MBR-Assisted Vfas Production from Excess Sewage Sludge and Food Waste Slurry for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment
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applied sciences Article MBR-Assisted VFAs Production from Excess Sewage Sludge and Food Waste Slurry for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Mohsen Parchami 1 , Steven Wainaina 1, Amir Mahboubi 1 , David I’Ons 2 and Mohammad J. Taherzadeh 1,* 1 Swedish Centre for Resource Recovery, University of Borås, SE 50190 Borås, Sweden; [email protected] (M.P.); [email protected] (S.W.); amir.mahboubi_soufi[email protected] (A.M.) 2 Gryaab AB, Norra Fågelrovägen, SE 41834 Gothenburg, Sweden; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +46-33-435-59-08; Fax: +46-33-435-40-03 Received: 19 March 2020; Accepted: 18 April 2020; Published: 23 April 2020 Abstract: The significant amount of excess sewage sludge (ESS) generated on a daily basis by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is mainly subjected to biogas production, as for other organic waste streams such as food waste slurry (FWS). However, these organic wastes can be further valorized by production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) that have various applications such as the application as an external carbon source for the denitrification stage at a WWTP. In this study, an immersed membrane bioreactor set-up was proposed for the stable production and in situ recovery of clarified VFAs from ESS and FWS. The VFAs yields from ESS and FWS reached 0.38 and 0.34 gVFA/gVSadded, respectively, during a three-month operation period without pH control. The average flux during the stable VFAs production phase with the ESS was 5.53 L/m2/h while 16.18 L/m2/h was attained with FWS. Moreover, minimal flux deterioration was observed even during operation at maximum suspended solids concentration of 32 g/L, implying that the membrane bioreactors could potentially guarantee the required volumetric productivities. In addition, the techno-economic assessment of retrofitting the membrane-assisted VFAs production process in an actual WWTP estimated savings of up to 140 ¿/h for replacing 300 kg/h of methanol with VFAs. Keywords: wastewater; denitrification; carbon source; volatile fatty acids; immersed membrane bioreactor 1. Introduction One of the consequences of the ever-growing global population is the generation of enormous amounts of different wastes on a daily basis. In order to build modern societies that maintain the balance between social, economic, and environmental sustainability, these waste streams should be effectively and efficiently treated. Among different waste streams, handling wastewater is of critical importance as its poor treatment and discharge to water bodies imposes a substantial environmental and ecological imbalance on marine life, in addition to diverse direct and indirect effects on human health [1,2]. In conventional wastewater treatment (WWT) systems, in order to remove carbonaceous compounds and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous to obtain clean water accepted for discharge, the received influent wastewater undergoes different treatment stages of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) reduction, nitrification, and denitrification (with different orders in different treatment plants) [3]. Figure1 presents a general schematic of the main wastewater treatment stages. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 2921; doi:10.3390/app10082921 www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci Appl.Appl. Sci. Sci.2020 2020, 10, ,10 2921, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of2 20 of 20 External carbon source Screening/Grit Primary settling BOD removal/Nitrification Denitrification Secondary settling Influent Effluent wastewater clean water Sludge processing Excess sludge Sludge recycling Biogas Sludge drying Anaerobic digestion Figure 1. General processing stages at a conventional wastewater treatment plant aimed at biogas Figure 1. General processing stages at a conventional wastewater treatment plant aimed at biogas production from excess sewage sludge. production from excess sewage sludge. Conventionally, the excess sludge discharged at different stages of treatment is directed to biogas Conventionally, the excess sludge discharged at different stages of treatment is directed to and fertilizer production through anaerobic digestion (AD). For instance, in Sweden, about 204,000 tons biogas and fertilizer production through anaerobic digestion (AD). For instance, in Sweden, about of dry matter of sewage sludge (20.74 kg per capita) was produced in 2017, of which only 34% was used 204,000 tons of dry matter of sewage sludge (20.74 kilograms per capita) was produced in 2017, of forwhich agricultural only 34% purposes was used [4 for]. In agricultural addition topurposes the excess [4]. sewageIn addition sludge, to the food excess waste sewage is one sludge, of the