低碳氮比废水好氧颗粒污泥系统稳定性及微生物种群多样性研究

低碳氮比(C/N)废水处理是含氮废水处理中的难题之一.本实验在C/N为4:1和2:1(COD和NH₄⁺-N浓度分别为400 mg·L^-1和100 mg·L^-1,400 mg·L^-1和200 mg·L^-1)条件下,考察好氧颗粒污泥系统对低碳氮比废水的处理效果、长期运行稳定性,研究C/N对好氧颗粒微生物结构变化的影响.研究结果表明,在C/N为4:1的废水中接种活性污泥培养好氧颗粒污泥,形成的颗粒沉降性能良好,MLSS为4.94 g·L^-1,SVI30为40 mL·g^-1,COD去除率90%以上,氨氮去除率接近100%.降低碳氮比,即C/N为2:1后,好氧颗粒的物理及硝化性能无明显变化,MLSS为11.38 g·L^-1,SVI₃₀/SVI₅维持在1左右,COD去除率大于85%,氨氮去除率98%.碳氮比降低使颗粒微生物多样性减少,其中陶厄氏菌受影响较小,而硝化功能菌出现更替:噬氢菌、食酸菌、里德拜特氏菌消失,鞘氨醇单胞菌、束缚杆菌等成为优势菌种.实验表明,该低碳氮比条件下好氧颗粒污泥系统能够稳定运行,且具有优良的处理性能.     

Effects of shear force on formation and properties of anoxic granular sludge in SBR

This paper reports the effects of shear force on anoxic granular sludge in sequencing batch reactors （SBR）. The study was carried out in two SBRs （SBR1 and SBR2） in which sodium acetate （200mg COD·L^-1） was used as the sole substrate and sodium nitrate （40 mgNO3-N·L^-1） was employed as the electron acceptor. The preliminary objective of this study was to cultivate anoxic granules in the SBR in order to investigate the effects of shear force on the formation of anoxic granular sludge and to compare the properties of anoxic sludge in the SBR. This study reports new results for the values of average velocity gradient, a measure of the applied shear force, which was varied in the two SBRs （3.79 s^-1 and 9.76 s^-1 for SBR1 and SBR2 respectively）. The important findings of this research highlight the dual effects of shear force on anoxic granules. A low shear force can produce large anoxic granules with high activity and poor settling ability, whereas higher shear forces produce smaller granules with better settling ability and lower activity. The results of this study show that the anoxic granulation is closely related to the strength of the shear force. For high shear force, this research demonstrated that： 1） granules with smaller diameters, high density and good settling ability were formed in the reactor, and 2） granular sludge formed faster than it did in the low shear force reactor （41days versus 76 days）. Once a steady-state has been achieved, the nitrate and COD removal rates were found to be 98% and 80%, respectively. For low shear force, such as was applied in SBR1, this research demonstrated that： 1） the activity of anoxic granular sludge in low shear force was higher than that in high shear force, 2） higher amount of soluble microbial products （SMPs） were produced, and 3） large pores were observed inside the larger granules,which are beneficial for nitrogen gas diffusion. Electron microscopic examination of the anoxic granules in both reactors showed that the morphology of the granules was ellipsoidal with a clear outline. Coccus and rod-shaped bacteria were wrapped by filamentous bacteria on the surface of granule.     

Effect of illumination on the hydrogen-production capability of anaerobic activated sludge

To investigate the influence of illumination on the fermentative hydrogen production system, the hydrogen production efficiencies of two kinds of anaerobic activated sludge (floc and granule) from an anaerobic baffled reactor were detected under visible light, dark and light-dark, respectively. The 10 mL floc sludge or granular sludge was respectively inoculated to 100 mL diluted molasses (chemical oxygen demand of 8000 mg·L^-1) in a 250 mL serum bottle, and cultured for 24 h at 37°C under different illumination conditions. The results showed that the floc was more sensitive to illumination than the granule. A hydrogen yield of 19.8 mL was obtained in the dark with a specific hydrogen production rate of 3.52 mol·kg^-1MLVSS·d^-1 (floc), which was the highest among the three illumination conditions. Under dark condition, the hydrogen yield of floc sludge reached the highest with the specific hydrogen production rate of 3.52 mol·kg^-1MLVSS·d^-1, and under light-dark, light, the specific hydrogen production rate was 3.11 and 2.21 mol·kg^-1MLVSS·d^-1, respectively. The results demonstrated that the illumination may affect the dehydrogenase activity of sludge as well as the activity of hydrogen-producing acetogens and then impact hydrogen production capacity.     

