Effect of nitrite on hydrolysis-acidification, biogas production and microbial community in semi-continuous two-phase anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge

Previous study found that the pre-treatment of sewage sludge with nitrite improves the biogas production during the mono/two-phase anaerobic digestion (AD) using batch biochemical methane potential tests. In this study, the effects of nitrite on hydrolysis-acidification, biogas production, volatile solids destruction and microbial composition in semi-continuous two-phase AD of sewage sludge were investigated. The addition of nitrite promotes sludge organic matter solubilization (+484%) and VFAs production (+98.9%), and causes an increase in the VS degradation rate during the AD process (+8.7%). The comparison of biogas production from the acidogenic and methanogenic reactors with or without the addition of nitrite implies that the nitrite has no significant effect on the overall biogas production of two-phase sludge AD process. High-throughput sequencing analysis shows that the microbial communities of bacteria and archaea in two-phase AD reactors significantly changes after the addition of nitrite. Vulcanibacillus (bacteria) and Candidatus Methanofastidiosum (archaea) become the dominant genera in the acidogenic and methanogenic reactors with the nitrite respectively. These findings provide new insights about using nitrite to promote the organic matter degradation of sewage sludge in a semi-continuous two-phase AD system.     

Performances of mesophilic anaerobic digestion systems treating poultry mortalities

Abstract

A closed‐loop anaerobic digestion system consisting of a leachbed (LB) and an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) was tested as an alternative for the disposal of poultry mortalities. This paper compares the performances of three LB‐UASB treatment systems with different initial moisture contents in the LBs. Each LB was loaded with one chicken and 5, 10 or 18 liters of water. The LBs initially carried out the hydrolysis/acidification phase while the UASBs the methanogenesis phase. Due to repeated inoculation by the UASBs, the LBs with 10 and 18 liters of water started producing methane on day 5, while the one with 5 liters of water on day 19. However, methane production rates were low before day 40 for the LB with 10 liters of water and day 60 for the other LBs. Methane production gradually improved as the LBs continued to receive ungranulated sludge from the UASBs. The LBs eventually became balanced methane reactors. Continued balanced fermentation in the LBs resulted in leachates with very low substrate concentrations that could no longer support high‐rate methanogenesis in the UASBs. Consequently, methane production rates from the UASBs decreased quickly while that from the LBs reached peak levels. Cumulative methane production from each LB eventually exceeded that from its connecting UASB. After 118 days of digestion, 414, 437 and 470 liters of methane were produced from the three systems, respectively. Cumulative methane production from the LBs with 5 and 18 liters of water accounted for 63% of the total methane produced from their respective systems. The LB with 10 liters of water produced 75% of the total methane from that system. Methane yields ranged from 0.485 to 0.554 m³ (Kg TS) ¹. About 86% of the initial dry weight was biodegraded. All three systems performed very well with little operational problems. Overall, the system that started with 10 liters of water in the LB performed the best. Strategy for enhancing system performances and implementing farm applications are discussed.     

H2O2 treatment boosts activity of NiFe layered double hydroxide for electro-catalytic oxidation of urea

Urea oxidation reaction (UOR) provides a method for hydrogen production besides wastewater treatment, but the current limited catalytic activity has prevented the application. Herein, we develop a novel H₂O₂ treatment strategy for tailoring the surface oxygen ligand of NiFe-layered double hydroxides (NiFe-LDH). The sample after H₂O₂ treatment (NiFeO-LDH) shows significant enhancement on UOR efficiency, with the potential of 1.37 V (RHE) to reach a current density of 10 mA/cm². The boost is attributed to the richness adsorption O ligand on NiFeO-LDH as revealed by XPS and Raman analysis. DFT calculation indicates formation of two possible types of oxygen ligands: adsorbed oxygen on the surface and exposed from hydroxyl group, lowered the desorption energy of CO₂ product, which lead to the lowered onset potential. This strategy is further extended to NiFe-LDH nano sheet on Ni foam to reach a higher current density of 440 mA/cm² of UOR at 1.8 V (RHE). The facile surface O ligand manipulation is also expected to give chance to many other electro-catalytic oxidations.     

An approach to preimplantation diagnosis of β-thalassaemia

Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), it was possible to amplify a single copy fragment of the β-globin gene from 2–32 human embryonic cells obtained from arrested preimplantation embryos. For the detection of β-thalassaemia mutations, allele specific priming of the PCR using nested primers was employed using approximately 10 pg of DN A from individuals known to carry these mutations. This approach was successful in detecting the presence or absence of five Asian Indian β-thalassaemia mutations that were selected for this study. In spite of meticulous precautions against contamination, false-positive amplification was observed, a problem that will have to be overcome before this approach can be used in clinical practice.     

Steady performance of a zero valent iron packed anaerobic reactor for azo dye wastewater treatment under variable influent quality

Zero valent iron (ZVI) is expected to help create an enhanced anaerobic environment that might improve the performance of anaerobic treatment. Based on this idea, a novel ZVI packed upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (ZVI-UASB) reactor was developed to treat azo dye wastewater with variable influent quality. The results showed that the reactor was less influenced by increases of Reactive Brilliant Red X-3B concentration from 50 to 1000 mg/L and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from 1000 to 7000 mg/L in the feed than a reference UASB reactor without the ZVI. The ZVI decreased oxidation-reduction potential in the reactor by about 80 mV. Iron ion dissolution from the ZVI could buffer acidity in the reactor, the amount of which was related to the COD concentration. Fluorescence in situ hybridization test showed the abundance of methanogens in the sludge of the ZVI-UASB reactor was significantly greater than that of the reference one. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis showed that the ZVI increased the diversity of microbial strains responsible for high efficiency.     

