Article
Environmental Sciences
Alicja Machnicka, Klaudiusz Grubel
Summary: The aim of this research was to explore the application of waste activated sludge (WAS) pretreatment processes in anaerobic digestion. The results showed significant reductions in pathogenic bacteria, coliphages, and parasite eggs using hydrodynamic disintegration and freezing/thawing disintegration methods. The hybrid disintegration method achieved the best results.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Angelica Guerrero Calderon, Haoran Duan, Kai Yee Seo, Catherine Macintosh, Sergi Astals, Kaili Li, Jingjing Wan, Huijuan Li, Nova Maulani, Zhuan Khai Lim, Zhiguo Yuan, Shihu Hu
Summary: Anaerobic digestion is a common method for stabilizing primary sludge and waste activated sludge, with FNA pre-treatment being effective for enhancing the degradability of waste activated sludge. The characteristics of waste activated sludge are impacted by the configuration of wastewater treatment plants, especially in terms of primary treatment. FNA pre-treatment targets the destruction of polymetric substances and cells, leading to varying improvements in methane yield depending on the proportion of cells in the sludge.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yufen Wang, Kaixin Zheng, Haixiao Guo, Yindong Tong, Tingting Zhu, Yiwen Liu
Summary: This study revealed that vivianite significantly inhibits anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge, leading to a decrease in methane yield, an increase in substrate remaining, and an impact on microbial communities.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hui Wang, Wenzong Liu, Muhammad Rizwan Haider, Feng Ju, Zhe Yu, Yingjun Shi, Weiwei Cai, Aijie Wang
Summary: The study proved the effectiveness of an integrated strategy combining pretreatment with microbial electrolysis-assisted anaerobic digestion system for sludge lysate treatment and resource recovery. The pretreatment enhanced the biodegradation and bio-transformation of organic compounds, while membrane separation improved methane yield and purity, as well as protein recovery. This strategy shows potential for widespread adoption in wastewater treatment plants for sludge lysate treatment and sustainable resource recovery.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Runze Xu, Shiyu Fang, Le Zhang, Xiaoshi Cheng, Wenxuan Huang, Feng Wang, Fang Fang, Jiashun Cao, Dongbo Wang, Jingyang Luo
Summary: The study revealed the significant impact of intrinsic drawbacks in WAS on AD performance, including cemented structure, low biomass fraction, and high levels of inhibitory pollutants. To enhance WAS digestion efficiency, potential strategies such as pretreatment, bioaugmentation, and substance addition were critically analyzed. Future directions for improving WAS digestion were also proposed from technical, management, and economic perspectives.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
D. Fernandez-Polanco, E. Aagesen, M. Fdz-Polanco, S. I. Perez-Elvira
Summary: Anaerobic digestion is commonly used for sludge treatment in WWTPs, with thermal hydrolysis being favored for its economic advantages. The decision to adopt TH technology varies based on local regulations and pricing, with different objectives leading to different optimal configurations. Pre-, inter- and post-treatments of TH process offer distinct advantages and drawbacks, with site-specific conditions being key in determining the best location within the WWTP.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Zhang-Wei He, Hong-Yu Jin, Yong-Xiang Ren, Wen-Jing Yang, Cong-Cong Tang, Chun-Xue Yang, Ai-Juan Zhou, Wen-Zong Liu, Ai-Jie Wang
Summary: This study proposed a promising approach, stepwise alkaline treatment coupled with ammonia stripping, to enhance short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production from waste activated sludge (WAS) anaerobic digestion. The strategy not only increased SCFAs production significantly, but also achieved nitrogen and carbon recovery, offering solutions for the carbon-neutral operation of wastewater treatment plants.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Jie Liu, Zi Zhang, Weiqi Xue, Withanage B. Siriweera, Guanghao Chen, Di Wu
Summary: This study investigated a new bioresource technology for recovering raw chemicals of sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) from digested saline waste activated sludge. The extracted SPs were proven to be high purity (>80%) and had significant properties such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, and anti-coagulation for potential pharmaceutical-like application.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiang Tang, Baowei Zhang, Changzheng Fan, Guangming Zeng, Weiping Xiong, Chengyun Zhou, Yang Yang, Xiaoya Ren, Xiaopei Li, Kunyue Luo