Enhancement of sludge gravitational thickening with weak ultrasound

Gravitational thickening is the prevailing method to reduce sludge volume but the process is slow and usually requires addition of polyelectrolyte(s). This paper investigated the potential benefits of sonication on enhancing the sludge gravitational thickening with very low energy dose, so called “weak ultrasound”. Results showed that weak sonication significantly changed the sludge settlability and the main mechanism was release of the loosely bounded extracellular polymeric substances. The changes in sludge behaviors by sonication were strongly influenced by power density and sonication duration. Lower sound frequency was slightly better than higher frequency. Weak sonication (<680 kJ·kg^-1 DS) improved the sludge gravitational thickening while high ultrasonic energy deteriorated the process. Considering both the sludge thickening efficiency and energy consumption, the optimum conditions were 0.15 W·mL^-1, 7 s, and 25 kHz. Under such conditions, the energy dose was only 155 kJ·kg^-1 DS, much lower than literature reports, and the sludge settling time was shortened from 24 h to 12?h. Weak sonication could substitute expensive polyelectrolyte coagulant for sludge thickening. Combination of weak sonication and polyelectrolyte could further reduce the settling time to 6 h. The final water content of the thickened sludge was not changed after sonication or polyelectrolyte addition.     

Control of sludge settleability and nitrogen removal under low dissolved oxygen condition

Low dissolved oxygen (DO) is an energy-saving condition in activated sludge process. To investigate the possible application of limited filamentous bulking (LFB) in sequencing batch reactor (SBR), two lab-scale SBRs were used to treat synthetic domestic wastewater and real municipal wastewater, respectively. The results showed that prolonging low DO aeration duration and setting pre-anoxic (anaerobic) phase were effective strategies to induce and inhibit filamentous sludge bulking, respectively. According to the sludge settleability, LFB could be maintained steadily by adjusting operation patterns. Filamentous bacteria content and sludge volume index (SVI) were likely correlated. SVI fluctuated dramatically within a few cycles when around 200 mL·g^-1, where altering operation pattern could change sludge settleability in spite of the unstable status of activated sludge system. Energy consumption by aeration reduced under low DO LFB condition, whereas the nitrification performance deteriorated. However, short-cut nitrification and simultaneous nitrification denitrification (SND) were prone to take place under such conditions. When the cycle time kept constant, the anoxic (anaerobic) to aerobic time ratio was determining factor to the SND efficiency. Similarity keeping aerobic time as constant, the variation trends of SND efficiency and specific SND rate were uniform. SBR is a promising reactor to apply the LFB process in practice.     

Continuous biohydrogen production from diluted molasses in an anaerobic contact reactor

An anaerobic contact reactor (ACR) system comprising a continuous flow stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with settler to decouple the hydraulic retention time (HRT) from solids retention time (SRT) was developed for fermentative hydrogen production from diluted molasses by mixed microbial cultures. The ACR was operated at various volumetric loading rates (VLRs) of 20–44 kgCOD·m^-3·d^-1 with constant HRT of 6 h under mesophilic conditions of 35°C. The SRT was maintained at about 46–50 h in the system. At the initial VLR of 20 kgCOD·m^-3·d^-1, the hydrogen production rate dropped from 22.6 to 1.58 L·d^-1 as the hydrogen was consumed by the hydrogentrophic methanogen. After increasing the VLR to 28 kgCOD·m^-3·d^-1 and discharging the sludge for 6 consecutive times, the hydrogentrophic methanogens were eliminated, and the hydrogen content reached 36.4%. As the VLR was increased to 44 kgCOD·m^-3·d^-1, the hydrogen production rate and hydrogen yield increased to 42.1 L·d^-1 and 1.40 mol H₂·molglucose-consumed^-1, respectively. The results showed that a stable ethanol-type fermentation that favored hydrogen production in the reactor was thus established with the sludge loading rate (SLR) of 2.0–2.5 kgCOD·kgMLVSS^-1·d^-1. It was found that the ethanol increased more than other liquid fermentation products, and the ethanol/acetic acid (mol/mol) ratio increased from 1.27 to 2.45 when the VLR increased from 28 to 44 kgCOD·m^-3·d^-1, whereas the hydrogen composition decreased from 40.4% to 36.4%. The results suggested that the anaerobic contact reactor was a promising bioprocess for fermentative hydrogen production.     

