The biodegradation rates of nonylphenol (NP) and short-chain nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPnEOs, n: number of ethoxy units) increased from the anaerobic condition, then the anoxic, finally to the aerobic condition, while those of long-chain NPnEOs and nonylphenoxy carboxylates (NPECs) seemed similar under the various conditions. Under every operational condition, long-chain NPnEOs showed the highest biodegradation activity, followed by NPECs and short-chain NPnEOs, whereas NP showed relatively recalcitrant characteristics especially under the anaerobic condition. In addition, introducing sulfate and nitrate to the anaerobic condition could enhance the biodegradation of NP and short-chain NPnEOs by supplying more positive redox potentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Lian
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
| | - Junxin Liu
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
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McNamara PJ, Krzmarzick MJ. Triclosan enriches forDehalococcoides-likeChloroflexiin anaerobic soil at environmentally relevant concentrations. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2013; 344:48-52. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6968.12153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Revised: 03/25/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J. McNamara
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering; Marquette University; Milwaukee; WI; USA
| | - Mark J. Krzmarzick
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Oklahoma State University; Stillwater; OK; USA
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