Revealing the Mechanisms of Polyethylene Microplastics Affecting Anaerobic Digestion of Waste Activated Sludge

Wei, W; Huang, QS; Sun, J; Dai, X; Ni, BJ

Revealing the Mechanisms of Polyethylene Microplastics Affecting Anaerobic Digestion of Waste Activated Sludge

Wei, W Huang, QS Sun, J Dai, X Ni, BJ

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Environmental Science and Technology, 2019, 53 (16), pp. 9604 - 9613
Issue Date:: 2019-08-20

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Wei, W	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Huang, QS	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Sun, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Dai, X	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Ni, BJ https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1129-7837	en_US
dc.date.issued	2019-08-20	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Environmental Science and Technology, 2019, 53 (16), pp. 9604 - 9613	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0013-936X	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/138700
dc.description.abstract	Copyright © 2019 American Chemical Society. Polyethylene (PE) microplastics retained in sewage sludge inevitably enter the anaerobic digestion system. To date, no information has been reported on the mechanisms of PE microplastics affecting anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS). This study evaluated the mechanisms using batch and continuous tests. Short exposure to PE microplastics at lower levels (i.e., 10, 30, and 60 particles/g-TS) did not significantly affect the methane production, but higher levels of PE microplastics (i.e., 100 and 200 particles/g TS) significantly (P = 0.006 and 0.0003) decreased methane production by 12.4-27.5%, with a lower methane potential and hydrolysis coefficient. In continuous test over 130 days, feeding WAS with 200 particles PE microplastics/g TS decreased vs destruction by up to 27.3% (P = 2.18 × 10-18) and resulted in a 9.1% (P = 0.002) increase in the volume of digested sludge for disposal. Correspondingly, the microbial community was shifted in the direction against anaerobic digestion. A mechanisms study revealed that the negative effect of PE microplastics was likely attributed to the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) rather than the released acetyl tri-n-butyl citrate. The generation of ROS caused a 7.6-15.4% reduction of cell viability, thereby restraining sludge hydrolysis, acidification, and methanogenesis.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Environmental Science and Technology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1021/acs.est.9b02971	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Environmental Sciences	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Methane	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Polyethylene	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Plastics	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Bioreactors	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Sewage	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Waste Disposal, Fluid	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Anaerobiosis	en_US
dc.title	Revealing the Mechanisms of Polyethylene Microplastics Affecting Anaerobic Digestion of Waste Activated Sludge	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	16	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	53	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CTWW - Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater Treatment
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	16	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	53	en_US

Abstract:

Copyright © 2019 American Chemical Society. Polyethylene (PE) microplastics retained in sewage sludge inevitably enter the anaerobic digestion system. To date, no information has been reported on the mechanisms of PE microplastics affecting anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS). This study evaluated the mechanisms using batch and continuous tests. Short exposure to PE microplastics at lower levels (i.e., 10, 30, and 60 particles/g-TS) did not significantly affect the methane production, but higher levels of PE microplastics (i.e., 100 and 200 particles/g TS) significantly (P = 0.006 and 0.0003) decreased methane production by 12.4-27.5%, with a lower methane potential and hydrolysis coefficient. In continuous test over 130 days, feeding WAS with 200 particles PE microplastics/g TS decreased vs destruction by up to 27.3% (P = 2.18 × 10-18) and resulted in a 9.1% (P = 0.002) increase in the volume of digested sludge for disposal. Correspondingly, the microbial community was shifted in the direction against anaerobic digestion. A mechanisms study revealed that the negative effect of PE microplastics was likely attributed to the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) rather than the released acetyl tri-n-butyl citrate. The generation of ROS caused a 7.6-15.4% reduction of cell viability, thereby restraining sludge hydrolysis, acidification, and methanogenesis.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/138700