Concept and application of anaerobic suspended granular sludge bed （SGSB） reactor for wastewater treatment

Bed expansion serves an important function in the design and operation of an upflow anaerobic reactor. An analysis of the flow pattern of expanded granular sludge bed （EGSB） reactors shows that most EGSB reactors do not behave as expanded bed reactors, as is widely perceived. Rather, these reactors behave as fluidized bed reactors based on the classic chemical reactor theory. In this paper, four bed expansion modes, divided as static bed, expanded bed, suspended bed, and fluidized bed, for bioreactors are proposed. A high-rate anaerobic suspended granular sludge bed （SGSB） reactor was then developed. The SGSB reactor is an upflow anaerobic reactor, and its expansion degree can be easily controlled within a range to maintain the suspended status of the sludge bed by controlling upfiow velocity. The results of the full-scale reactor confirmed that the use of SGSB reactors is advantageous. The full-scale SGSB reactor runs stably and achieves high COD removal efficiency （about 90%） at high loading rates （average 40 kg-COD·m^-3·d^-1, maximum to 52 kg·COD·m^-3 ·d^-1） based on the SGSB theory, and its expansion degree is between 22% and 37%.     

Achievement of high rate nitritation with aerobic granular sludge reactors enhanced by sludge recirculation events

A ratio control strategy has been used to demonstrate the feasibility of this automatic control procedure for the achievement of stable full and partial nitritation. The control strategy assured constant ratio between the dissolved oxygen (DO) and the total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentrations in the bulk liquid of aerobic granular sludge reactors operating in continuous mode. Three different set-ups with different reactor capacities were used (3, 110, and 150 L). High strength synthetic wastewaters and reject water were tested with similar performance. Achieved nitrogen loading rates ranged between 0.4 and 6.1 kgN·m^-3·d^-1, at temperatures between 20°C and 30°C. Granular sludge and nitritation were stable in the long term continuous operation of the reactors. Suitable stable effluent for Anammox has been obtained using the desired TAN setpoint (i.e. 50% of influent ammonium oxidation). An existing biofilm model developed incorporating the implemented control loops and validated in a previous publication was used to investigate the effects of the ammonium concentration of the influent and the biofilm density on the achievement of full nitritation. The model demonstrated how sludge recirculation events led to a stable and significant increase of the biomass concentration in the reactor, which in turn resulted in the achievement of high nitrogen loading rates, due to the action of the control strategy. The model predicted an enhancement of stable full nitritation at higher ammonium concentrations in the influent. Poor influence of the biofilm density in the achievement of full nitritation was predicted with the model.     

硝酸钙投加频次对污泥生物调理效果的影响

在接种了反硝化菌的剩余污泥中投加硝酸钙药剂,利用反硝化菌消耗NO₃^-进行反硝化作用去除污泥中易生物降解的有机物,利用Ca²⁺的中和、架桥作用,改善污泥的脱水性能.固定NO₃^-总投加浓度为100 mg·g^-1 TS,在6 d的时间内,按1次、2次、3次、6次的投加频次向污泥中投加硝酸钙.结果表明,1次投加对污泥脱水性能的提升最显著,较对照组而言,污泥CST降低了65.0%,SRF降低了73.2%,污泥脱水性能明显改善;投加硝酸钙后,污泥胞外聚合物中蛋白质含量大幅降低,S层、L层蛋白质分别从13.47 mg·L^-1、11.66 mg·L^-1降低至0.52 mg·L^-1、1.43 mg·L^-1;投加硝酸钙的污泥Zeta电位更趋于电中性.研究还发现,一次性投加硝酸钙产生了更多NO₂^-,有利于污泥结合水,即微生物细胞质的释放.释放出的有机碳被反硝化菌用作碳源,又增强了反硝化效果,从而促进了污泥EPS的破坏与降解,从而改善了污泥的脱水性能.     

