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.     

Magnetic micro-particle conditioning–pressurized vertical electro-osmotic dewatering (MPEOD) of activated sludge: Role and behavior of moisture and organics

In this study, a magnetic micro-particle conditioning–pressurized vertical electro-osmotic dewatering (MPEOD) process with magnetic micro-particle conditioning–drainage under gravity–mechanical compression–electrical compression (MMPC–DG–MC–EC) stages was established to study the distribution and migration of water, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and other organic matter in the activated sludge (AS) matrix at each stage. Results showed that the MPEOD process could attain 53.52% water content (WC) in dewatered AS with bound water (BW) and free water (FW) reduction rates of 82.97% and 99.67%, respectively. The coagulation and time-delayed magnetic field effects of magnetic micro-particles (MMPs) along the MMPC–DG–MC stages initiated the transformation of partial BW to FW in AS. EC had a coupling driving effect of electro-osmosis and pressure on BW, and the changes in pH and temperature at EC stage induced the aggregation of AS flocs and the release of partial BW. Additionally, MMPs dosing further improved the dewatering performance of AS by acting as skeleton builders to provide water passages. Meanwhile, MMPs could disintegrate sludge cells and EPS fractions, thereby reducing tryptophan-like protein and byproduct-like material concentrations in LB-EPS as well as protein/polysaccharide ratio in AS matrix, which could improve AS filterability. At EC stage, the former four Ex/Em regions of fluorescence regional integration analysis for EPS were obviously reduced, especially the protein-like substances in LB- and TB-EPS, which contributed to improvement of AS dewaterability.     

Optimizing sludge dewatering with a combined conditioner of Fenton's reagent and cationic surfactant

Enhancing sludge dewatering is of importance in reducing environmental burden and disposal costs. In this work, a cationic surfactant, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), was combined with Fenton's reagent for sludge dewatering. Results show that the Fenton-CTAB conditioning significantly promotes the sludge dewatering. Using combined techniques of response surface methodology and uniform design, dosages of Fe²⁺, H₂O₂, and CTAB for water content response were optimized to be 89, 276, and 233?mg/g dry solids (DS), respectively. The water content of sludge decreased from 79.0% to 66.8% under the optimal conditions. Compared with cationic polyacrylamide, the Fenton-CTAB system exhibited superior sludge dewatering performance. To gain insights into the mechanisms involved in sludge dewatering, the effects of Fenton-CTAB conditioning on the composition of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and the morphology of the sludge flocs were investigated. The decomposition of EPS into some dissolved organics and the release of proteins in tightly bound EPS facilitated the conversion of bound water to free water and further reduced the water content of sludge cake. After conditioning, morphology of sludge showed aggregation. Overall, the enhanced sludge dewatering by Fenton-CTAB treatment provides an efficient way for management of sewage sludge.     

Effect of proteins, polysaccharides, and particle sizes on sludge dewaterability

Four batch experiments of hydrolysis and acidification were carried out to investigate the distributions of proteins (PN) and polysaccharides (PS) in the sludge, the PN/PS ratio, the particle sizes, and their relationship with sludge dewaterability (as determined by capillary suction time, CST). The sludge flocs were stratified through centrifugation- and ultrasound-based method into four fractions: (1) slime, (2) loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances (LB-EPS), (3) tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS), and (4) pellet. The results showed that PN was mainly partitioned in the pellet (80.7%) and TB-EPS (9.6%) fractions, while PS distributed evenly in the four fractions. During hydrolysis and acidification, PN was transferred from the pellet and TB-EPS fractions to the slime fraction, but PS had no significant transfer trends. The mean particle sizes of the sludge flocs decreased with hydrolysis and acidification. The pH had a more significant influence on the dewaterability of sludge flocs than temperature. Sludge dewaterability during hydrolysis and acidification processes greatly deteriorated from 9.7 s at raw sludge to 340–450 s under alkaline conditions. However, it was just slightly increased under acidic conditions. Further investigation suggested that CST was a ected by soluble PN, soluble PN/PS, and particle sizes of sludge flocs, but was a ected slightly by total PN, PS, or PN/PS in the whole sludge flocs and other fractions (except slime).     