Summary: The addition of cationic polyacrylamide (cPAM) was effective in alleviating the toxicity of PVC microplastics on the anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge, leading to increased methane production and overall efficiency of the anaerobic system. This positive impact was mainly attributed to cPAM reducing leaching of bisphenol-A (BPA) and the efficiency of reactive oxygen species (ROS) entering the microbial cells.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Mengyu Yin, Hongbo Chen
Summary: Chitosan plays a positive role in anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge, enhancing methane production potential and promoting sludge agglomeration through various mechanisms, ultimately contributing to the gasification process.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adrian Gonzalez, Jules B. van Lier, Merle K. de Kreuk
Summary: The study highlights that the characteristics of waste activated sludge are influenced by the wastewater or growth media, leading to different degrees of recalcitrance in the produced sludge. By adjusting the growth medium, it is possible to obtain lab-grown sludge with a similar response to thermal pre-treatment, showing slowly-biodegradable properties.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Cong-Cong Tang, Bao-Cai Zhang, Xing-Ye Yao, Ai-Juan Zhou, Wenzong Liu, Yong-Xiang Ren, Zhihua Li, Aijie Wang, Zhang-Wei He
Summary: This study investigated the response mechanisms of anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge to different particle sizes of zeolite. It was found that zeolite with a particle size of 0.2-0.5 mm and an additive dosage of 0.1 g/g VSS increased methane production by 22.08% compared to the control. Mechanism study revealed that zeolite improved the hydrolysis, acidification, and methanogenesis stages, leading to the enhanced consumption of soluble polysaccharides and proteins, increased accumulation of short-chain fatty acids, optimized composition of short-chain fatty acids, increased activity of F420, and promoted syntrophic metabolism between bacteria and methanogens.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Magdalena Budych-Gorzna, Lukasz Jaroszynski, Piotr Oleskowicz-Popiel
Summary: Low-temperature alkaline pretreatment of waste activated sludge followed by anaerobic digestion can significantly improve the economic balance of wastewater treatment plants, increasing electricity production from methane and reducing operating costs.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mingting Du, Xuran Liu, Dongbo Wang, Qi Yang, Abing Duan, Hong Chen, Yiwen Liu, Qilin Wang, Bing-Jie Ni
Summary: This study delves into the degradation of capsaicin in anaerobic co-digestion, revealing that capsaicin inhibits methane production and affects the activity of anaerobic microbes, particularly impacting hydrolysis, acidogenesis, and methanogenesis.
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Xuran Liu, Dongbo Wang, Zhijie Chen, Wei Wei, Giorgio Mannina, Bing-Jie Ni
Summary: This paper reviews the presence and inhibition mechanisms of refractory substances in waste activated sludge (WAS) and comprehensively discusses the pretreatment strategies for enhancing WAS biodegradability by facilitating refractory substances conversion. Future research needs to focus on removing the hindering barrier of refractory substances on WAS biodegradability.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Sergi Vinardell, Joan Dosta, Joan Mata-Alvarez, Sergi Astals
Summary: This research evaluated the economic feasibility of using AnMBR technology as a mainstream technology for municipal sewage treatment, showing its potential to be an economically competitive option for full-scale implementation and achieving energy self-sufficiency in high strength municipal sewage treatment.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Miriam Peces, Sergi Astals, Paul D. Jensen, William P. Clarke
Summary: The study found that adjusting hydraulic retention time (HRT) alone is not sufficient to washout methanogens in anaerobic digestion, requiring a combination of other operational parameters. Changes in metabolic rates and microbial communities under different HRTs led to variations in process performance.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sergi Vinardell, Sergi Astals, Marta Jaramillo, Joan Mata-Alvarez, Joan Dosta
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of an AnMBR treating municipal sewage pre-concentrated by FO on a lab-scale. Results showed good COD removal efficiencies and increased methane yield with higher pre-concentration factors. Preliminary energy and economic analysis indicated the feasibility of AnMBR treating pre-concentrated sewage.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Luisa Ornelas Ferreira, Sergi Astals, Fabiana Passos
Summary: The study found that mono-digestion of food waste had low methane yield, but anaerobic co-digestion with microalgae can increase methane production with optimal synergy. In real scenarios, a higher proportion of food waste is preferred, but a minimum amount of microalgae is necessary for process stability.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sergi Vinardell, Lucie Sanchez, Sergi Astals, Joan Mata-Alvarez, Joan Dosta, Marc Heran, Geoffroy Lesage