Fermentative hydrogen production from beet sugar factory wastewater treatment in a continuous stirred tank reactor using anaerobic mixed consortia

A low pH, ethanol-type fermentation process was evaluated for wastewater treatment and bio-hydrogen production from acidic beet sugar factory wastewater in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with an effective volume of 9.6 L by anaerobic mixed cultures in this present study. After inoculating with aerobic activated sludge and operating at organic loading rate (OLR) of 12 kgCOD?m^-3·d^-1, HRT of 8h, and temperature of 35°C for 28 days, the CSTR achieved stable ethanol-type fermentation. When OLR was further increased to 18 kgCOD?m^-3·d^-1 on the 53rd day, ethanol-type fermentation dominant microflora was enhanced. The liquid fermentation products, including volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and ethanol, stabilized at 1493 mg·L^-1 in the bioreactor. Effluent pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), and alkalinity ranged at 4.1–4.5, -250–(-290) mV, and 230–260 mgCaCO₃?L^-1. The specific hydrogen production rate of anaerobic activated sludge was 0.1 L?gMLVSS^-1·d^-1 and the COD removal efficiency was 45%. The experimental results showed that the CSTR system had good operation stability and microbial activity, which led to high substrate conversion rate and hydrogen production ability.     

Modification of the activated sludge model for chemical dosage

Full-scale experiments have been carried out to adapt the activated sludge model ASM2d to include the influence of metal dosage (Fe³⁺ and Al³⁺) for phosphorus removal. Phosphorus removal rates, nitrification rates, as well as pH and sludge settling performance, were evaluated as functions of the metal dosages. Furthermore, models relating certain parameters to the dosage of chemicals have been derived. Corresponding parameters in the ASM2d and the secondary settler models, included in the Benchmark Simulation Model No 1 (BSM1), have been modified to take the metal influence into consideration. Based on the effluent limits and penalty policy of China, an equivalent evaluation method was derived for the total cost assessment. A large number of 300-day steady-state and 14-day open-loop dynamic simulations were performed to demonstrate the difference in behavior between the original and the modified BSM1. The results show that 1) both in low and high mole concentrations, Fe³⁺ addition results in a higher phosphorus removal rate than Al³⁺; 2) the sludge settling velocity will increase due to the metal addition; 3) the respiration rate of the activated sludge is decreased more by the dosage of Al³⁺ than Fe³⁺; 4) the inhibition of Al³⁺ on the nitrification rate is stronger than that of Fe³⁺; 5) the total operating cost will reach the minimum point for smaller dosages of Fe³⁺, but always increase with Al³⁺ addition.     

Effect of nitrobenzene on the performance and bacterial community in an expanded granular sludge bed reactor treating high-sulfate organic wastewater

Less than 50 mg/L nitrobenzene brought little effect on anaerobic sulfate reduction. Kinetics of sulfate reduction under different nitrobenzene contents was studied. Increased nitrobenzene contents greatly changed the bacterial community structure. Genus Desulfovibrio played the key role in anaerobic sulfate reduction process. Nitrobenzene (NB) is frequently found in wastewaters containing sulfate and may affect biological sulfate reduction process, but information is limited on the responses of sulfate reduction efficiency and microbial community to the increased NB contents. In this study, a laboratory-scale expanded granular sludge bed reactor was operated continuously to treat high-sulfate organic wastewater with increased NB contents. Results successfully demonstrated that the presence of more than 50 mg/L NB depressed sulfate reduction and such inhibition was partly reversible. Bath experiments showed that the maximum specific desulfuration activity (SDA) decreased from 135.80 mg SO₄^2?/gVSS/d to 30.78 mg SO₄^2?/gVSS/d when the NB contents increased from none to 400 mg/L. High-throughput sequencing showed that NB also greatly affected bacterial community structure. Bacteroidetes dominated in the bioreactor. The abundance of Proteobacteria increased with NB addition while Firmicutes presented an opposite trend. Proteobacteria gradually replaced Firmicutes for the dominance in response to the increase of influent NB concentrations. The genus Desulfovibrio was the dominant sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) with absence or presence of NB, but was inhibited under high content of NB. The results provided better understanding for the biological sulfate reduction under NB stress.     

