Composting domestic sewage sludge with natural zeolites in a rotary drum reactor

This work aimed the influence of zeolites addition on a sludge-straw composting process using a pilot-scale rotary drum reactor. The type and concentration of three commercial natural zeolites were considered: a mordenite and two clinoptilolites (Klinolith and Zeocat). Mordenite caused the greatest carbon removal (58%), while the clinoptilolites halved losses of ammonium. All zeolites removed 100% of Ni, Cr, Pb, and significant amounts (more than 60%) of Cu, Zn and Hg. Zeocat displayed the greatest retention of ammonium and metals, and retention efficiencies increased as Zeocat concentration increased. The addition of 10% Zeocat produced compost compliant with Spanish regulations. Zeolites were separated from the final compost, and leaching studies suggested that zeolites leachates contained very low metals concentrations (<1 mg/kg). Thus, the final compost could be applied directly to soil, or metal-polluted zeolites could be separated from the compost prior to application. The different options have been discussed.     

Thermophilic co-digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid wastes with FOG wastes from a sewage treatment plant: reactor performance and microbial community monitoring

Working at thermophilic conditions instead of mesophilic, and also the addition of a co-substrate, are both the ways to intend to improve the anaerobic digestion of the source-collected organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (SC-OFMSW). Addition of sewage treatment plant fat, oil and grease wastes (STP-FOGW), that are nowadays sent to landfill, would represent an opportunity to recover a wasted methane potential and, moreover, improve the whole process. In this study, after a first period feeding only SC-OFMSW, a co-digestion step was performed maintaining thermophilic conditions. During the co-digestion period enhancements in biogas production (52%) and methane yield (36%) were achieved. In addition, monitoring of microbial structure by using PCR-DGGE and cloning techniques showed that bacterial community profiles clustered in two distinct groups, before and after the extended contact with STP-FOGW, being more affected by the STP-FOGW addition than the archaeal one.     

Microbial production of biogas form organic wastes

Biogas production through bacterial digestion of water hyacinth, rice straw and sawdust inoculated with cow dung was investigated in a batch loading of laboratory digestors. It was found that the overall gas yield was 368.00 l from water hyacinth having 77.13% methane, 310.00 l from rice straw with 77.80% methane, and 144.80 l from sandust containing 62.28% methane. Along with the production of gas, the change in pH and microbial population were also monitored. The pH of the digestion mixture was initially low and found to be increasing as the digestion progressed. The total microbial population of bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, cellulolytic organisms, and coliform bacteria were found to decrease with time.     

Investigation of factors influencing biogas production in a large-scale thermophilic municipal biogas plant

A continuously operated, thermophilic, municipal biogas plant was observed over 26 months (sampling twice per month) in regard to a number of physicochemical parameters and the biogas production. Biogas yields were put in correlation to parameters such as the volatile fatty acid concentration, the pH and the ammonium concentration. When the residing microbiota was classified via analysis of the 16S rRNA genes, most bacterial sequences matched with unidentified or uncultured bacteria from similar habitats. Of the archaeal sequences, 78.4% were identified as belonging to the genus Methanoculleus, which has not previously been reported for biogas plants, but is known to efficiently use H₂ and CO₂ produced by the degradation of fatty acids by syntrophic microorganisms. In order to further investigate the influence of varied amounts of ammonia (2–8 g/L) and volatile fatty acids on biogas production and composition (methane/CO₂), laboratory scale satellite experiments were performed in parallel to the technical plant. Finally, ammonia stripping of the process water of the technical plant was accomplished, a measure through which the ammonia entering the biogas reactor via the mash could be nearly halved, which increased the energy output of the biogas plant by almost 20%.     

Ultrasound-assisted hydrolysis and acidogenesis of solid organic wastes in a rotational drum fermentation system

The hydrolysis and acidogenesis of solid organic wastes in a rotational drum fermentation system (RDFS) were improved by direct ultrasonic irradiation (DUSI) and a modified ultrasonic treatment (MUST) composed of dilution, ultrasonic irradiation, and filtration. The effect of DUSI on VA desorption from particle surfaces was estimated. DUSI delivered few distinctions from the broth characteristics, but elevated pH and VS degradation rate (53% higher than the control) in the subsequent acidogenesis. The results demonstrated that DUSI could dislodge VA from particle surfaces and disrupt large-size particles by hydro-mechanical shear force. To improve VA desorption and removal, a MUST process was constructed. The influences of MUST on the characteristics of the fermentation broth and the subsequent acidogenic performance were investigated. MUST raise the broth pH level from 5.1 to 5.5 and remarkably decreased VA concentration from 11.0 to 3.5g/L. At the end of the subsequent acidogenesis, VA increasing ratios, VS degradation ratios, and surface based hydrolysis constants of the fermentors with the control broth (CF) and the treated broth (MUSTF) were 166.7% and 732.0%, 17.0% and 26.7%, and 16.9% and 26.8x10(-6)kgm(-2)d(-1), respectively. With the assistance of MUST, a considerably improved acidogenic performance of solid organic wastes was accomplished in terms of VA production, VS degradation, and particle hydrolysis.     

