Jianzheng Li

The performance and phase separated characteristics of an anaerobic baffled reactor treating soybean protein processing wastewater.

A laboratory-scale anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) with four compartments using soybean protein processing wastewater as organic loading rates (OLRs) was investigated for the performance and phase separated characteristics. It was found that the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies were 92-97% at 1.2-6.0kgCOD/m3d feeding. The dominated species, propionate and butyrate, were found in the 1st compartment. Acetate was dominated in the 2nd compartment and then decreased in the 3rd and 4th. Meanwhile, 93% volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were removed in the 3rd and 4th compartments. In the 1st compartment, biogas revealed carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2). The highest H2 yield was found in the 2nd compartment, thereafter decreased from the 2nd to 4th which corresponded to the increased of the methane (CH4) yield. It indicated that the proper anaerobic consortium in each separate compartment was developed along with substrate availability and specific environmental conditions.

Anaerobic biohydrogen production from monosaccharides by a mixed microbial community culture.

Monosaccharides (e.g. glucose and fructose) are produced from the hydrolyzation of macromolecules, such as starch, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, which are abundant in various industrial wastewaters. The elucidation of anaerobic activated sludge microbial community utilizing monosaccharides will lay an important foundation for the industrialization of biohydrogen production. In this study, the hydrogen production by a mixed microbial culture on four monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose and arabinose) was investigated in a batch cultures. The mixed microbial culture was obtained from anaerobic activated sludge in a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) after 29 days of acclimatization. The results indicated that glucose had the highest specific hydrogen production rate of 358 mL/g.g mixed liquid volatile suspended solid (MLVSS), while arabinose had the lowest hydrogen production rate of 28 mL/g.gMLVSS. Glucose also possessed the highest specific conversion rate to hydrogen of 82 mL/g glucose, while fructose had the highest specific conversion rate to liquid product of 443 mg/g fructose. Arabinose had the lowest conversion rates to both liquid products and hydrogen. Metabolic pathways and fermentation products were the major reasons for the difference in hydrogen production from these four monosaccharides. The complex fermentation pathways of arabinose reduced its hydrogen production efficiency and a long acclimation period (over 68 h) was required before the anaerobic activated sludge could effectively utilize arabinose in batch cultures.

Effect of endogenous hydrolytic enzymes pretreatment on the anaerobic digestion of sludge

In this study, the effects of endogenous amylase, endogenous protease and combined amylase/protease pretreatment of sludge were studied to enhance the efficiency of sludge anaerobic digestion. These enzymes were obtained from bacterial fermentation and bacteria were separated from the sludge. All treatments improved sludge solubilization and acidification but had little influence on the floc sizes. In terms of sludge solubilization and acidification amylase was better than protease or mixed enzyme. After 7 h endogenous amylase treatment, the supernatant soluble chemical oxygen demand and volatile fatty acids concentration increased by 78.2% and 129.6%, respectively. But, in terms of anaerobic biodegradability, the best result was obtained with combined enzyme treatment, biogas production increased by 23.1% compared to the control after 11 days of anaerobic digestion. Scanning electron micrographs observation and particle size analysis revealed that the most important mechanism for the enzyme treatment of sludge might be solubilization of extracellular polymeric substances.

Research advances in dry anaerobic digestion process of solid organic wastes

The dry anaerobic digestion process is an innovative waste-recycling method to treat high-solidcontent bio-wastes. This can be done without dilution with water by microbial consortia in an oxygenfree environment to recover potential renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertilizer for sustainable solid waste management. It generally takes place at solid concentrations higher than 10% and enables a higher volumetric organic loading rate, minimal material handling, lower energy requirements for heating, limited environmental consequences and energetically effective performance. The long retention time, poor startup performance, incomplete mixing and the accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are considered as the main disadvantages for the solid-state fermentation process. In order to develop feasible dry anaerobic digestion processes, it is important to review the optimization techniques and suggest possible areas where improvements could be made. These include reactor configuration, mixing, solid retention time, feedstocks, organic loading rate, inoculation, co-digestion, pretreatment, percolation, additives and environmental conditions within the digester such as temperature, pH, buffering capacity and VFAs concentration.

Hydrogen-producing capability of anaerobic activated sludge in three types of fermentations in a continuous stirred-tank reactor

A continuous stirred-tank reactor was used as an anaerobic sludge system and the hydrogen production capabilities of three typical fermentations, in terms of specific hydrogen production rates, were investigated under the same hydraulic retention times (8 h) and influent chemical oxygen demand (5000 mg/L) at 35 degrees C. The reactor was continuously fed with diluted molasses, while the pH and oxidation reduction potential in the reactor were regulated to control the type of fermentation. The specific hydrogen production rate of the anaerobic sludge reached 2.96 mol/kg mixed liquid volatile suspended solid (MLVSS)/day, (mol x kg MLVSS(-1) d(-1)), in ethanol-type fermentation, while 0.57 mol x kg MLVSS(-1) d(-1) in butyric acid-type fermentation, and 0.022 mol x kg MLVSS(-1) d(-1) in propionic acid-type fermentation. The hydrogen production capability of ethanol-type fermentation was 4.11 times greater than that of butyric acid-type fermentation and 148 times that of propionic acid-type fermentation.