Summary: This research investigates the impact of permeate flux and gas sparging rate on membrane permeability, organic matter rejection, and process economics of granular anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs). The results showed that flux and sparging rate had a direct impact on membrane fouling, but did not affect the rejection of organic matter. The analysis suggests that protein-like fluorophores could be important foulants for these systems. The economic analysis highlights the importance of reducing sparging rate requirements and improving membrane permeability to reduce costs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
M. Ruiz-Hernando, S. Vinardell, J. Labanda, J. Llorens
Summary: The study showed that ultrasound treatment can improve the rheological and dewatering properties of waste activated sludge, but the implementation cost is high and has a significant impact on economic balance. Techno-economic analysis revealed that increasing electricity revenue and reducing biosolids disposal costs are crucial factors to make ultrasound treatment economically attractive.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sina Gholami, Joan Llorens Llacuna, Vahid Vatanpour, Ahmad Dehqan, Shadi Paziresh, Jose Luis Cortina
Summary: In this study, novel hydroxyl and carboxyl functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (AHF-MWCNT and ACFMWCNT) were successfully synthesized and used to modify and improve the antifouling properties of PVDF membranes. The blending of AHF-MWCNT and ACF-MWCNT in the PVDF membrane resulted in a more hydrophilic and smoother membrane surface with increased negative charge. The overall porosity and mean pore radius of the membrane were also increased by embedding MWCNTs. The addition of AHF-MWCNT and ACF-MWCNT in the PVDF membrane matrix improved the filtration performance, antifouling, and dye separation. Carboxylic modification showed better performance than hydroxyl functionalization. The 0.1 wt% ACF-MWCNT blended membrane exhibited the best performance with high permeability, high fouling resistance, and high dye rejection.
Review
Environmental Sciences
N. Perez-Esteban, S. Vinardell, C. Vidal-Antich, S. Pena-Picola, J. M. Chimenos, M. Peces, J. Dosta, S. Astals
Summary: Fermentation is an emerging biotechnology for transforming waste into easily assimilable organic compounds. Co-fermentation of multiple waste streams in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can increase the yields of sludge fermentation. The most studied variables in co-fermentation include mixing ratio, pH, and temperature. Continuous co-fermentation can be optimized by controlling temperature, pH, hydraulic retention time, and organic load. This review provides a comprehensive and critical overview of co-fermentation research and lays the foundation for future studies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
A. Serra-Toro, S. Vinardell, S. Astals, S. Madurga, J. Llorens, J. Mata-Alvarez, F. Mas, J. Dosta
Summary: A gas-permeable membrane (GPM) contactor is a suitable technology to efficiently separate ammoniacal nitrogen and volatile fatty acids (VFA) from fermentation broths under different pH and temperature conditions.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sergi Vinardell, Gaetan Blandin, Federico Ferrari, Geoffroy Lesage, Joan Mata-Alvarez, Joan Dosta, Sergi Astals
Summary: This research investigates the impact of draw solute and membrane material on the economic balance of a forward osmosis system pre-concentrating municipal sewage prior to an anaerobic membrane bioreactor. The study finds that the material of the FO membrane has a significant economic impact, with TFC membrane having substantially lower net costs compared to CTA membrane. The draw solute has a moderate impact on the economic balance, with sodium acetate, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride being the most economically favorable draw solutes for the CTA and TFC membranes, respectively.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
C. Da Silva, M. Peces, M. Faundez, H. Hansen, J. L. Campos, J. Dosta, S. Astals
Summary: The Gamma model is a novel approach to characterise complex degradation dynamics in anaerobic digestion. It combines the first-order kinetic model with the Gamma distribution function to analyse the variability of the kinetic constant. The model successfully approximates different probability density functions and demonstrates its potential and consistency in characterising waste degradation processes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hongxia Liang, William P. de Haan, Marc Cerda-Domenech, Javier Mendez, Francisco Lucena, Cristina Garcia-Aljaro, Anna Sanchez-Vidal, Elisenda Balleste
Summary: This study evaluated the abundance of faecal and marine bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from biofilms adhered to marine plastics. The results showed that plastics can act as vectors for bacteria and reservoirs for potential pathogens and ARGs.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jordi Labanda, Joan Llorens