Production of biogas from solid organic wastes through anaerobic digestion: a review

Anaerobic digestion treatments have often been used for biological stabilization of solid wastes. These treatment processes generate biogas which can be used as a renewable energy sources. Recently, anaerobic digestion of solid wastes has attracted more interest because of current environmental problems, most especially those concerned with global warming. Thus, laboratory-scale research on this area has increased significantly. In this review paper, the summary of the most recent research activities covering production of biogas from solid wastes according to its origin via various anaerobic technologies was presented.     

Composting potential of different inoculum sources in the modified SEBAC system treatment of municipal solid wastes

The aim of the work described here was to analyse the biomethanization process for three types of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) using two different inoculum sources in a sequential leach-bed anaerobic reactor under thermophilic (55 degrees C) and dry conditions (20%TS). The OFMSWs studied were: separately collected food waste (SC_OFMSW) from restaurants, synthetic waste (ST_OFMSW) and mechanically selected municipal waste (MS_OFMSW). The inoculum studied were digested mesophilic sludge (SLUDGE) and digested SC_OFMSW. The results show that SLUDGE gave the best performance and this was therefore selected for the rest of the experiments. Three assays were performed to analyse the biomethanization processes of three types of organic waste. The results suggest that all three wastes give rise to an acclimation stage with acidogenic/acetogenic activity between days 5 and 20-30 and a stabilization phase associated with methanogenic activity. In conclusion, a mixture of OFMSW (regardless of its origin) and SWINE arranged in layers in the reactor, as well as SLUDGE used with an inoculum source, enhanced the fast start up phase of a modified sequential leach-bed system under dry thermophilic conditions.     

Anaerobic digestion of municipal solid wastes: dry thermophilic performance

The purpose of this study was to analyze the performance of two laboratory-scale reactors (5.0L) treating organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW): source sorted OFMSW (SS_OFMSW) obtained from a university restaurant and mechanically selected municipal fraction (MS_OFMSW) obtained from a Municipal Treatment Plant placed in Cadiz-Spain. Discontinuous reactors operated at thermophilic (55 degrees C) and dry (20% total solid) conditions. Different decomposition patterns were observed: (1) the SS_OFMSW exhibited the classical waste decomposition pattern with a fast start up phase beginning within 0-5 days and 20-30 and a subsequent stabilization phase. The VS removal was 45% with a cumulative biogas of 120L in approx. 60 days; (2) the MS_OFMSW showed a methanogenic pattern throughout the whole experimental period (60 days) and this gave higher levels of organic biodegradation (56%VSr) and biogas production (82L). Both processes were completed and a high level of cumulative methane production was achieved in less than 60 days, proximally 25-30L.     

Feeding approaches for biogas production from animal wastes and industrial effluents

Different feeding approaches were applied to a 5 l anaerobic digester in order to improve the biogas production. During operation, the reactor was fed with a mixture (9.7% w/v total solids (TS) and 7.6% w/v volatile solids (VS) in average) of pig manure with fish oil waste and waste from bentonite of edible oil filtration process, at different intervals of 24, 12 and 4 h at 15 days of hydraulic retention time. Production and quality of the biogas were practically constant at 183.7 ml (average) of biogas per gram of volatile solids available in the reactor per day, and the best biogas composition was 73.6% v/v CH₄ and 26.4% v/v CO₂.     

The biofuel potential of municipal solid waste

The world in the 21st century is facing a dual crisis of increasing waste and global climate change. Substituting fossil fuels with waste biomass‐derived cellulosic ethanol is a promising strategy to simultaneously meet part of our energy needs, mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and manage municipal solid waste (MSW). However, the global potential of MSW as an energy source is as yet unquantified. Here, we report increasing trends of MSW generation, and waste biomass‐derived cellulosic ethanol potentials in relation to socio‐economic development across 173 countries, and show that globally, up to 82.9 billion litres of waste paper‐derived cellulosic ethanol can be produced worldwide, replacing 5.36% of gasoline consumption, with accompanying GHG emissions savings of between 29.2% and 86.1%.     

