Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yufen Wang, Kaixin Zheng, Jiazeng Ding, Haixiao Guo, Xueming Chen, Tingting Zhu, Peizhe Sun, Yiwen Liu
Summary: This study explored a novel ultrasonic-enhanced percarbonate oxidation technique to improve anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge. The results showed that ultrasonic waves enhanced the oxidation reaction and reduced the required oxidant dosage, leading to a 46.8% increase in cumulative methane yield after optimal pretreatment. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that ultrasonic-enhanced percarbonate oxidation improved both the hydrolysis rate and biochemical methane potential. Mechanistic exploration revealed that ultrasonic-enhanced percarbonate oxidation promoted the solubilization, hydrolysis, and acidification of substrates during pretreatment, providing abundant reaction intermediates for subsequent methanation. Additionally, it improved the biodegradability of soluble substrates and altered the physical characteristics of the sludge, creating favorable conditions for anaerobic biotransformation.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Archana Kasinath, Hubert Bylinski, Wojciech Artichowicz, Anna Remiszewska-Skwarek, Malgorzata Szopinska, Ewa Zaborowska, Aneta Luczkiewicz, Sylwia Fudala-Ksiazek
Summary: This study investigated the effect of low-temperature pretreatment on the efficiency of anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS). The results showed that low-temperature pretreatment increased methane production and improved energy performance. AD of pretreated WAS achieved a positive net energy balance.
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)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Environmental Sciences
Lei Zhang, Yiyang Yuan, Yingdi Zhang, Yang Liu
Summary: This study investigates the feasibility of using calcium hypochlorite (Ca(ClO)(2)) to improve the thermophilic digestion of anaerobic wasted activated sludge (WAS). The results show that Ca(ClO)(2) pretreatment significantly enhances the removal efficiency and methane yield of WAS under low organic loading rate (OLR) conditions. However, the pretreatment effect is not significant under high OLR conditions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
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
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.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yuqi Wu, Kang Song
Summary: The study on anaerobic co-digestion of waste activated sludge and fish waste showed that adding 1.5% and 3% of fish waste could enhance methane production, while adding more than 6% inhibited methane production severely. Microbial community analysis revealed dominance of hydrogenotrophic and methylotrophic methanogenesis pathways during anaerobic co-digestion.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Meng Gao, Siqi Li, Huijing Zou, Fushan Wen, Anrong Cai, Ruilin Zhu, Wenjing Tian, Dezhi Shi, Hongxiang Chai, Li Gu
Summary: Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a sustainable method for recovering energy from organic wastes, but the efficiency for waste activated sludge (WAS) is limited due to WAS hydrolysis constraints. This study proposes a strategy to treat WAS and landfill leachate simultaneously, aiming to enhance WAS hydrolysis and organic conversion to methane. The effects of landfill leachate on the different stages of AD of WAS were investigated, showing that appropriate amounts of leachate can promote solubilization, hydrolysis, and acidogenesis, but not methanogenesis. Mechanism studies revealed the beneficial effects of humic acid in leachate on hydrolysis and acidogenesis, and the dose-dependent effects of heavy metals on the AD process. Additionally, microbial community analysis showed an increase in microbes responsible for hydrolysis and acidogenesis with the presence of landfill leachate.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xuechun Wang, Jiana Jing, Minghua Zhou, Raf Dewil
Summary: This review critically discusses the application of H2O2-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the removal of antibiotics from wastewater. The article presents recent research progress in the combination of H2O2 with AOPs through different reaction mechanisms, recent advances in AOPs that can generate and activate H2O2 in situ, and the use of H2O2-based AOPs in combination with other techniques for the degradation and mineralization of antibiotics. Future research trends in H2O2-based AOPs are also discussed.
CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Brent Verhoeven, Maarten Nagels, Pieter Van Aken, Roberto Gaggiano, Barbara Rossi, Walter Bogaerts, Raf Dewil
Summary: A new 3D-printed sample holder was designed and validated for studying pitting corrosion of metals, which significantly improved the reliability and efficiency of the testing method by avoiding unrealistic crevice corrosion. The results showed that the designed sample holder enables more realistic and representative pitting results in corrosion research.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ELECTROCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Wannes Mores, Philippe Nimmegeers, Ihab Hashem, Satyajeet S. Bhonsale, Jan F. M. Van Impe
Summary: Model-based multi-objective optimization is a valuable tool for finding optimal trade-offs between conflicting objectives, but it comes with high computational costs. Additionally, uncertainty is present due to the approximation of the real process. This article presents a novel algorithm that efficiently computes relevant Pareto points by considering the uncertainty using Pareto ellipsoids.
COMPUTERS & CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Theodora Akritidou, Simen Akkermans, Cindy Smet, Valerie Delens, Jan F. M. Van Impe
Summary: Despite the numerous barriers in the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT), foodborne diseases remain a common problem. This study aimed to investigate how food buffering capacity and structure affect the survival of Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes during digestion. The results showed that proteins have strong protective properties, acting as buffering agents or physical barriers against gastric acidity, while fat had lower buffering capacity and weaker protective effects.