Micro-analysis of nitrogen transport and conversion inside activated sludge flocs using microelectrodes

To investigate the nitrogen transport and conversion inside activated sludge flocs, micro-profiles of O₂, NH₄⁺, NO₂^–, NO₃^–, and pH were measured under different operating conditions. The flocs were obtained from a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor. Nitrification, as observed from interfacial ammonium and nitrate fluxes, was higher at pH 8.5, than at pH 6.5 and 7.5. At pH 8.5, heterotrophic bacteria used less oxygen than nitrifying bacteria, whereas at lower pH heterotrophic activity dominated. When the ratio of C to N was decreased from 20 to 10, the ammonium uptake increased. When dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the bulk liquid was decreased from 4 to 2 mg·L^-1, nitrification decreased, and only 25% of the DO influx into the flocs was used for nitrification. This study indicated that nitrifying bacteria became more competitive at a higher DO concentration, a higher pH value (approximately 8.5) and a lower C/N.     

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

The UASB system successfully treated sulfamethoxazole pharmaceutical wastewater. High concentration sulfate of this wastewater was the main refractory factor. UASB recovery performance after a few days of inflow arrest was studied. The optimal UASB operating conditions for practical application were determined. 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/SO₄^2? 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/SO₄^2? ratio. For the treated sulfamethoxazole pharmaceutical wastewater, a COD of 4983 mg/L (diluted by 50%), OLR of 2.5 kg COD/(m³·d), and COD/SO₄^2? 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.     

Transport of Sewage Sludge in a Mixed Water Column

Sewage sludge from four publicly-owned treatment works was sampled and characterized in terms of parameters affecting transport at the 106-mile deep ocean disposal site as part of the US Environmental Protection Agency's site monitoring programme. Samples from treatment plants in Passaic Valley, Rahway, and Elizabeth, New Jersey and New York City were characterized in terms of dynamic size distribution, suspended solids and density. the transport characteristics of sludge particles were measured using a 2 metre computer-interfaced laboratory settling column. Experiments were conducted at constant salinity (35 ppt) while varying hydrodynamic mixing, sludge type and concentration using a modified factorial experimental design. Hydrodynamic power dissipation was varied so that the vertical dispersion and rms fluid shear rate ranged between 0-6 cm²S^-1 and 0-30s^-1 respectively. Results indicate that at least 80% of suspended sludge particles will eventually settle under mixed conditions. the average settling velocities ranged between 0.05-4.05 × 10^-3 cm ^s-1. Shear rates above 15 s^-1 inhibited sludge settling due to aggregate breakup and boundary effects, but at a lower shear rate, differential settling and fluid shear were the dominant transport mechanisms. Sludge dilution (1/500-1/5000) had a limited effect on the settling rate. Results from this study can be used to calibrate particle transport models to determine the fate of sludge disposed at an ocean disposal site.     

A new polystyrene-latex-based and EPS-containing synthetic sludge

Since the living microorganisms in activated sludge continuously change, it is difficult to conduct controlled experiments and achieve reproducible results for evaluating sludge characteristics. Synthetic sludge, as a chemical surrogate to activated sludge, could be used to investigate the sludge physicochemical properties, and it is desirable to prepare synthetic sludge with similar structure and properties to real activated sludge to explore the flocculation and settlement processes in activated sludge systems. In this work, a high-strength synthetic sludge was prepared with functional polystyrene latex particles as the framework and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to modify its surface. The flocculation and settling characteristics of the microspheres and the prepared synthetic sludge were tested. Compared with other three functional polystyrene latex microspheres, the synthetic sludge prepared with EPS-modified polystyrene latex microspheres showed good settling characteristics and a significantly higher strength. They could be used for studying the physicochemical properties of activated sludge.     

Treatment of swine wastewater in aerobic granular reactors: comparison of different seed granules as factors

The granulation process, physic-chemical properties, pollution removal ability and bacterial communities of aerobic granules with different feed-wastewater (synthetic wastewater, R1; swine wastewater, R2), and the change trend of some parameters of two types of granules in long-term operated reactors treating swine wastewater were investigated in this experiment. The result indicated that aerobic granulation with the synthetic wastewater had a faster rate compared with swine wastewater and that full granulation in R1 and R2 was reached on the 30th day and 39th day, respectively. However, although the feed wastewater also had an obvious effect on the biomass fraction and extracellular polymeric substances of the aerobic granules during the granulation process, these properties remained at a similar level after long-term operation. Moreover, a similar increasing trend could also be observed in terms of the nitrogen removal efficiencies of the aerobic granules in both reactors, and the average specific removal rates of the organics and ammonia nitrogen at the steady-state stage were 35.33 mg·g⁻¹ VSS and 51.46 mg·g⁻¹ VSS for R1, and 35.47 mg·g⁻¹ VSS and 51.72 mg·g⁻¹ VSS for R2, respectively. In addition, a shift in the bacterial diversity occurred in the granulation process, whereas bacterial communities in the aerobic granular reactor were not affected by the seed granules after long-term operation.     

