Performance and Modeling of an Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket(UASB) Reactor for Treating High Salinity Wastewater from Heavy Oil Production

In this study,an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket(UASB) reactor was applied to treat the high salinity wastewater from heavy oil production process.At a HRT of ≥24 h,the COD removal reached as high as 65.08% at an influent COD ranging from 350mg/L to 640mg/L.An average of 74.33% oil reduction was also achieved in the UASB reactor at an initial oil concentration between 112mg/L and 205mg/L.These results indicated that this heavy oil production related wastewater could be degraded efficiently in the UASB reactor.Granular sludge was formed in this reactor.In addition,two models,built on the back propagation neural network(BPNN) theory and linear regression techniques were developed for the simulation of the UASB system performance in the oily wastewater biodegradation.The average error of COD and oil removal was-0.65% and 0.84%,respectively.The results indicated that the models built on the BPNN theory were wellfitted to the detected data,and were able to simulate and predict the removal of COD and oil by the UASB reactor.

Performance evaluation of up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket(UASB) reactor for treatment of paper mill wastewater

The present study deals with the performance evaluation of the UASB reactor under varied organic loading rate(OLR) for the treatment of paper mill wastewater. The sludge granulation process started after 120 days from the start-up period. Sludge granules size was found to be 0 8 mm at OLR of 1 72 kgCOD/(m 3·d), which reached maximum size of about 1 0 to 1 2 mm at OLR of 2 1 kgCOD/(m 3·d). At the end of initial OLR of 1 0 kgCOD/(m 3·d) the VSS concentration was 12 86 gVSS/L, which got increased to 38 05 gVSS/L at the end of an OLR 2 1 kgCOD/(m 3·d). Most of the times VFA recorded were well within the limit of VFA reported in anaerobic fermentation process. Many times the pH observed was between 6 5 and 7 8, which is more favorable for any anaerobic process. It is also found that pH within the reactor increases along with the height of reactor. The total maximum biogas production was found to be 0 40 L/gCOD removals at OLR of 2 1 kgCOD/(m 3·d) and the maximum BOD removal at this stage was observed to be 90%.

Feasibility assessment of up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket treatment of sulfamethoxazole pharmaceutical wastewater

Treatment of sulfamethoxazole pharmaceutical wastewater is a big challenge.In this study,a series of anaerobic evaluation tests on pharmaceutical wastewater from different operating units was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using anaerobic digestion,and the results indicated that the key refractory factor for anaerobic treatment of this wastewater was the high sulfate concentration.A laboratory-scale up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket(UASB)reactor was operated for 195 days to investigate the effects of the influent chemical oxygen demand(COD),organic loading rate(OLR),and COD/SO_(4)^(2-) ratio on the biodegradation of sulfamethoxazole in pharmaceutical wastewater and the process performance.The electron flow indicated that methanogenesis was still the dominant reaction although sulfidogenesis was enhanced with a stepwise decrease in the influent COD/SO_(4)^(2-) ratio.For the treated sulfamethoxazole pharmaceutical wastewater,a COD of 4983 mg/L(diluted by 50%),OLR of 2.5 kg COD/(m^(3)·d),and COD/SO_(4)^(2-) ratio of more than 5 were suitable for practical applications.The recovery performance indicated that the system could resume operation quickly even if production was halted for a few days.

Deciphering the effect of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate on up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket treatment of synthetic sulfate-containing wastewater

In this study,the effects of organic sulfur on anaerobic biological processes were investigated by operating two up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket(UASB)reactors with sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate(SDBS)as a representative of organic sulfur.The results indicated that the specific methanogenic activity(SMA)and chemical oxygen demand(COD)removal efficiency of R2(with SDBS added)were higher than those of R1(without SDBS)when the COD/SO_(4)^(2−)ratio was above 5.0.However,when the COD/SO_(4)^(2−)ratio was lower than 5.0,the sulfate reduction efficiency of R2 was higher than that of R1.These results and the observed SDBS transformation efficiency in anaerobic reactors indicate that low concentrations of SDBS accelerate methane production and the continuous accumulation of SDBS does not weaken the reduction of sulfate.Similarly,the calculated electron flux for a COD/SO_(4)^(2−)ratio of 1.0 indicates that the utilization intensity of electrons by sulfate-reducing bacteria(SRB)in R2 was 36.48%higher than that of SRB in R1 and exceeded that of methane-producing archaea(MPA)under identical working conditions.Moreover,the addition of SDBS in R2 made sulfidogenesis the dominant reaction at low COD/SO_(4)^(2−),and Methanobacterium and Methanobrevibacter with H_(2)/CO_(2)as the substrate and Desulfomicrobium were the dominant MPA and SRB,respectively.However,methanogenesis was still the dominant reaction in R1,and Methanosaeta with acetic acid as the substrate and Desulfovibrio were the dominant MPA and SRB,respectively.