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xi Zhang, Matthias Verbist, Mohammadreza Kamali, Yongtao Xue, Yong Liu, Pengrui Jin, Maria Elisabete V. Costa, Lise Appels, Deirdre Cabooter, Raf Dewil
Summary: This study investigated the degradation kinetics and mechanisms of different types of recalcitrant organic pollutants (ROPs) using a biochar-CuO/periodate (PI) system. The study found that the pH had significant effects on the formation of oxidative species, with the system being most efficient at pH 7. The system was able to efficiently remove methylene blue (MB) at pH 7, while under highly alkaline pH values, the degradation kinetics of the pollutant were lower. The system maintained its efficiency for other types of ROPs and could detoxify MB.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jewel Ann Joseph, Simen Akkermans, Elke Cornillie, Jerome Deberlanger, Jan F. M. Van Impe
Summary: This study identified that BMGY, FM22, and BSM media exhibited the highest secretion yield of recombinant thaumatin II, indicating that the optimal medium for cell growth is not necessarily optimal for recombinant protein production. Sufficient oxygen transfer into the medium is important for higher secretion yield. Vitamins supplementation contributed to an increased yield of thaumatin, with BMGY supplemented with vitamins achieving the highest protein yield.
FOOD AND BIOPRODUCTS PROCESSING
(2023)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Hrvoje Mikulcic, Xuebin Wang, Neven Duic, Raf Dewil
Summary: Due to the climate crisis, sustainable economic growth and biodiversity protection have been increasingly promoted. Scientists and experts emphasize the bio-based restoration of ecosystems and responsible resource management for future generations. This paper discusses the latest developments in energy, water, and environmental sustainability from the SDEWES 2021 conference and serves as an introduction to a virtual special issue of the Journal of Environmental Management.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mohammadreza Kamali, Yutong Guo, Tejraj M. Aminabhavi, Rouzbeh Abbassi, Raf Dewil, Lise Appels
Summary: Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have the potential to simultaneously remove contaminants from wastewater and generate bioelectricity as a green and renewable source of energy. However, large-scale applications of these technologies face technical and economic issues related to the fabrication and performance of MFC components. Innovative approaches such as using waste-driven carbonaceous structures and novel fabrication techniques like 3-D printing are discussed to enhance the efficiency and reduce costs of MFCs. Integrations with other technologies and novel applications are reviewed for practical implementation of MFCs in sustainable wastewater treatment.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jewel Ann Joseph, Simen Akkermans, Jan F. Van Impe
Summary: This study investigates the growth and substrate consumption patterns of Pichia pastoris on different substrates and finds that genetically engineered strains exhibit higher growth rates compared to wild type strains. This provides an opportunity for further optimization of carbon source feeding strategies.
BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Yong Liu, Xiaobin Yu, Mohammadreza Kamali, Xi Zhang, Sara Feijoo, S. M. Al-Salem, Raf Dewil, Lise Appels
Summary: This review summarizes the desirable physicochemical properties of biochar for its application as a catalyst or electrode material in electrochemical advanced oxidation processes. It also presents the mechanisms for electrocatalytic in-situ generation and activation of H2O2 by biochar in these processes, providing deeper insights into the degradation of organic pollutants. Additionally, modification strategies to improve the performance of biochar in these processes are addressed, along with the remaining challenges and future perspectives.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aurore Guillaume, Lise Appels, Vladimir Koci
Summary: As part of its transition to a sustainable society and circular economy, the EU aims to reduce municipal solid waste and separate its organic fraction. The management of biowaste at the municipal level is crucial, and local factors play a significant role in determining the most sustainable treatment option. A Life Cycle Assessment was conducted to evaluate the environmental impacts of biowaste management in Prague and propose improvements. Different scenarios were analyzed based on EU and Czech biowaste targets, and the results showed the importance of the energy source used. Currently, incineration is the most sustainable option due to an energy mix dependent on fossil fuels, but community composting has potential to reduce ecotoxicity and resource use. To meet EU directives, a combination of anaerobic digestion and composting is likely the best option. The findings of this project are highly valuable for municipalities.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Styliani Roufou, Sholeem Griffin, Juan Attard, Lydia Katsini, Monika Polanska, Jan F. M. Van Impe, Ruben Gatt, Vasilis P. Valdramidis
Summary: This study examines the effect of temperature and dissolved carbon dioxide on the growth rate of Escherichia coli, finding a decrease in mu(max) by 0.76 h(-1) at 42 degrees C with increased dissolved CO2, and an increase in mu(max) by 0.99 h(-1) at 27 degrees C. The developed model can be a useful tool for predicting Escherichia coli growth.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Boyang Chen, Samet Azman, Raf Dewil, Lise Appels
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive examination and evaluation of the alkaline anaerobic digestion of livestock manure. It reveals that alkaline anaerobic digestion is a successful method for treating livestock manure, but there are still knowledge gaps and challenges in terms of economic analysis.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