food most studiedwaste wastesis one of streams the most that studied is mainly wastes treated streams using that anaerobic is mainly digestiontreated using due anaerobic to its richness digestion in organic due strengthto its richness [5,6]. The in organic biochemical strength reactions [5,6]. The in bioche the ADmical process reactions take in place the AD in four process interdependent take place in four stages namely:interdependent hydrolysis, stages acidogenesis, namely: hydrolysis, acetogenesis, acidog andenesis, methanogenesis acetogenesis, and (Figure methanogenesis2)[ 7]. Biomethane (Figure is produced2) [7]. Biomethane in the last is stage produced of the in AD the process,last stage while of the otherAD process, metabolites while suchother asmetabolites volatile fatty such acidsas (VFAs)volatile and fatty hydrogen acids (VFAs) are formed and hydrogen in the intermediate are formed in stages the intermediate [8]. Biogas stages suffers [8]. low Biogas commercial suffers low value; however,commercial a promising value; however, but hitherto a promising not well-developed but hitherto not line well-developed of research is line to extract of research and transformis to extract the intermediateand transform products the intermediate of AD (VFAs products and H2 ).of TheseAD (VFAs compounds and H2). can These be further compounds converted can be into further several high-valueconverted products, into several such high-value as bioplastics, products, butanol such andas bioplastics, biodiesel butanol [9]. The and VFAs, biodiesel such as [9]. acetic, The VFAs, butyric, andsuch propionic as acetic, acids, butyric, produced and propionic through acids, AD, produc can beed used through directly AD, orcan indirectly be used directly as chemical or indirectly building blocksas chemical in, for instance,building blocks textile in, and for plasticinstance, production textile and industries plastic production [8]. Along industries with VFAs, [8]. Along hydrogen with is producedVFAs, hydrogen during acidogenesis, is produced whichduring has acidogenesis, attracted great which attention has attracted as a clean great energy attention source. as a However, clean issuesenergy such source. as VFA However, loss due issues to conversion such as VFA to loss methane, due to changeconversion in pH, to methane, and cell inhibitionchange in pH, by aand high concentrationcell inhibition of by VFAs a high hinder concentration obtaining of high VFAs VFAs hinder yields. obtaining In a mixedhigh VFAs microbial yields. culture,In a mixed if the methanogensmicrobial culture, are not if inhibited the methanogens or the products are not of inhi acidogenesisbited or the are products not recovered of acidogenesis efficiently, are the not VFAs recovered efficiently, the VFAs will be lost through methanogenesis for methane production. will be lost through methanogenesis for methane production. Therefore, it is of great importance to Therefore, it is of great importance to be able to control the AD process to produce mainly desirable be able to control the AD process to produce mainly desirable VFAs of higher value and application. VFAs of higher value and application. However, a solution with a mixture of VFAs has a low market However, a solution with a mixture of VFAs has a low market value, therefore, it needs to either be value, therefore, it needs to either be converted to other bioproducts or to be separated into pure converted to other bioproducts or to be separated into pure components. Due to the formation of an components. Due to the formation of an azeotropic mixture with water, VFAs separation and azeotropicrecovery mixtureis laborious with and water, energy VFAs intensive separation [10]. and Thus, recovery the direct is laborious application and of energy VFAs mixture intensive can [10 ]. Thus,eliminate the direct extra application energy intensive of VFAs recovery mixture processes can eliminate and enhance extra energyeconomic intensive feasibility. recovery processes and enhance economic feasibility. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 2921 3 of 20 Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 20 Figure 2. AnaerobicAnaerobic digestion digestion of of excess excess sludge sludge and and other other organic organic wastes wastes for the the production production of volatile fattyfatty acids (VFAs) instead of biogas. During the wastewater treatment process, unlike nitrification nitrification bacteria that use inorganic carbon sources such as CO 2 toto thrive thrive on, on, the bacteria responsible for denitrification denitrification require organic carbon source forfor maintainingmaintaining growth growth and and acquiring acquiring energy energy [11 [11].]. The The problem problem confronted confronted here here is that, is that, as most as mostof the of organic the organic carbon sourcecarbon has source been depletedhas been indeple the initialted in BOD the removalinitial BOD stage, re externalmoval stage, organic