The assimilation of organic hazardous wastes by municipal solid waste landfills

Summary Co-disposal of 12 compounds representing major organic classes (aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, pesticides, phenols, and phthalate esters) with shredded municipal solid waste was tested using a laboratory-scale column and pilot-scale lysimeter to characterize transport and transformation phenomena including sorption, volatilization and bioassimilation. Leachate and gases emitted from the lysimeters were examined for identifiable products of biotransformation. The results of this investigation provided a mechanistic evaluation of the attenuating and assimilative capacity of municipal solid waste landfills for specific organic compounds. Physical/chemical organic compound characteristics were related to refuse characteristics and composition to predict compound fate. Such knowledge is useful in developíng landfill management and operational strategies consistent with the need for control of pollutant releases.     

Eliminating methanogenic activity in hydrogen reactor to improve biogas production in a two-stage anaerobic digestion process co-digesting municipal food waste and sewage sludge

Laboratory scale two-stage anaerobic digestion process model was operated for 280 days to investigate the feasibility to produce both hydrogen and methane from a mixture feedstock (1:1 (v/v)) of municipal food waste and sewage sludge. The maximum hydrogen and methane yields obtained in the two stages were 0.93 and 9.5 mL/mL feedstock. To eliminate methanogenic activity and obtain substantial hydrogen production in the hydrogen reactor, both feedstock and mixed liquor required treatment. The heat treatment (100 °C, 10 min) for feedstock and a periodical treatment (every 2-5 weeks, either heating, removal of biomass particles or flushing with air) for mixed liquor were effective in different extent. The methane production in the second stage was significantly improved by the hydrogen production in the first stage. The maximum methane production obtained in the period of high hydrogen production was more than 2-fold of that observed in the low hydrogen production period.     

Substituting energy crops with organic fraction of municipal solid waste for biogas production at farm level: A full-scale plant study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibilities of replacing the energetic crop (EC) in the feed-in mixture (ingestate) with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), in an anaerobic full-scale plant comprising four continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) along with post-digester. A full-scale plant performing anaerobic digestion (AD) was monitored for 8 months, and during this period, 55 samples of both ingestates and digestates from the digesters (hydraulic retention time, HRT, of 40 d) and post-digester (HRT of 10 d) were collected before and after OFMSW introduction and analyzed for both biological and chemical parameters. The result obtained showed that substitution of EC (Mix A) with OFMSW (Mix B) did not lead to substantial modification of the feed-in mixture and AD process. Mixtures A and B gave similar specific biogas (i.e., 585 ± 198 m³ Mg TS^-1 and 567 ± 162 m³ Mg TS^-1 for Mix A and B, respectively), showing high process performances, i.e., 95% of the total anaerobic biogas producible was produced during the AD processes (HRT of 50 d). The digestates produced showed similar characteristics and can be potentially used in agriculture. The OFMSW offers new opportunities for farmers to produce renewable energy, by lowering the cost of the biomass and producing a useful fertilizer/amendment product.     

A rotational drum fermentation system with water flushing for enhancing hydrolysis and acidification of solid organic wastes

In this work, fresh soybean meal was used as the substrate for both batch and continuous experiments in a rotational drum fermentation (RDF) system to characterize the acidogenic process of solid organic waste degradation at high unionized volatile acid (U-VA) level and evaluate the effect of water flushing on the acidogenic performance. The experiments were conducted under mesophilic condition with a reaction time of 20 days. The results of the batch experiment showed that U-VA had a growing adverse effect on the volatile acid (VA) production and hydrolysis of the substrate as the initially added U-VA concentration increased (0, 5, 15, 25 g/L). VA formation deteriorated drastically when the initial U-VA concentration exceeded 5 g/L. VS degradation ratios decreased from 43.8% to 7.3%, and the hydrolysis rate constants varied between 28.8 and 3.8 x 10(-3)/d in response to the initial U-VA concentration. In the continuous experiment, two cascade process configurations (CP1 and CP2) without and with VA removal by water flushing, respectively, were developed. The results showed that the hydrolysis rate constants and VS degradation ratios were 13.1 x 10(-3)/d and 23%, respectively, in CP2, while only 9.1 x 10(-3)/d and 16.7% in CP2. Compared to CP1, the VA spectrum varied little in CP2 with water flushing. It suggested that the higher U-VA level had a significant inhibition on the acidogenic process of solid organic waste degradation, and the VA removal by water flushing improved the acidogenic performance.     