Summary: The adsorption of three tripeptides in an ion-exchange membrane adsorber was analyzed. Single peptide solutions followed the Langmuir isotherm and GTG showed the highest adsorption affinity. The competitive adsorption between peptides in binary solutions was analyzed using the extended and modified Langmuir equations. The separation of GGG from the GGG/GHG mixtures was possible with high recovery and purity.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jordi Labanda, Shirin Shahgodari, Joan Llorens
Summary: This study investigated the rejection of glycine and triglycine by two nanofiltration membranes in binary solutions with NaCl at different pH values. The results showed that the water permeability coefficient exhibited a n-shaped curve with feed pH, especially for the MPF-36 membrane. The rejection of glycine and triglycine was also found to be pH-dependent, and it decreased with increasing NaCl concentration in binary solutions.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Rong-Gui Zhu, Chang-Gui Pan, Feng-Jiao Peng, Chao-Yang Zhou, Jun-Jie Hu, Kefu Yu
Summary: This comprehensive survey investigated the occurrence, bioaccumulation, and trophic magnification of parabens and their metabolite 4-HB in a marine food web. Results showed that parabens were the predominant pollutants in marine organisms, with significant bioaccumulation from sediments. The estimated trophic magnification factor indicated biomagnification for MeP and trophic dilution for 4-HB. Overall, the risks for humans consuming marine organisms were found to be low.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Andres F. Torres-Franco, Deborah Leroy-Freitas, Cristina Martinez-Fraile, Elisa Rodriguez, Pedro A. Garcia-Encina, Raul Munoz
Summary: Anaerobic and microalgae-based technologies have emerged as sustainable alternatives for municipal wastewater treatment. However, the presence of viruses in the treated wastewater is a major concern for reuse applications. This study assessed the ability of these technologies to reduce viruses during secondary wastewater treatment. The results showed that all technologies were effective in reducing the concentration of viruses, with microalgae-based treatment exhibiting the highest potential for reducing the disinfection requirements of treated wastewater.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Young Gwang Kim, Sae Yun Kwon, Spencer J. Washburn, Scott C. Brooks, Ji Won Yoon, Lucien Besnard
Summary: The study uses Hg isotope ratios to identify the sources and exposure pathways of mercury in bivalves, finding that dissolved Hg phases in the water column are the primary source and exposure pathway to bivalves. This provides new insights into using bivalves as bioindicators for sediment quality monitoring.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hui Geng, Ying Xu, Rui Liu, Dianhai Yang, Xiaohu Dai
Summary: This study investigates the effect of cation exchange resin (CER) on the sequential recovery of hydrogen and methane from anaerobic digestion (AD) and the corresponding mechanisms. The results show that CER can simultaneously enhance the production of hydrogen and methane by promoting the solubilisation, hydrolysis, and acidification of organic matter. Additionally, CER facilitates effective contact between bacteria and organic particulates and reduces the energy barrier for mass transfer during methane production. The study also reveals changes in the microbial community structure and metagenomics during the AD process.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaojing Lin, Zhan Jin, Shunfeng Jiang, Zhiquan Wang, Suqing Wu, Ke Bei, Min Zhao, Xiangyong Zheng
Summary: Dehumidification combined with addition of absorbent resin supplement (ARS) was used to achieve rapid evaporation of non-pretreated urine, resulting in high water evaporation efficiency and nutrient recovery.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yangli Che, Chaoran Lin, Shen Li, Jiao Liu, Longhai Zhu, Shilei Yu, Nan Wang, Haoshuai Li, Mutai Bao, Yang Zhou, Tonghao Si, Rui Bao
Summary: Hydrodynamic processes play a crucial role in the transmission of sediments, microbial assembly, and organic carbon redistribution in the ocean. Through experiments and analysis, we found that hydrodynamics shape the assembly of microbial communities and control the redistribution of different sourced organic carbon, thereby influencing microbial-mediated biogeochemical transformation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chao Chen, Yu Yang, Nigel J. D. Graham, Zhenyu Li, Xingtao Yang, Zhining Wang, Nadia Farhat, Johannes S. Vrouwenvelder, Li -an Hou