Anaerobic treatment of wastewater containing methanol in up-flow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor

The direct conversion of methanol into methane is the main process in anaerobic treatment of methanol containing wastewater.However,acetic acid can also be produced from methanol theoretically,which may probably result in an abrupt pH drop and deteriorate the anaerobic process.Therefore,it is interesting to know what would really happen in an anaerobic reactor treating methanol wastewater.In this study,an up-flow anaerobic sludge bed(UASB)reactor treating methanol wastewater was operated.The chemical oxygen demand(COD),acetic acid and pH of the effluent were monitored at different loadings and influent alkalinity.The results showed that the anaerobic reactor could be operated steadily at as low as 119 mg/L of influent alkalinity and high organic loading rate with no obvious pH drops.Volatile fatty acids accumulation was not observed even at strong shock loadings.The microorganisms in the sludge at the end of the test became homogeneous in morphology,which were mainly spherical or spheroidal in shape.

Microbial Diversity and Key Metabolic Pathways in Lignite-Promoted Anaerobic Fermentation with Residual Sludge

To enhance methane production efficiency in lignite anaerobic digestion and explore new ways for residual sludge utilization, this study employed the co-fermentation of lignite and residual sludge for biomethane conversion. The bacterial colony structure, metabolic pathways, and interactions between residual sludge and lignite in anaerobic methanogenic fermentation with different mass ratios were analyzed using macrogenomics sequencing. This study aimed to explore the mechanisms involved in the co-anaerobic fermentation of lignite and residual sludge. The results indicated that the addition of sludge enhanced the metabolic pathways in hydrolysis acidification, hydrogen-acetic acid production, and methanation phases. Notably, the enhancement of acetate- and carbon dioxide-nutrient metabolic pathways was more pronounced, with increased activity observed in related enzymes such as acetic acid kinase (k00925) and acetyl coenzyme synthetase (K01895). This increased enzymatic activity facilitated the microbial conversion of biomethane. The results of the study indicated that the sludge exhibited a promotional effect on the methane produced through the anaerobic fermentation of lignite, providing valuable insights for lignite and residual sludge resource utilization.

Effect of Sodium Ion Concentration on Hydrogen Production from Sucrose by Anaerobic Hydrogen-producing Granular Sludge

This work evaluated the effects of sodium ion concentration, ranging from 0 to 16000mg·L^-1（Na^＋）, on the conversion of sucrose to hydrogen by a high-activity anaerobic hydrogen-producing granular sludge. At the optimum sodium ion concentration [1000-2000mg·L^-1（Na^＋）] for hydrogen production at 37℃, the maximum sucrose degradation rate, the specific hydrogen production yield and the specific hydrogen production rate were 393.6-413.1mg·L^-1.h^-1, 28.04-28.97ml·g^-1, 7.52-7.83ml·g^-1.h^-1, respectively. The specific production yields of propionate, butyrate and valerate decreased with increasing sodium ion concentration, whereas the specific acetate production yield increased, meanwhile the specific production yields of ethanol and caproate were less than 55.3 and 12.6mg·g^-1, respectively. The hybrid fermentation composition gradually developed from acetate, propionate and butyrate to acetate with the increase in sodium ion concentration.

Effect of Sludge from Different Sources on Solid Anaerobic Digestion of Corn Straw

[Objective] The aim was to study on effect of sludge from different sources on biogas yield efficiency through anaerobic digestion of corn straw. [Method] The present research studied on daily biogas yield and the accumulated biogas amount through anaerobic digestion of corn straw and sludges from four sources. [Result] The accumulated biogas yields produced from sludges in four sources from high to low were granular sludge, river sediments, concentrated sludge and filtered sludge. The first one proved the highest at 3.73 and 56.29 L/kg VS in daily biogas yield and the accumulated biogas. [Conclusion] The research laid foundation for full utilization of straw, improvement of energy utilization and sustainable development.

