Zero valent iron greatly improves sludge destruction and nitrogen removal in aerobic sludge digestion

Wang, C; Wei, W; Dai, X; Ni, BJ

Zero valent iron greatly improves sludge destruction and nitrogen removal in aerobic sludge digestion

Wang, C Wei, W

Dai, X Ni, BJ

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Publisher:: ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022, 433
Issue Date:: 2022-04-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Wang, C
dc.contributor.author	Wei, W https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5613-337X
dc.contributor.author	Dai, X
dc.contributor.author	Ni, BJ
dc.date.accessioned	2022-12-07T08:53:41Z
dc.date.available	2022-12-07T08:53:41Z
dc.date.issued	2022-04-01
dc.identifier.citation	Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022, 433
dc.identifier.issn	1385-8947
dc.identifier.issn	1873-3212
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/164196
dc.description.abstract	Zero-valent iron (ZVI), a low-cost metallic material, has been previously applied in effectively enhancing sewage sludge anaerobic digestion. However, the potential role of ZVI on aerobic digestion of sludge, a completely different sludge treatment method from anaerobic digestion, is still unknown. Herein, the effects of ZVI on the performance of aerobic sludge digestion were systematically studied, focusing on the sludge degradation, nitrogen removal and sludge dewaterability. Results showed ZVI greatly increased the volatile solids (VS) destruction from 27.0 ± 1.3% to 50.0 ± 1.0% and significantly enhanced the TCOD removal from 26.0 ± 1.2% to 47.9 ± 0.9% in aerobic digesters with different ZVI levels (0–20 g/L). The metabolic intermediate transformation steps of solubilization, hydrolysis and catabolism processes in aerobic digestion were all revealed to be enhanced by ZVI. More importantly, the aerobic digesters with higher ZVI levels achieved higher inorganic nitrogen removal, even with higher sludge degradation for ammonium release, due to the occurrence of both chemical and biological denitrification induced by ZVI. Correspondingly, the microbial compositions in the digesters with ZVI shifted towards the direction that was conducive to sludge degradation and nitrogen removal (e.g., aerobic denitrification) compared to control. Further, the dewaterability of the aerobically digested sludge was also improved with ZVI addition, supported by the reducing capillary suction time (CST) and negative surface potential.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT160100195
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE220100530
dc.relation.ispartof	Chemical Engineering Journal
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.cej.2021.134459
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	0904 Chemical Engineering, 0905 Civil Engineering, 0907 Environmental Engineering
dc.subject.classification	Chemical Engineering
dc.title	Zero valent iron greatly improves sludge destruction and nitrogen removal in aerobic sludge digestion
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	433
utslib.for	0904 Chemical Engineering
utslib.for	0905 Civil Engineering
utslib.for	0907 Environmental Engineering
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	*
dc.date.updated	2022-12-07T08:53:04Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	433

Abstract:

Zero-valent iron (ZVI), a low-cost metallic material, has been previously applied in effectively enhancing sewage sludge anaerobic digestion. However, the potential role of ZVI on aerobic digestion of sludge, a completely different sludge treatment method from anaerobic digestion, is still unknown. Herein, the effects of ZVI on the performance of aerobic sludge digestion were systematically studied, focusing on the sludge degradation, nitrogen removal and sludge dewaterability. Results showed ZVI greatly increased the volatile solids (VS) destruction from 27.0 ± 1.3% to 50.0 ± 1.0% and significantly enhanced the TCOD removal from 26.0 ± 1.2% to 47.9 ± 0.9% in aerobic digesters with different ZVI levels (0–20 g/L). The metabolic intermediate transformation steps of solubilization, hydrolysis and catabolism processes in aerobic digestion were all revealed to be enhanced by ZVI. More importantly, the aerobic digesters with higher ZVI levels achieved higher inorganic nitrogen removal, even with higher sludge degradation for ammonium release, due to the occurrence of both chemical and biological denitrification induced by ZVI. Correspondingly, the microbial compositions in the digesters with ZVI shifted towards the direction that was conducive to sludge degradation and nitrogen removal (e.g., aerobic denitrification) compared to control. Further, the dewaterability of the aerobically digested sludge was also improved with ZVI addition, supported by the reducing capillary suction time (CST) and negative surface potential.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/164196