Characterization of polychlorinated biphenyls and brominated flame retardants in sludge,sediment and fish from municipal dumpsite at Surabaya,Indonesia

We investigated the PCBs, PBDEs and HBCDs contamination in sludge, sediments and fish from various locations including raw leachate pond, leachate treatment plans (LTPs), control wells and reference site at open landfill of municipal dumpsite, Surabaya City, Indonesia. 62 PCBs and 14 PBDEs congeners, and 3 HBCDs isomers were identified and quantified using GC–MS and LC–MS/MS, respectively. Concentration ranges and median (value in parentheses) of PCBs, PBDEs and HBCDs were from not detected (ND) to 60 (3.9) ng g⁻¹ dw, 0.0075 to 45 (4.5) ng g⁻¹ dw and ND to 2.8 (0.052) ng g⁻¹ dw in sludge and sediments, respectively. While in two polled of fish samples were 30–55 ng g⁻¹ lw, 6.6–11 ng g⁻¹ lw and 1.6–3.3 ng g⁻¹ lw, respectively. Among the sampling sites, the highest level of PCBs and PBDEs were detected in sludge from raw leachate pond. However, PCBs and PBDEs levels were showing decreased in LTP-1 that could be due to the bacterial degradation but not in LTP-2, HBCDs were more stable in both LTPs. Levels of PCBs and BFRs in sludge at the present study were lower than those reported in sewage sludge reported from some other countries. PCBs profiles were mainly composed in that order by CB-138, -153, -180, -101, -118 and -28, while by BDE-47, -99, -100, -153, -154 and -28 for PBDEs in sludge, sediments and fish. Profiles of HBCDs were predominantly composed by γ- and α-isomers in sludge and fish, respectively. Debromination, dechlorination, commercial formulations used and congener-specific accumulation of those contaminants are the factors influenced the profiles.     

Impact of PCB-118 and transformer oil toxicity on anaerobic digestion of sludge: Anaerobic toxicity assay results

In this study, possible toxicity of increasing doses of PCB-118 and transformer oil (TO) on anaerobic sludge digestion was investigated. For this purpose, five different sets of reactors were prepared in which four different PCB-118 concentration (1, 10, 20, and 30 mg L⁻¹) and three different TO concentration (0.38, 0.76, and 1.52 g L⁻¹) were applied. Throughout the study, biogas production and composition, pH, TS, VS, and COD as well as PCB concentration were monitored. Toxicity was investigated by anaerobic toxicity assay (ATA) evaluating the reduction in methane production. A notable inhibition was observed mostly in 30 mg L⁻¹ PCB reactors. A negative influence of PCB-118 and TO was observed on COD and solids removal. A maximum of 26.5% PCB-118 removal was attained.     

Persistence of perfluoroalkylated substances in closed bottle tests with municipal sewage sludge

BACKGROUND, AIM, AND SCOPE: Perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) are chemicals with completely fluorinated alkyl chains. The specific properties of the F-C bond give PFAS a high stability and make them very useful in a wide range of applications. PFAS also pose a potential risk to the environment and humans because they have been recently characterized as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic. The objective of this work is to study the bacterial degradation of PFAS under aerobic and anaerobic conditions in municipal sewage sludge as a contribution toward understanding their environmental fate and behavior. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bacterial communities from sewage sludge were exposed to a mixture of PFAS under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Individual PFAS concentrations were determined in the experiment media at different exposure times using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis after extraction with solid-phase extraction. RESULTS: The PFAS analyses of samples of sludge showed repeatable replicate results, allowing a reliable quantification of the different groups of PFAS analyzed. No conclusive evidence for PFAS degradation was observed under the experimental conditions tested in this work. Reduction in concentrations, however, was observed for some PFAS in sludge under aerobic conditions. DISCUSSION: The largest concentration decrease occurred for the fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), especially for the 8:2 FTOH, which have been described as biodegradable in the literature. However, this concentration decrease could be due to different causes: sorption to glass, septa, or matrix components, as well as bacterial activity. Therefore, it is not certain that biodegradation occurred. CONCLUSIONS: PFAS are very recalcitrant chemicals, especially when fully fluorinated. Although some decreases in concentration have been observed for some PFAS, such as the FTOHs, there is no conclusive evidence for biodegradation. It can be concluded that the PFAS tested in these experiments are non-biodegradable under these experimental conditions. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: Since the presence of PFAS is ubiquitous in the environment and they can be toxic, more research is needed in this field to elucidate which PFAS are susceptible to biodegradation, the conditions required for biodegradation, and the possible routes followed. A possible inhibitory effect of PFAS on bacteria, the threshold concentrations, and conditions of inhibition should also be investigated.     

鸟粪石沉淀法回收污泥处理构筑物中氮磷的研究进展

污水处理厂氮磷的处理和回收已经成为必然。而污泥处理构筑物中氮磷的释放则进一步要求对其中释放的氮磷进行回收。本文介绍了国内外对鸟粪石形成条件、外加镁源以及各种利用鸟粪石沉淀法进行污泥处理构筑物中氮磷回收的研究现状,并对其在污泥处理构筑物氮磷回收中存在的问题进行了论述。     

丽江市古城区污水处理厂扩建工程的启动调试及运行

丽江市污水处理厂扩建工程处理规模为1万m3/d,采用了改良型ICEAS工艺。该污水处理系统的启动调试内容,包括调试前的准备工作以及活性污泥的培养与驯化。活性污泥培养驯化历时50 d左右,活性污泥絮体基本形成,生物相基本稳定,处理效果显著,出水各项指标达标。在进水BOD低营养源不足的不利条件下,成功完成了该污水处理厂的启动调试和活性污泥培养驯化,对指导污水厂的调试运行有着重要的意义。     