Characterization of changes in extracellular polymeric substances and heavy metal speciation of waste activated sludge during typical oxidation solubilization processes

Biopolymer solubilization is considered to be the rate-limiting stage of anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge(WAS). Oxidation processes have been proven to be effective in disrupting sludge flocs and causing solubilization of the solid biopolymers. In this study,WAS was treated by NaNO2 or H2 O2 oxidation at p H of 2. The changes in extracellular polymeric substances properties and the speciation of heavy metals were investigated. The results revealed that both NaNO2 and H2 O2 treatments were effective in solubilizing organics in WAS, while the conversion of biopolymers in the two treatment processes was different. Free nitrous acid destroyed the gel network structure of EPS, and organic materials were released from the solid phase to the supernatant. Indigenous peroxidase catalyzed H2 O2 to produce hydroxyl radicals which caused significant solubilization of biopolymers, and the protein-like substances were further degraded into micro-molecule polypeptides or amino acids at high dosages of H2 O2. During the oxidation processes, Zn, Cd and Cu, with excellent mobility, tended to migrate to the supernatant, and thus were easy to remove through the liquid–solid separation process. Ni and As showed moderate migration ability, of which the residual fraction tended to transform into reducible and soluble fractions. With poor mobility, Cr and Pb mainly existed in the forms of residual and oxidizable fractions, which were difficult to dissolve and remove from WAS. Both NaNO2 and H2 O2 treatment resulted in the enhancement of sludge solubilization efficiency and heavy metal mobility in WAS, but different heavy metals showed distinct migration and transformation behaviors.     

Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on anaerobic digestion and its sludge dewaterability

To investigate the effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on anaerobic digestion and sludge dewaterability and further to probe into the influencing factors on sludge dewaterability, sludge flocs were stratified into four fractions: (1) slime; (2) loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances (LB-EPS); (3) tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS); and (4) EPS-free pellets. The results showed that ultrasonic pretreatment increased the anaerobic digestion efficiency by 7%–8%. Anaerobic digestion without ultrasonic pretreatment deteriorated the sludge dewaterability, with the capillary suction time (CST) increased from 1.42 to 47.3 (sec L)/g-TSS. The application of ultrasonic pretreatment firstly deteriorated the sludge dewaterability (normalized CST increased to 44.4 (sec L)/g-TSS), while subsequent anaerobic digestion offset this effect and ultimately decreased the normalized CST to 23.2 (sec L)/g-TSS. The dewaterability of unsonicated sludge correlated with protein (p = 0.003) and polysaccharide (p = 0.004) concentrations in the slime fraction, while that of sonicated sludge correlated with protein concentrations in the slime and LB-EPS fractions (p < 0.05). Fluorescent excitationemission matrix analysis showed that the fluorescence matters in the LB-EPS fraction significantly correlated with sludge dewaterability during anarobic digestion.     

Flocculating characteristic of activated sludge flocs: Interaction between Al3+ and extracellular polymeric substances

Aluminum flocculant can enhance the flocculating performance of activated sludge.However,the binding mechanism of aluminum ion(Al 3+) and extracellular polymeric substances(EPS) in activated sludge is unclear due to the complexity of EPS.In this work,threedimensional excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy(3DEEM),fluorescence quenching titration and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR) were used to explore the binding behavior and mechanism between Al 3+ and EPS.The results showed that two fluorescence peaks of tyrosineand tryptophan-like substances were identified in the loosely bound-extracellular polymeric substances(LB-EPS),and three peaks of tyrosine-,tryptophanand humic-like substances were identified in the tightly boundextracellular polymeric substances(TB-EPS).It was found that these fluorescence peaks could be quenched with Al 3+ at the dosage of 3.0 mg/L,which demonstrated that strong interactions took place between the EPS and Al 3+.The conditional stability constants for Al 3+ and EPS were determined by the Stern-Volmer equation.As to the binding mechanism,the-OH,N-H,C=O,C-N groups and the sulfurand phosphorus-containing groups showed complexation action,although the groups in the LB-EPS and TB-EPS showed different behavior.The TB-EPS have stronger binding ability to Al 3+ than the LB-EPS,and TB-EPS play an important role in the interaction with Al 3+.     