接种量及秸秆加入量对城市污泥厌氧发酵产气特性的影响

研究不同接种量及秸秆加入量条件下污泥的厌氧消化产气规律,并分析厌氧消化前后污泥性质的变化。实验结果表明:体积比(下同)为10%沼液接种回流污泥(碳氮比为6.16)的产气效率优于20%沼液接种回流的污泥(碳氮比为5.99),但不显著;秸秆的加入使污泥产气效率明显提高,且秸秆加入量对产气量也有显著影响。接种体积比为20%沼液的处理污泥(1600mL泥)加入20g秸秆(碳氮比为7.53)后,比加入15g秸秆(碳氮比为7.15)产气量增加783mL,碳氮比最高的为10%沼液、15g秸秆污泥,为7.94,其产气总量和CH4含量也较高。同时,厌氧消化改变了污泥的理化性质,消化后的污泥有机质质量分数(不包括秸秆)平均降低2.4%。     

Two-stage anaerobic digestion of biodegradable municipal solid waste using a rotating drum mesh filter bioreactor and anaerobic filter

A rotating drum mesh filter bioreactor (RDMFBR) with a 100 μm mesh coupled to an anaerobic filter was used for the anaerobic digestion of biodegradable municipal solid waste (BMW). Duplicate systems were operated for 72 days at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 7.5 gVS l⁻¹ d⁻¹. Early in the experiment most of the methane was produced in the 2nd stage. This situation gradually reversed as methanogenesis became established in the 1st stage digester, which eventually produced 86–87% of the total system methane. The total methane production was 0.2 l g⁻¹ VS_added with 60–62% volatile solids destruction. No fouling was experienced during the experiment at a transmembrane flux rate of 3.5 l m⁻² h⁻¹. The system proved to be robust and stably adjusted to a shock loading increase to 15 gVS l⁻¹ d⁻¹, although this reduced the overall methane production to 0.15 l g⁻¹ VS_added.     

Microbial production of hydrogen and ethanol from glycerol-containing wastes discharged from a biodiesel fuel production plant in a bioelectrochemical reactor with thionine

H(2) and ethanol production from glycerol-containing wastes discharged from a biodiesel fuel production plant by Enterobacter aerogenes NBRC 12010 was demonstrated in bioelectrochemical cells. Thionine as an exogenous electron transfer mediator was reduced by E. aerogenes, and was re-oxidized by a working electrode applied at +0.2 V against a Ag/AgCl reference electrode by a potentiostat (electrode system). At the initial glycerol concentration of 110 mM, 92.9 mM glycerol was consumed in the electrode system with 2 mM thionine after 48 h. On the other hand, the concentration of glycerol consumed was only 50.3 mM under the control conditions without thionine and the electrodes (normal fermentation). There are no differences in the yields of H(2) and ethanol against glycerol consumed between the control conditions and the conditions with the electrode system. A pH of 6.0 was suitable for the H(2) production in the range between pH 6 and pH 7.5 in the electrode system. At pH values of 7.0 and 7.5, H(2) production decreased and formate was remarkably produced in the reaction solution. The rates of both glycerol consumption and the H(2) and ethanol production increased as the thionine concentration and the surface area of the working electrode increased. After 60 h, 154 mM of the initial 161 mM glycerol concentration in the wastes was consumed in the electrode system, which is a 2.6-fold increase compared to the control experiment. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007;98: 340-348. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Humic substances change during the co-composting process of municipal solid wastes and sewage sludge

The change of the degree of stability of compost during the composting process was a kind of guideline for our study. This stability was estimated by monitoring the chemical fractionation (extraction of humic and fulvic acids, and humin) during two cycles of composting. Change of humin (H), humic-like acid carbon (CHA) and fulvic-like acid carbon (CFA) fractions during the composting process of municipal solid wastes were investigated using two windrows W1 (100% of municipal solid wastes) and W2 (60% of municipal solid wastes and 40% of dried sewage sludge). Humin and fulvic acid fractions in the two windrows decreased since the start of composting process and tend to stabilize. At the end of composting process, humic acid fraction is more important in the windrow without sludge (W1) than the one with sludge (W2). The humification indexes used in this study showed that the humic-like acid carbon fraction production takes place largely during the phase of temperature increase (thermophilic phase), and it appeared very active in the windrow W2. At the end of composting process, the E₄/E₆ ratio value indicated that the compost of W1 is more mature than the compost of W2. The humification ratio (HR) allowed a correct estimation of compost organic matter stabilization level.