Improving anaerobic sewage sludge digestion by implementation of a hyper-thermophilic prehydrolysis step

The present study focuses on a two-step process for treatment and stabilisation of primary sludge. The process consists of a hyper-thermophilic hydrolysis step operated at 70 degrees C and a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2 days followed by a thermophilic (55 degrees C) anaerobic digestion step at a HRT of 13 days. A one-step anaerobic digester operated at 55 degrees C and 15 days HRT was used as a reference process. The two-step process was characterized by a 12% higher organic suspended solids removal efficiency and better pathogen reduction effect than the conventional one-step digestion. The microbial community of the digester fed with pre-treated sludge was characterised by a higher activity compared to that of the digester treating raw sludge. Moreover, the pre-treatment of the primary sludge resulted up to 48% increase of the methane potential (20.09 and 13.56mmolCH(4)g(-)VS(-1) with and without pre-treatment, respectively) and up to 115% increase of the methane production rate. Finally it was shown that the extra energy requirements for the operation of a pre-treatment step would be covered by the energy produced from the extra methane production and in addition there would be a significant energy surplus of 2.17kJd(-1) for the system tested.     

Life cycle assessment of sewage sludge co-incineration in a coal-based power station

A life cycle assessment was conducted to evaluate the environmental and economic effects of sewage sludge co-incineration in a coal-fired power plant. The general approach employed by a coal-fired power plant was also assessed as control. Sewage sludge co-incineration technology causes greater environmental burden than does coal-based energy production technology because of the additional electricity consumption and wastewater treatment required for the pretreatment of sewage sludge, direct emissions from sludge incineration, and incinerated ash disposal processes. However, sewage sludge co-incineration presents higher economic benefits because of electricity subsidies and the income generating potential of sludge. Environmental assessment results indicate that sewage sludge co-incineration is unsuitable for mitigating the increasing pressure brought on by sewage sludge pollution. Reducing the overall environmental effect of sludge co-incineration power stations necessitates increasing net coal consumption efficiency, incinerated ash reuse rate, dedust system efficiency, and sludge water content rate.     

生活污水处理厂 ICEAS工艺中活性污泥的培养以及不同阶段主要微生物

针对神东矿区生活污水处理厂广泛使用的ICEAS工艺的活性污泥培养以及不同阶段主要微生物进行研究,研究活性污泥在不同生长阶段微生物的特点以及生活污水各项指标,有效地保证活性污泥的处理效率。     

Monitoring and optimizing the co-composting of dewatered sludge: a mixture experimental design approach

The management of dewatered wastewater sludge is a major issue worldwide. Sludge disposal to landfills is not sustainable and thus alternative treatment techniques are being sought. The objective of this work was to determine optimal mixing ratios of dewatered sludge with other organic amendments in order to maximize the degradability of the mixtures during composting. This objective was achieved using mixture experimental design principles. An additional objective was to study the impact of the initial C/N ratio and moisture contents on the co-composting process of dewatered sludge. The composting process was monitored through measurements of O(2) uptake rates, CO(2) evolution, temperature profile and solids reduction. Eight (8) runs were performed in 100 L insulated air-tight bioreactors under a dynamic air flow regime. The initial mixtures were prepared using dewatered wastewater sludge, mixed paper wastes, food wastes, tree branches and sawdust at various initial C/N ratios and moisture contents. According to empirical modeling, mixtures of sludge and food waste mixtures at 1:1 ratio (ww, wet weight) maximize degradability. Structural amendments should be maintained below 30% to reach thermophilic temperatures. The initial C/N ratio and initial moisture content of the mixture were not found to influence the decomposition process. The bio C/bio N ratio started from around 10, for all runs, decreased during the middle of the process and increased to up to 20 at the end of the process. The solid carbon reduction of the mixtures without the branches ranged from 28% to 62%, whilst solid N reductions ranged from 30% to 63%. Respiratory quotients had a decreasing trend throughout the composting process.     

Anaerobic digestion of sludge by different pretreatments: Changes of amino acids and microbial community

•Tryptophan protein, and aromatic protein I/II were the key identified proteins. •Cysteine was more correlated with methane production than other amino acids. •The presence of cysteine can promote methane production and degradation of VFAs. •The presence of cysteine can lower ORP and increase biomass activity. •Predominant Tissierella and Proteiniphilum were noted in pretreated sludge samples. Many studies have investigated the effects of different pretreatments on the performance of anaerobic digestion of sludge. However, the detailed changes of dissolved organic nitrogen, particularly the release behavior of proteins and the byproducts of protein hydrolysis-amino acids, are rarely known during anaerobic digestion of sludge by different pretreatments. Here we quantified the changes of three types of proteins and 17 types of amino acids in sludge samples solubilized by ultrasonic, thermal, and acid/alkaline pretreatments and their transformation during anaerobic digestion of sludge. Tryptophan protein, aromatic protein I, aromatic protein II, and cysteine were identified as the key dissolved organic nitrogen responsible for methane production during anaerobic digestion of sludge, regardless of the different pretreatment methods. Different from the depletion of other amino acids, cysteine was resistant to degradation after an incubation period of 30 days in all sludge samples. Meanwhile, the “cysteine and methionine metabolism (K00270)” was absent in all sludge samples by identifying 6755 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes assignments of genes hits. Cysteine contributed to the generation of methane and the degradation of acetic, propionic, and n-butyric acids through decreasing oxidation-reduction potential and enhancing biomass activity. This study provided an alternative strategy to enhance anaerobic digestion of sludge through in situ production of cysteine.