Effects of solution conditions on the physicochemical properties of stratification components of extracellular polymeric substances in anaerobic digested sludge

The composition and effects of solution conditions on the physicochemical properties of the stratification components of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in anaerobic digested sludge were determined. The total EPS in anaerobic digested sludge were extracted by the cation exchange resin method. Another EPS extraction method, the centrifugation and sonication technique was employed to stratify the EPS into three fractions: slime, loosely bound (LB)-EPS, and tightly bound (TB)-EPS from the outside to the inside of the anaerobic digested sludge. Proteins and polysaccharides were dispersed uniformly across the different EPS fractions, and humic-like substances were mainly partitioned in the slime, with TB-EPS second. Protein was the major constituent of the LB-EPS and TB-EPS, and the corresponding ratios ranged from 54.0% to 65.6%. The hydrophobic part in the EPS chemical components was primarily comprised of protein and DNA, while the hydrophilic part was mainly composed of polysaccharide. In the slime, the hydrophobic values of several EPS chemical components (protein, polysaccharide, humic-like substances and DNA) were all below 50%. The protein/polysaccharide ratio had a significant influence on the Zeta potentials and isoelectric point values of the EPS: the greater the protein/polysaccharide ratio of the EPS was, the greater the Zeta potential and the higher the isoelectric point value were. All Zeta potentials of the EPS showed a decreasing trend with increasing pH. The corresponding isoelectric point values (pH) were 2.8 for total EPS, 2.2 for slime, 2.7 for LB-EPS, and 2.6 for TB-EPS. As the ionic strength increased, the Zeta potentials sharply increased and then gradually became constant without charge reversal. In addition, as the temperature increased (< 40°C), the apparent viscosity of the EPS decreased monotonically and then gradually became stable between 40 and 60°C.     

Anaerobic co-digestion of municipal biomass wastes and waste activated sludge：Dynamic model and material balances

The organic matter degradation process during anaerobic co-digestion of municipal biomass waste （MBW） and waste-activated sludge （WAS） under different organic loading rates （OLRs） was investigated in bench-scale and pilot-scale semi-continuous stirred tank reactors. To better understand the degradation process of MBW and WAS co-digestion and provide theoretical guidance for engineering application, anaerobic digestion model No. 1 was revised for the co-digestion of MBW and WAS. The results showed that the degradation of organic matter could be characterized into three different fractions, including readily hydrolyzable organics, easily degradable particulate organics, and recalcitrant particle organics. Hydrolysis was the rate-limiting step under lower OLRs, and methanogenesisis was the rate-limiting step for an OLR of 8.0 kg volatile solid （VS）/（m^3·day）. The hydrolytic parameters of carbohydrate, protein, and lipids were 0.104, 0.083, and 0.084 kg chemical oxygen demand （COD）/（kg COD·hr）, respectively, and the reaction rate parameters of lipid fermentation were 1 and 1.25 kg COD/（kg COD.hr） for OLRs of 4.0 and 6.0 kg VS/（m^3·day）. A revised model was used to simulate methane yield, and the results fit well with the experimental data. Material balance data were acquired based on the revised model, which showed that 58.50% of total COD was converted to methane.     

Enhanced anaerobic digestion and sludge dewaterability by alkaline pretreatment and its mechanism

To investigate the influences of alkaline pretreatment on anaerobic digestion (AD) and sludge dewaterability after AD, waste activated sludge was adjusted to different pH values (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) and placed at ambient temperature for 24 hr. The samples were then adjusted to the initial pH and subjected to 25 days of AD. The results showed that, when compared with the control (pH 6.8), total suspended solids (TSS) and volatile suspended solids (VSS) reduction following pretreatment at pH 9-11 increased by 10.7%-13.1% and 6.5%-12.8%, respectively, while biogas production improved by 7.2%-15.4%. Additionally, significant enhancement of sludge dewaterability after AD occurred when pretreatment at pH 8-9 was conducted. The proteins and carbohydrates transferred from the pellet and tightly bound extracellular polymeric substances (TB-EPS) fractions to the slime and loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) fractions after pretreatment and during the AD process, and the concentrations of proteins and carbohydrates in the slime fraction had a good linear relationship with the normalized capillary suction time (CST). During the AD process, the normalized CST was positively correlated with the organic materials in the loosely bound fraction of the sludge matrix (R^{2≥qslant 0.700, p < 0.01), while it was negatively correlated with the organic materials in the tightly bound fraction (R2≥qslant 0.702, p < 0.01). These results suggest that alkaline pretreatment could break the EPS matrix and release inner organic materials, thus influencing the efficiency of the AD process and dewaterability after AD.}     