基于PCR-TGGE技术的餐厨垃圾厌氧消化微生物群落结构解析

为了解不同负荷下单相餐厨垃圾厌氧消化反应器内微生物群落结构演替特征,在单相厌氧消化反应器负荷为2.0～8.5kg·m-·3d-1(以VS计)的不同负荷条件下取样,运用16SrDNA的PCR-TGGE技术对反应器内微生物进行动态追踪.同时,运用Dice系统和NMDS软件对PCR-TGGE图谱进行分析.结果表明,负荷为4.0～6.0kg·m-·3d-1时,微生物群落结构变化不大;负荷为6.0～7.0kg·m-·3d-1时,微生物群落结构变化较为明显;负荷分别为7.0～8.0kg·m-·3d-1及8.5kg·m-·3d-1时,微生物群落结构变化最为明显.纵观整个过程,在餐厨垃圾厌氧消化反应器有机负荷在2.0～8.5kg·m-·3d-1下厌氧反应器内的微生物群落结构存在明显的阶段性演替;负荷为7.0kg·m-·3d-1时微生物群落结构的丰富度最好.     

梯度负荷下果蔬垃圾厌氧消化性能及微生物群落结构的研究

为优化果蔬垃圾厌氧消化工艺,提高厌氧消化性能,本文通过逐级提高CSTR反应器进料负荷,研究不同负荷下的厌氧消化性能及相应的微生物群落结构变化规律.结果表明,随着进料负荷的增高,容积产气率、甲烷产气量、氨氮、碱度、TCOD、SCOD均逐渐增高,在最高负荷(负荷以VS计)2.50g·L-·1d-1时分别达到最大值:1.22L·L-1d-1,5.10L·d-1,1563.86mg·L-1,7572.23mg·L-1,13283.26mg·L-1,2075.03mg·L-1,甲烷含量及VFA分别稳定在52.46%～54.59%和(879.30±18.69)mg·L-1;同时利用PCR-DGGE技术系统分析了厌氧消化中细菌与古细菌的群落结构,测序结果表明,整个过程中拟杆菌(Bacteroidetes)、甲烷鬃菌(Methanosaeta)及甲烷螺菌(Methanospirillum)为优势微生物,随着负荷的提高,甲烷鬃毛菌(Methanosaeta)活性逐渐降低;聚类分析及主成分分析表明,低负荷条件下(1.50g·L-·1d-1、1.75g·L-·1d-1),微生物种类(细菌、古细菌)差别不明显,且基本处于同一阶段.     

厌氧序批式反应器预处理垃圾渗滤液的碳平衡研究

为初步了解垃圾渗滤液中有机物降解过程的物质和能量转化,对渗滤液实际处理工程提供借鉴,在最优工艺参数条件下,分别用处于中温(35±1)℃和常温状态的厌氧序批式反应器(ASBR)对垃圾渗滤液进行预处理。通过对反应器内的液相、气相和固相碳素进行全面的分析测定,结果表明:中温(常温)条件下,整个反应周期内约有86.4%(77.6%)的碳进入气相,约有1.7%(1.4%)的碳进入固相,其余约11.7%(22.3%)的碳仍存于液相中;其中,进入气相部分的碳有77.6%(71.3%)以甲烷形式存在,8.8%(4.7%)以二氧化碳形式存在,这说明ASBR预处理垃圾渗滤液过程中产生的甲烷资源化利用潜力较大。另外,反应器在中温状态下较常温状态处理效果更佳。     

厌氧氨氧化电子受体的研究

在无机条件下,以该课题组已经培养出来的厌氧氨氧化污泥作为接种污泥,分别以硫酸盐、硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐为电子受体来研究氨的氧化反应。从去除速率的角度来看,以NO2--N、NO3--N和SO42--S为电子受体的反应器,分别在运行的第24.5天、40天和31天时达到0.030 0 kg/(m.3d)NH4+-N去除速率,则氧化氨的能力由大到小依次是:亚硝酸盐>硫酸盐>硝酸盐;从标准吉布斯自由能变化来看,3种反应都是可以发生的;以亚硝酸盐为电子受体的反应过程是一个消耗酸度的生物过程,而以硫酸盐为电子受体的反应过程是一个消耗碱度的生物过程。     

不同堆沤处理对玉米秸秆厌氧发酵的影响

研究利用纤维素分解菌F2对玉米秸秆进行堆沤预处理,将经不同堆沤预处理时间后的秸秆与猪粪混合进行厌氧发酵产沼气试验。结果发现,堆沤15 d后秸秆的总有机碳含量降低了10.06%,VS去除率和纤维素降解率比未加菌堆沤预处理分别提高了10.74%、10.60%;加菌堆沤预处理后的秸秆厌氧发酵甲烷产气率、干物质产气率、发酵前后VS去除率均高于未加菌堆沤预处理后的秸秆,且产气效率也有明显的提高;加菌堆沤预处理10 d的秸秆比未加菌堆沤预处理15 d的秸秆提前了2 d达到产气高峰,累计产气量达到21 957 mL,比未加菌堆沤预处理15 d的秸秆增加了1 629 mL。实验结果表明:该纤维素分解菌对玉米秸秆纤维素有较强的降解能力,并在一定程度上促进了有机碳的矿化;有效地提高了秸秆的生物降解性能,缩短了预处理所需时间;同时提高了玉米秸秆的利用率和产气潜力。