Summary: The fouling of seawater reverse osmosis membranes is a persistent challenge in desalination. This study monitored the operational performance of a desalination plant for 7 years and the fouling development in different areas of membrane modules. The findings showed that operational performance declined over time and fouling mainly occurred at the feed side of the modules, with the highest microbial diversity. Keystone species like Chloroflexi and Planctomycetes played an important role in maintaining community structure and biofilm maturation. Polysaccharides, soluble microbial products, marine humic acid-like substances, and inorganic substances contributed to fouling. Overall, biofouling had a significant impact on membrane fouling after 7 years of operation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dan Li, Jieyi Sun, Yibo Fu, Wentao Hong, Heli Wang, Qian Yang, Junhong Wu, Sen Yang, Jianhui Xu, Yunfei Zhang, Yirong Deng, Yin Zhong, Ping'an Peng
Summary: Sulfidation-oxidation treatment of magnetite (Fe3O4) enhances the production of dark center dot OH, which can efficiently degrade dissolved organic matter (DOM) and accelerate carbon cycling.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Cheng Yu, Kaijun Wang, Kaiyuan Zhang, Ruiyang Liu, Pingping Zheng
Summary: This study implemented a microaerobic-aerobic configuration in a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment facility and investigated the effects on sludge characteristics, pollutant removal, microbial community, and granulation mechanisms. The results showed successful transition from flocculent-activated sludge to well-defined AGS after two months of operation. The primary pathways for pollutant removal were simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal. Moreover, the incorporation of internal separators induced shifts in the flow pattern, which promoted granulation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhe Zhang, Shaoyang Hu, Guangrong Sun, Wei Wang
Summary: Halogenated aromatic disinfection byproducts (DBPs), such as halogenated phenols, have garnered widespread attention due to their high toxicity and prevalence. This study reports on the analysis, occurrence, and cytotoxicity of a group of emerging halogenated aromatic DBPs, known as halogenated polyhydroxyphenols (HPPs), in drinking water.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Shengyue Chen, Jinliang Huang, Peng Wang, Xi Tang, Zhenyu Zhang
Summary: Accurate prediction of river water quality is crucial for sustainable water management. This study introduces wavelet analysis and transfer learning techniques to assist LSTM modeling, proposing a newly coupled modeling approach that improves short-term prediction of river water quality.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bang Du, Xinmin Zhan, Piet N. L. Lens, Yifeng Zhang, Guangxue Wu
Summary: Efficient anaerobic digestion relies on the cooperation of different microorganisms with different metabolic pathways. This study investigated the effects of different operational modes and the addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) on ethanol metabolic pathways. The results showed that the SBR mode and the presence of CO2 facilitated ethanol metabolism towards propionate production, while the CFR mode with extended solids retention time enriched Geobacter. Adjusting operational modes and PAC addition can modulate anaerobic ethanol metabolism and enrich Geobacter.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wanfa Wang, Si-Liang Li, Jun Zhong, Yuanbi Yi, Fujun Yue, Zenglei Han, Qixin Wu, Ding He, Cong-Qiang Liu
Summary: This study compares the carbon biogeochemical processes in karst and non-karst regions within large thermal stratified river-reservoir systems. The results demonstrate that karst reservoirs have a reduced potential for carbon emissions and highlight the importance of considering geologic settings to improve accuracy in regional and global CO2 emission estimates.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chunxia Jiang, Zelong Zhao, Dong Zhu, Xiong Pan, Yuyi Yang
Summary: This study analyzed the occurrence and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in different environmental media of the Yangtze River using metagenomics. Core resistome dominated by multidrug resistance genes was found in all samples, while rare resistome dominated by various resistance genes was more prevalent in plasmids. Specific bacteria were identified as hosts for both core and rare resistomes, with high clinical concern ARGs found in the rare resistome. Particle-associated environment provided the most ideal conditions for resistome hosts. This study provided insights into the genetic locations of ARGs and the community assembly mechanisms of ARG hosts in freshwater environments.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yu Zhang, Yongtao He, Linchun Jia, Lei Xu, Zheng Wang, Yueling He, Ling Xiong, Xumeng Lin, Hong Chen, Gang Xue
Summary: By synergizing organic carbon source, thiosulfate, and zero-valent iron, efficient mixotrophic denitrification of oligotrophic secondary effluent can be achieved. Thiosulfate plays a vital role in promoting TN removal efficiency, while corrosion of Fe0 releases OH- to neutralize H+ from thiosulfate-driven denitrification, creating a suitable environment for denitrification. The coordination of thiosulfate and Fe0 maintains the dominance of Thiobacillus for denitrification.