碳氮比对活性污泥胞外聚合物的长期影响

以人工模拟废水为研究对象,采用4组SBR反应器（R₀,R₅,R₁₀和R₁₅）,重点考察了碳氮比（C/N）对胞外聚合物（EPS）含量及其组分（蛋白质（PN）、多糖（PS）和核酸（DNA））的影响.试验结果表明：C/N对EPS及其组分具有显著影响.随着C/N由0升高至15,EPS和紧密结合型胞外聚合物（TB-EPS）含量逐渐升高,而松散型胞外聚合物（LB-EPS）含量逐渐降低,EPS以TB-EPS为主（占77.4%~93.6%）.EPS和TB-EPS中的PN、PS和DNA含量随着C/N值升高而升高,LB-EPS中的PN、PS和DNA含量随C/N升高而降低.此外,随着C/N的增大,毛细吸水时间（CST）和污泥比阻（SRF）值显著增大,污泥的脱水性能变差.     

芬顿试剂氧化对污泥脱水性能的影响

利用芬顿试剂调理污泥,以W_C(污泥滤饼含水率)和CST(毛细吸水时间)作为评价污泥脱水性能的指标,通过分析污泥中各层ρ(EPS)(EPS为胞外聚合物)和上清液中小分子有机物质量浓度来阐明污泥脱水性能的变化. 结果表明:芬顿试剂调理可促进EPS氧化分解,TB-EPS(紧密结合的胞外聚合物)破解转化为LB-EPS(松散结合的胞外聚合物)和S-EPS(上清液层胞外聚合物),大幅降低W_C和CST. 试验中当pH为4,w(H₂O₂)和 w(Fe2+)均为40 mg/g时,ρ(EPS)降低了33.04%,W_C和CST分别降至63.36%和28.7 s. Pearson相关性分析表明,ρ(TB-EPS)与W_C和CST均存在显著的正相关性(P＜0.01),是影响污泥脱水性能的重要因素,而ρ(LB-EPS)和ρ(S-EPS)与污泥脱水性能的相关性较低. 液相色谱分析表明,随着芬顿试剂投加量的增大,EPS等有机物分解程度增大,污泥上清液中小分子有机物种类明显增多,其质量浓度显著升高,ρ(甲酸)和ρ(乙酸)分别由原污泥的52.72、15.99 mg/L升至446.05、522.36 mg/L.      

交替好氧/缺氧运行模式对生物脱氮效能及活性污泥胞外聚合物的影响

以实际生活废水为处理对象,考察了SBR工艺好氧/缺氧(O/A)和缺氧/好氧(A/O)运行模式对生物脱氮性能、胞外聚合物(extracellular polymeric substance,EPS)及其组分(蛋白质PN、多糖PS和核酸DNA)的影响.结果表明,O/A和A/O运行模式下,SBR工艺均获得了高效稳定的NH_4~+-N去除,去除率分别为97.5%和98.0%,且硝化速率与NH_4~+-N负荷呈现较好正相关性.交替缺氧/好氧运行模式对于EPS影响,A/O模式下EPS产量略高于O/A模式下,且运行模式对TB-EPS及其组分(PN、PS和DNA)产量无显著影响,但A/O模式下LB-EPS及其组分(PN和PS)产量均高于O/A模式下,倍数介于1.38~1.56之间.2种模式条件下,PS是TB-EPS和EPS的主要组分,而PN是LB-EPS的主要成分.EPS含量与污泥沉降性能具有良好的线性正相关.     

Enhanced dewaterability of waste activated sludge by UV assisted ZVI-PDS oxidation

Ultraviolet（UV） assisted zero-valent iron（ZVI）-activated sodium persulfate（PDS） oxidation（UV-ZVI-PDS） was used to treat waste activated sludge（WAS） in this study.The dewaterability performance and mechanism of WAS dewatering were analyzed.The results showed that UV-ZVI-PDS can obtain better sludge dewatering performance in a wide pH range（2.0-8.0）.When the molar ratio of ZVI/PDS was 0.6,UV was 254 nm,PDS dosage was 200 mg/g TS（total solid）,pH was 6.54,reaction time was 20 min,the CST（capillary s...     