An innovative wood-chip-framework soil infiltrator for treating anaerobic digested swine wastewater and analysis of the microbial community.

Combined anaerobic-aerobic processes are efficacious and economic approaches in treating swine wastewater. Nitrogen removal efficiency of these processes, however, is usually limited due to the low carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio of the wastewater. An innovative wood-chip-framework soil infiltrator (WFSI) was developed and its performance in treating anaerobic digested swine wastewater was investigated. The WFSI showed comparable removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and amongst the highest efficiency of nitrogen removal in treating low C/N wastewater. At a COD volume loading rate of 98.6 g/m3 d the WFSI could remove up to 47.7 g/m3 d of COD. Removal rates of NH4+-N and total nitrogen, also reached 69.1 and 30.4 g/m3 d, respectively, when NH4+-N loading rate was 88.4 g/m3 d. Biological analysis indicated that aerobic, anoxic and anaerobic microbiota occurred throughout the WFSI. Abundant cellulose and lignin decomposing bacteria could degrade the wood chips and provided extra carbon source to enhance denitrification.

Effects of Fe2+ concentration on biomass accumulation and energy metabolism in photosynthetic bacteria wastewater treatment.

Photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) wastewater treatment has the advantage of biomass recovery in together with pollutant removal. The effects of different Fe(2+) concentrations on the biomass accumulation through regulating energy metabolism were investigated in PSB wastewater treatment. Results showed that the optimal Fe(2+) dosage was 20mg/L. Optimal Fe(2+) content could significantly increase the biomass production (4800.9 mg/L) and COD removal (93.4%). Addition of 10-30 mg/L Fe(2+) could shorten the hydraulic retention time of wastewater. Mechanism analyses revealed that different Fe(2+) concentrations had different impacting mechanisms on biomass accumulation. Fe(2+) constituted the dehydrogenase active center, and therefore proper addition of Fe(2+) could improve energy production by up-regulating dehydrogenase activity, which was beneficial for biomass accumulation. With 20mg/L Fe(2+), the dehydrogenase activity and ATP production of PSB were improved by 48.1% and 42.4%, respectively. However, excessive addition of Fe(2+) was harmful for biomass accumulation since the ions inhibited the dehydrogenase activity.

Efficiency and bacterial populations related to pollutant removal in an upflow microaerobic sludge reactor treating manure-free piggery wastewater with low COD/TN ratio.

A novel upflow microaerobic sludge reactor (UMSR) had proved excellent in nitrogen removal from manure-free piggery wastewater characterized by high concentration of ammonium (NH4(+)-N) and low chemical oxygen demand (COD) to total nitrogen (TN) ratio, but the biological mechanism in the UMSR was still indeterminate. With a constant nitrogen loading rate of 1.10kg/(m(3)d) at hydraulic retention time 8h, the UMSR was kept performing for 67days in the present research and the average load removal of COD, NH4(+)-N and TN was as high as 0.72, 0.76 and 0.94kg/(m(3)d), respectively. Compared with the inoculated sludge, the acclimated sludge was richer in genera responsible for the biological removal of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Ammonium oxidation bacteria, heterotrophic denitrifiers, autotrophic denitrifiers and phosphate accumulating organisms coexisted perfectly in the microaerobic system, and their synergistic action made the UMSR perform well in COD, NH4(+)-N, TN and phosphate removal.

The effect and biological mechanism of COD/TN ratio on nitrogen removal in a novel upflow microaerobic sludge reactor treating manure-free piggery wastewater

A novel upflow microaerobic sludge reactor (UMSR) was constructed to treat manure-free piggery wastewater with high NH4(+)-N concentration and low COD/TN ratio, and the effect and biological mechanism of COD/TN ratio on nitrogen removal were investigated at a constant hydraulic retention time of 8h and 35°C. The results showed that the UMSR could treat the wastewater with a better synchronous removal of COD, NH4(+)-N and TN. The microaerobic UMSR allowed nitrifiers, and heterotrophic and autotrophic denitrifiers to thrive in the flocs, revealing a multiple nitrogen removal mechanism in the reactor. Both the nitrifiers and denitrifiers would be restricted by an influent COD/TN ratio more than 0.82, resulting in a decrease of TN removal in the UMSR. To get a TN removal over 80% with a TN load removal above 0.86kg/(m(3)·d) in the UMSR, the influent COD/TN ratio should be less than 0.70.

Nitrogen removal from low COD/TN ratio manure-free piggery wastewater within an upflow microaerobic sludge reactor.

An upflow microaerobic sludge reactor (UMSR) was constructed in treating manure-free piggery wastewater with high ammonium concentration and a COD/TN ratio as low as 0.84. The UMSR offered an outstanding removal of NH4(+)-N and TN at 35°C and hydraulic retention time 8h subsequent to inoculated sludge acclimation. A short NO2(-)-N accumulation phase was observed whenever there was a considerable increase in TN loading rate (NLR), but decreased rapidly along with an evident increase in TN removal. Fed with raw wastewater at a NLR of 1.10 kg/(m(3)d), the average COD, NH4(+)-N and TN removal reached 0.72, 0.76 and 0.94 kg/(m(3)d), respectively. Inference drawn from stoichiometry based on the potential nitrogen removal pathways and the C/N ratio required by denitrification indicated that anammox was the main mechanism for NH4(+)-N and TN removal in the UMSR.