Effect of Sodium Ion Concentration on Hydrogen Production from Sucrose by Anaerobic Hydrogen-producing Granular Sludge

This work evaluated the effects of sodium ion concentration, ranging from 0 to 16000mg·L-1(Na+), on the conversion of sucrose to hydrogen by a high-activity anaerobic hydrogen-producing granular sludge. At the opti- mum sodium ion concentration [1000—2000mg·L-1(Na+)] for hydrogen production at 37℃, the maximum sucrose degradation rate, the specific hydrogen production yield and the specific hydrogen production rate were 393.6— 413.1mg·L-1·h-1, 28.04—28.97ml·g-1, 7.52—7.83ml·g-1·h-1, respectively. The specific production yields of propionate, butyrate and valerate decreased with increasing sodium ion concentration, whereas the specific acetate production yield increased, meanwhile the specific production yields of ethanol and caproate were less than 55.3 and 12.6mg·g-1, respectively. The hybrid fermentation composition gradually developed from acetate, propionate and butyrate to acetate with the increase in sodium ion concentration.

Effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on sludge dewaterability and extracellular polymeric substances distribution in mesophilic anaerobic digestion

Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on sludge dewaterability was determined and the fate of extracellular polymeric substances （EPS） matrix in mesophilic anaerobic digestion after ultrasonic pretreatment was studied. Characteristics of proteins （PN）, polysaccharides （PS）, excitation-emission matrix （EEM） fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular weight （MW） distribution of dissolved organic matters （DOM） in different EPS fractions were evaluated. The results showed that after ultrasonic pretreatment, the normalized capillary suction time （CST） decreased from 44.4 to 11.1 （sec·L）/g total suspended solids （TSS） during anaerobic digestion, indicating that sludge dewaterability was greatly improved. The normalized CST was significantly correlated with PN concentration （R2 = 0.92, p 〈 0.01） and the PN/PS ratio （R2 = 0.84, p 〈 0.01） in the loosely bound EPS （LB-EPS） fraction. Meanwhile, the average MW of DOM in the LB- EPS and tightly bound EPS （TB-EPS） fractions also had a good correlation with the normalized CST （R2 〉 0.66, p 〈 0.01）. According to EEM fluorescence spectroscopy, tryptophan-like substances intensities in the slime, LB-EPS and TB-EPS fractions were correlated with the normalized CST. The organic matters in the EPS matrix played an important role in influencing sludge dewaterability.

Influence of Chemical Oxygen Demand Concentrations on Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation by Granular Sludge From EGSB Reactor

Objective To investigate the effect of chemical oxygen demand （COD） concentrations on the anaerobic ammonium oxidation （ANAMMOX）. Methods An Expanded Granular Sludge Bed （EGSB） reactor was used to cultivate the granular sludge and to perform the ANAMMOX reaction in the bench scale experiment. NH4^＋-N and NO2^--N were measured by using colorimetric method. NO3^＋-N was analyzed by using the UV spectrophotometric method. COD measurement was based on digestion with potassium dichromate in concentrated sulphuric acid. Results When the COD concentrations in the reactors were 0 mg/L, 200 mg/L, 350 mg/L, and 550 mg/L, respectively, the NH4^＋-N removal efficiency was 12.5%, 14.2%, 14.3%, and 23.7%; the removal amount of NO2-N was almost the same; the nitrate removal efficiency was 16.8%, 94.5%, 86.6%, and 84.2% and TN removal efficiency was 16.3%, 50.7%, 46.9%, and 50.4%, moreover, the COD removal efficiency was 85%, 65.7%, and 60%; the COD removal rate was 27.42, 61.88, and 97.8 mg COD/（h·L）. Conclusion COD concentrations have a significant influence on anaerobic ammonium oxidation by granular sludge.

Inhibitory effect of ammonia nitrogen on specific methanogenic activity of anaerobic granular sludge

A series of batch experiments were conducted in 125 mL serum bottles to assess the toxicity of different concentrations of ammonia nitrogen to the specific methanogenic activity of anaerobic granular sludge from upflow anaerobic sludge bed（UASB） and expanded granular sludge bed（EGSB） reactors. The effects of pH value and temperature on toxicity of ammonia nitrogen to anaerobes were investigated. The results show that the specific methanogenic activity of anaerobic granular sludge suffers inhibition from ammonia nitrogen, the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen that produce 50 % inhibition of specific methanogenic activity for sludge from UASB and EGSB reactor are 2.35 and 2.75 g/L, respectively. Hydrogen utilizing methanogens suffers less inhibition from ammonia mtrogen than that of acetate utilizing methanogens. Hydrogen-producing acetogens that utilize propionate and butyrate as substrates suffer serious inhibition from ammonia nitrogen. The toxicity of ammonia nitrogen to anaerobic granular sludge enhances when pH value and temperature increase. Anaerobic granular sludge can bear higher concentrations of ammonia nitrogen after being acclimated by ammonia nitrogen for 7 d.