次氯酸钠与亚铁对污泥破解及脱水效果的影响

采用次氯酸钠（NaClO）与亚铁（Fe（II））结合处理污泥以提高污泥破解和脱水效能,考察了NaClO和Fe（II）投加量的影响,并通过定量和定性分析污泥中胞外聚合物质（EPS）的迁移转化,确定NaClO和Fe（II）对污泥脱水和破解的机制.试验结果表明,NaClO和Fe（II）投加量（以干泥固体计）分别为44 mg·g^-1和66 mg·g^-1时,污泥毛细吸吮时间（CST）从原泥的112 s下降到66.3 s.同时,NaClO/Fe（II）处理污泥能够使上清液中化学需氧量（COD）显著升高,并使污泥中紧密束缚型EPS（TB-EPS）和松散束缚型EPS（LB-EPS）转化成溶解性EPS（S-EPS）,导致S-EPS的溶解性有机碳（DOC）含量升高,而LB-EPS和TB-EPS的DOC含量降低.此外,NaClO/Fe（II）还能使污泥中有机物质矿化,使3种EPS中蛋白质类和腐殖酸类物质减少.NaClO和Fe（II）能够改善污泥脱水性能,强化污泥破解效果,利于污泥后续的处理处置.     

有机负荷对污泥胞外聚合物(EPS)分泌特性及信号分子释放差异的影响

考察了连续流A2/O系统在3个有机负荷[0.29,0.58,1.16 kg COD/(m3·d)]条件下,胞外聚合物(EPS)分泌特性及信号分子(AHLs)的释放差异.结果表明:TB-EPS是污泥系统中EPS主要成分,TB-EPS组分具有较高的分子量,且分子量分布更广.有机负荷对LB-EPS各组分的影响大于TB-EPS...     

Aeromonas veronii N8不同类型胞外聚合物的性质及其Zn2+吸附特征

以Aeromonas veronii N8为研究对象,对其松散型胞外聚合物(LB-EPS)和紧密型胞外聚合物(TB-EPS)的性质及其吸Zn~(2+)特征进行了研究.结果表明,LB-EPS和TB-EPS具有不同的多糖及蛋白组成比例;与TB-EPS相比,LB-EPS的分子量分布范围较窄,但其平均分子量较大,TBEPS中含有一些LB-EPS不具有的富含芳香族氨基酸的蛋白质,而LB-EPS则含有少量TB-EPS不具有的腐殖酸类物质;1H NMR与XPS分析发现,两种EPS具有相似的结构与元素组成,但各元素在两者中的组成比例并不相同;LB-EPS和TB-EPS具有相似的Zn~(2+)吸附规律,经90 min后二者均能达到吸附平衡,但LB-EPS的吸附率一直大于TB-EPS,二者的吸附率则随着EPS浓度的增加而变大,并随着Zn~(2+)浓度的增加而变小;对比Zn~(2+)吸附前后,两种EPS中属于核酸、多糖与蛋白质在内的一些特征官能团的强度或位置则发生了一定的变化,表明这些特征峰在吸附过程具有不同的功能作用;而LB-EPS和TB-EPS的Zn~(2+)吸附过程则可分别采用Freundlich和Temkin模型进行描述.     

硝化污泥胞外聚合物分层组分提取方法的比较

采用温和加热法、超声法、超声+振荡法和离心法4种方法提取硝化污泥松散结合型胞外聚合物(LB-EPS),及乙二胺四乙酸(EDTA)法、甲醛+NaOH法、甲醛+超声、阳离子树脂法(CER)和加热法提取硝化污泥紧密结合型胞外聚合物(TB-EPS),通过化学分析结合三维荧光(3DEEM)光谱对各提取方法进行比较.结果表明,LB-EPS和TB-EPS的最优提取方法分别为温和加热法和甲醛+Na OH法,TOC提取量分别为16.82、58.43 mg·g~(-1).三维荧光光谱显示温和加热法能有效提取LB-EPS中的类色氨酸和类腐殖酸;甲醛+NaOH法、CER和加热法提取的TBEPS中物质最为全面,主要包括类色氨酸、类腐殖酸和类酪氨酸.TB-EPS三维荧光浓度效应分析表明荧光峰位置与EPS浓度变化无关;类腐殖酸和类酪氨酸荧光峰强度随EPS浓度降低而减小,分别呈二项式和对数关系.