Comparison of different valent iron on anaerobic sludge digestion: Focusing on oxidation reduction potential,dissolved organic nitrogen and microbial community

• ORP value from −278.71 to −379.80 mV showed indiscernible effects on methane yield. • Fe(II) and Fe(III) promoted more degradation of proteins and amino acids than Fe⁰. • The highest enrichment of Geobacter was noted in samples added with Fe⁰. • Cysteine was accumulated during iron enhanced anaerobic sludge digestion. • Both iron content and valence were important for methane production. This study compared effects of three different valent iron (Fe⁰, Fe(II) and Fe(III)) on enhanced anaerobic sludge digestion, focusing on the changes of oxidation reduction potential (ORP), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and microbial community. Under the same iron dose in range of 0−160 mg/L after an incubation period of 30 days (d), the maximum methane production rate of sludge samples dosed with respective Fe⁰, Fe(II) and Fe(III) at the same concentration showed indiscernible differences at each iron dose, regardless of the different iron valence. Moreover, their behavior in changes of ORP, DON and microbial community was different: (1) the addition of Fe⁰ made the ORP of sludge more negative, and the addition of Fe(II) and Fe(III) made the ORP of sludge less negative. However, whether being more or less negative, the changes of ORP may show unobservable effects on methane yield when it ranged from −278.71 to −379.80 mV; (2) the degradation of dissolved organic nitrogen, particularly proteins, was less efficient in sludge samples dosed with Fe⁰ compared with those dosed with Fe(II) and Fe(III) after an incubation period of 30 d. At the same dose of 160 mg/L iron, more cysteine was noted in sludge samples dosed with Fe(II) (30.74 mg/L) and Fe(III) (27.92 mg/L) compared with that dosed with Fe⁰ (21.75 mg/L); (3) Fe⁰ particularly promoted the enrichment of Geobacter, and it was 6 times higher than those in sludge samples dosed with Fe(II) and Fe(III) at the same dose of 160 mg/L iron.     

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

• UASB reactor can work efficiently with high COD/SO₄^2- ratios when SDBS exists. • Outcome of the competition between SRB and MPA was affected by SDBS. • Presence of SDBS makes methanogens with H₂/CO₂ as a substrate dominant. • Microbial diversity decreases in the presence of SDBS. 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/SO₄²⁻ ratio was above 5.0. However, when the COD/SO₄²⁻ 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/SO₄²⁻ 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/SO₄²⁻, and Methanobacterium and Methanobrevibacter with H₂/CO₂ 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.     

Preparation,characterization of sludge adsorbent and investigations on its removal of hydrogen sulfide under room temperature

To recycle the sludge resource from sewage treatment plants and solve the problem of odor pollution, the sludge was converted into an adsorbent by carbonized pyrolysis and the process was optimized by orthogonal experiments. The capability for odor removal as well as the structure of the adsorbent was studied with H₂S as a target pollutant. The results indicate that the main factor affecting the deodorization performance of the adsorbent is the activating time. The sludge adsorbent sample SAC1 prepared under optimum conditions exhibits the best deodorization performance with a H₂S breakthrough time of 58 min and an iodine value nearly that of the coal activated carbon. The breakthrough time of H₂S is much longer than that on the coal activated carbon. On the other hand, characterization results from X-ray diffractometer (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques show that SAC1 is composed of mainly graphite carbon with lower oxygen content on the surface. The bulk of SAC1 exhibits a honeycomb structure with well developed porosity and a high specific surface area of 120.47 m²·g^-1, with the average pore diameter being about 5 nm. Such a structure is in favor of H₂S adsorption. Moreover, SAC1 is detected to contain various metal elements such as Zn, Fe, Mg, etc., leading to a superior deodorization property to that of coal activated carbon.