Production and application of anaerobic granular sludge produced by landfill

Sludge granulation is considered to be the most critical parameter governing successful operation of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket and expanded granular sludge bed （EGSB） reactors. Pre-granulated seeding sludge could greatly reduce the required startup time. Two lab-scale and a pilot-scale EGSB reactors were operated to treat Shaoxing Wastewater Treatment Plant （SWWTP） containing wastewater from real engineering printing and dyeing with high pH and sulfate concentration. The microbiological structure and the particle size distribution in aerobic excess sludge, sanitary landfill sludge digested for one year, and the granular sludge of EGSB reactor after 400 d of operation were analyzed through scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and sieves. The lab-scale EGSB reactor seeded with anaerobic sludge after digestion for one year in landfill showed obviously better total chemical oxygen demand （TCOD） removal efficiency than one seeded with aerobic excess sludge after cation polyacrylamide flocculation-concentration and dehydration. The TCOD removed was 470.8 mg/L in pilot scale EGSB reactor at short hydraulic retention time of 15 h. SEM of sludge granules showed that the microbiological structure of the sludge from different sources showed some differences. SEM demonstrated that Methanobacterium sp. was present in the granules of pilot-scale EGSB and the granular sludge produced by landfill contained a mixture of anaerobic/anoxic organisms in abundance. The particle size distribution in EGSB demonstrated that using anaerobic granular sludge produced by sanitary landfill as the seeding granular sludge was feasible.

Study on anaerobic co-digestion with distillery wastewater to improve the dewatering property of the secondary sludge

This paper presents the results obtained for the effluent dewatering properties of anaerobic digestion of secondary sludge （SS） and anaerobic co-digestion of mixture of this sludge with the distillery wastewater （DW） under thermophilic （55±1 ℃）, 5 L of working volume, three parallel lab-scale conditions. Its mixtures were prepared with a DW content of 25%and 50% and the C/N ratios of mixtures are 13.1 and 17.6, respectively. The effluent dewatering properties were evaluated under stable conditions which the biogas yield and the effluent pH were steady. The natural settleability, biogas yield, centrifugal dewatering, centrifugal supernatant turbidity and specific resistance filtration （SRF） were investigated. The results showed that the effluent dewatering properties of anaerobic co-digestion of mixtures between SS and DW were better than that of anaerobic digestion of SS alone. In the anaerobic digestion system with the feed were SS, mixture of SS and a DW content of 25%and 50% in order, the net biogas yield of secondary sludge in ADSA,ADSB and ADSC were 0.42 0.507 and 0.511 m3 biogass/kg.VS.d ; compared with the biogas yield in anaerobic digestion system A （ADSA）, the biogas yield in anaerobic digestion system B （ADSB） and anaerobic digestion system C （ADSC） had been increased by more than 20% respectively; the SRF of three digested sludge are（were） from 6.8×10^13, 1. 1×10^13 to 5.1×10^12 m/Kg, natural settling rates of 12 h are 26, 37 and 56% and that of 24 h are 32%, 45% and 59% respectively; the centrifugal dewatering rate of 3 min at speed of 1000 rpm were 16%, 31% and 51% respectively; the turbidity of centrifugal supernatant were 804, 754 and 678FTU simultaneously.

Effects of inoculating microorganisms on mesophilic anaerobic digestion of septic sludge

The anaerobic digestion of septic sludge was studied through inoculating effective microorganisms (EMs) under mesophilic condition (35 ℃). The variation of COD,total solid (TS),volatile solid (VS),pH value and the gas production rate during the digestion process were presented,and the optimal adding concentration of EMs was determined by comparing the reduction effectiveness of septic sludge. The results show that proper addition of EMs can enhance acid buffering capacity of the system,and the NH3-N concentration is lower than inhibition concentration of 2 g/L reported in the literature and maintain the range of pH value which is suitable for both hydrolysis-acidification and methanogenesis. However,overdose of EMs can reduce the initial pH value of septic sludge and decrease the effects of the anaerobic digestion. EMs can increase the quantity of microbe in septic sludge and improve the gas production and generation rate over a period of time. But overdosing EMs can lead to low pH,restrain activity of methanogenic bacteria and affect the quantity and the generation rate of gas. Adding 0.01% EMs achieves the highest sludge reduction with the removal rates of TS,VS and COD by 32.51%,42.34% and 40.97%,respectively.

