Urine pretreatment enhances energy recovery by boosting medium-chain fatty acids production from waste activate sludge through anaerobic fermentation

Liu, H; Li, X; Zhang, Z; Li, J; Zhou, T; Wang, Z; Wang, Q

Urine pretreatment enhances energy recovery by boosting medium-chain fatty acids production from waste activate sludge through anaerobic fermentation

Liu, H

Li, X

Zhang, Z Li, J

Zhou, T Wang, Z

Wang, Q

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Publisher:: ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Chemical Engineering Journal, 2024, 482
Issue Date:: 2024-02-15

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Liu, H https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4513-4988
dc.contributor.author	Li, X https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1768-9556
dc.contributor.author	Zhang, Z
dc.contributor.author	Li, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2533-3755
dc.contributor.author	Zhou, T
dc.contributor.author	Wang, Z https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8227-2602
dc.contributor.author	Wang, Q https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5744-2331
dc.date.accessioned	2024-04-23T05:41:23Z
dc.date.available	2024-04-23T05:41:23Z
dc.date.issued	2024-02-15
dc.identifier.citation	Chemical Engineering Journal, 2024, 482
dc.identifier.issn	1385-8947
dc.identifier.issn	1873-3212
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/178288
dc.description.abstract	Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) represent a promising form of energy recovered from waste activated sludge (WAS) through anaerobic fermentation. However, the low WAS degradability hindered the MCFAs generation from WAS. In this study, urine pretreatment of 5 – 25 wt% was applied to enhance the MCFAs production in anerobic WAS fermentation with ethanol as an electron donor. Urine pretreatment (5 – 25 wt%) dose-dependently improved the MCFAs production by 0.8 – 3.3 times (from 2.4 to 4.4 – 12.8 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L) and enhanced the MCFAs selectivity by 0.8 – 3.5 times (from 12.2 % to 21.4 % – 54.4 %). Urine pretreatment (5 – 25 wt%) improved WAS degradation by up to 54.8 % and enhanced electron transfer efficiency from substrates (i.e. WAS and ethanol) to MCFAs by up to 18.6 %, which contributed to the improvement in MCFAs production. According to model-based analysis, the MCFAs production potential (Pm) rose from 2.71 ± 0.09 g COD/L with 0 % urine pretreatment to 4.51 – 13.11 g COD/L with 5 – 25 wt% urine pretreatment, while the lag phase (λ) decreased from 5.30 d to 4.67 – 3.08 d, which may be the reason for the improved MCFAs production. Additionally, urine pretreatment significantly facilitated each step involved in the MCFAs generation, i.e. solubilization, hydrolysis, acidification, and chain elongation, by up to 600 %, 51 %, 17 %, and 42 %, respectively. This study for the first time reported an innovative method, urine pretreatment, enhances energy recovery by MCFAs from WAS through anaerobic fermentation, which potentially brings wastewater treatment plants economic and environmental profits.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP240100614
dc.relation.ispartof	Chemical Engineering Journal
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.cej.2024.148842
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	0904 Chemical Engineering, 0905 Civil Engineering, 0907 Environmental Engineering
dc.subject.classification	Chemical Engineering
dc.subject.classification	4004 Chemical engineering
dc.subject.classification	4011 Environmental engineering
dc.subject.classification	4016 Materials engineering
dc.title	Urine pretreatment enhances energy recovery by boosting medium-chain fatty acids production from waste activate sludge through anaerobic fermentation
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	482
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	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2024-04-23T05:41:22Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	482

Abstract:

Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) represent a promising form of energy recovered from waste activated sludge (WAS) through anaerobic fermentation. However, the low WAS degradability hindered the MCFAs generation from WAS. In this study, urine pretreatment of 5 – 25 wt% was applied to enhance the MCFAs production in anerobic WAS fermentation with ethanol as an electron donor. Urine pretreatment (5 – 25 wt%) dose-dependently improved the MCFAs production by 0.8 – 3.3 times (from 2.4 to 4.4 – 12.8 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L) and enhanced the MCFAs selectivity by 0.8 – 3.5 times (from 12.2 % to 21.4 % – 54.4 %). Urine pretreatment (5 – 25 wt%) improved WAS degradation by up to 54.8 % and enhanced electron transfer efficiency from substrates (i.e. WAS and ethanol) to MCFAs by up to 18.6 %, which contributed to the improvement in MCFAs production. According to model-based analysis, the MCFAs production potential (Pm) rose from 2.71 ± 0.09 g COD/L with 0 % urine pretreatment to 4.51 – 13.11 g COD/L with 5 – 25 wt% urine pretreatment, while the lag phase (λ) decreased from 5.30 d to 4.67 – 3.08 d, which may be the reason for the improved MCFAs production. Additionally, urine pretreatment significantly facilitated each step involved in the MCFAs generation, i.e. solubilization, hydrolysis, acidification, and chain elongation, by up to 600 %, 51 %, 17 %, and 42 %, respectively. This study for the first time reported an innovative method, urine pretreatment, enhances energy recovery by MCFAs from WAS through anaerobic fermentation, which potentially brings wastewater treatment plants economic and environmental profits.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/178288