STUDY ON MAXIMUM SPECIFIC SLUDGE ACTIVITY OF DIFFERENT ANAEROBIC GRANULAR SLUDGE BY BATCH TESTS

The maximum specific sludge activity of granular sludge from large scale UASB, IC and Biobed anaerobic reactors were investigated by batch tests. The limitation factors related to maximum specific sludge activity (diffusion, substrate sort, substrate concentration and granular size) were studied. The general principle and procedure for the precise measurement of maximum specific sludge activity were suggested. The potential capacity of loading rate of the IC and Biobed anaerobic reactors were analyzed and compared by use of the batch tests results.

Studies on the effects of pretreatment on production hydrogen from municipal sludge anaerobic fermentation

Municipal sludge was rich in organic matter, period of natural degradation was long and low efficiency, leachate would pollute underground water. In this paper, a comparative study of the ways of pretreatment with acid alkali treatment, heat digestion and ultrasonic treatment were done. The results showed that The dehydro-genase activity were increased, the SCOD (soluable chemical oxygen demand, SCOD) in-creased more than 2.47~2.83, 1.70~1.76, 2.6~ 2.77 times respectively. The hydrogen yield in-creased more than 11.5~12.2, 24.1~24.7, 34.2~ 34.9 mL.g-1 (VS) respectively. The period of pro- hydrogen was shorten to 7.5, 8.0, 6.5 d respec-tively. The degradation rate was up to 72.04%, 81.4%, 80% respectively, the methane concen-tration in the gas was close to “zero” and ul-trasonic treatment was better than others. Gompertz model curve fitting on hydrogen production was carried out. All the values of correlation factor R2 were more than 0.97.

Effects of Potassium Ferrate and Low-Temperature Thermal Hydrolysis Co-Pretreatment on the Hydrolysis and Anaerobic Digestion Process of Waste Activated Sludge

This study evaluated the effect of potassium ferrate(PF)and low-temperature thermal hydrolysis co-pretreatment on the promotion of sludge hydrolysis process and the impact on acid production in the subsequent anaerobic digestion process.The analytical investigations showed that co-pretreatment significantly facilitated the hydrolysis process of the sludge and contributed to the accumulation of short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs).The pretreatment conditions under the optimal leaching of organic matter from sludge were hydrothermal temperature of 75℃,hydrothermal treatment time of 12 h,and PF dosage of 0.25 g g^(−1)TSS(total suspended solids),according to the results of orthogonal experiments.By pretreatment under proper conditions,the removal rate of soluble chemical oxygen demand(SCOD)achieved 71.8%at the end of fermentation and the removal rate of total phosphorus(TP)was 69.1%.The maximum yield of SCFAs was 750.3 mg L^(−1),7.45 times greater than that of the blank group.Based on the analysis of the anaerobic digestion mechanism,it was indicated that the co-pretreatment could destroy the floc structure on the sludge surface and improve organic matter dissolving,resulting in more soluble organic substances for the acidification process.Furthermore,microbial community research revealed that the main cause of enhanced SCFAs generation was an increase in acidogenic bacteria and a reduction of methanogenic bacteria.

Implementing Both Domestic Wastewater Reuse and Sludge Reduction by a Combination of Anaerobic Phase and Membrane bioreactor

The aim of the research was to obtain both an excellent effluent for reuse and a reduced sludge production simultaneously by a combination process of anaerobic phase and Membrane bioreactor （MBR） technology in treating domestic wastewater. During the experimental period of three months, excellent removals for COD, NH3-H, TN were obtained, and mean removals were 91.87%, 96.13%, and 69. 23%, respectively. Whereas, at first 20 days, the removal for TP was only about 15.87%. In the following days, about 30% of raw water was introduced into the anaerobic reactor to supply organics for denitrificatien and release of polyphosphate, then a significant improvement for TP removal was observed, and mean removal of TP increased to 76.35%. During the operational period, it was investigated that the permeate could meet the requirements of several water criteria for reuse except free chlorine, and a mean excess sludge yield coefficient of 0.137 g MLSS/g COD was obtained. Therefore, the predicted goals of permeate for reuse and excess sludge reduction could be both achieved after dosing a certain quantity of disinfectant into the permeate.

Analysis on Present Situation of Anaerobic Digestion Products of Sludge in Landscaping Application and Market Demand in Chongqing

Taking the anaerobic digestion products of sludge as the object, through the analysis on the development of garden substrate market at home and abroad and the development status of horticultural products from the anaerobic digestion products, the direction for the utilization of the anaerobic digestion products of sludge was pointed out. Based on the demand of Chongqing’s garden market, this paper analyzed the potential utilization of sludge anaerobic digestion products in Chongqing, and briefly introduced the research status of landscaping utilization of sludge anaerobic digestion products in Chongqing, in order to provide reference for the industry.