Yuanyuan Yan

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as efficient and durable metal-free cathodic catalysts for oxygen reduction in microbial fuel cells

Recently, the application of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with cost-effective and long durable cathodic catalysts to generate electricity sustainably, has drawn much attention. This study investigated the use of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) as the cathodic catalyst for oxygen reduction in MFCs to produce electricity efficiently and durably. The obtained maximum power density was 1600 ± 50 mW m−2, which was higher than the commonly used platinum (Pt) catalyst (Pt/C) (1393 ± 35 mW m−2). Also, the drop percentage of power densities with NCNTs was lower than with Pt/C over 25 cycles, indicating that MFCs with NCNTs as the cathodic catalyst could generate electricity more durably than those with Pt/C. Further investigation of the mechanisms revealed that MFCs with the bamboo-shaped and vertically aligned NCNTs had lower internal resistance and higher cathode potentials. Rotating ring-disk electrode voltammogram, Raman microspectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analyses suggested that NCNTs possessed a higher electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) via a four-electron pathway in neutral pH phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Cyclic voltammograms on NCNTs and Pt/C electrodes before and after a continuous potentiodynamic swept in neutral PBS demonstrated that NCNTs had a better durability for cathodic ORR than Pt/C, which drove MFCs with NCNTs to generate electricity durably.

Ultrasonic-pretreated waste activated sludge hydrolysis and volatile fatty acid accumulation under alkaline conditions: Effect of temperature

The effect of temperature on the hydrolysis and acidification of ultrasonic-pretreated waste activated sludge (WAS) under alkaline conditions was investigated in this study. The experiment temperatures were set at 10, 20, 37, and 55°C. Experimental results showed that the hydrolysis of ultrasonic-pretreated WAS under alkaline conditions increased significantly with temperature from 10 to 55°C, while the volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation was not augmented as temperature increased. Among the four temperatures tested, 37°C was the point with the highest VFA accumulation after 72h fermentation. VFA accumulation decreased markedly at 55°C compared to 37°C. Mechanism investigation revealed that among all the temperatures tested, 37°C was the temperature at which consumptions of WAS protein and carbohydrate, activities of key enzymes related to VFA formation and ratio of Bacteria to Archaea all reached the maximum. Due to activities of related microorganisms inhibited by higher temperature (55°C), VFA accumulation decreased at 55°C.

Kinetic analysis of waste activated sludge hydrolysis and short-chain fatty acids production at pH 10

The accumulation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), a preferred carbon source for enhanced biological phosphorus removal microbes, was significantly improved when waste activated sludge (WAS) was fermented at pH 10. The kinetics of WAS hydrolysis and SCFAs production at pH 10 was investigated. It was observed that during WAS anaerobic fermentation the accumulation of SCFAs was limited by the hydrolysis process, and both the hydrolysis of WAS particulate COD and the accumulation of SCFAs followed first-order kinetics. The hydrolysis and SCFAs accumulation rate constants increased with increasing temperature from 10 to 35 degrees C, which could be described by the Arrhenius equation. The kinetic data further indicated that SCFAs production at pH 10 was a biological process. Compared with the experiment of pH uncontrolled (blank test), both the rate constants of WAS hydrolysis and SCFAs accumulation at 20 degrees C were improved significantly when WAS was fermented at pH 10.

Enhancing anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge by pretreatment: effect of volatile to total solids

ABSTRACT In this study the effect of volatile to total solids (VS/TS) on anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS) pretreated by alkaline, thermal and thermal–alkaline strategies was studied. Experimental results showed that the production of methane from sludge was increased with VS/TS. When anaerobic digesters were fed with sludge pretreated by the thermal–alkaline method, the average methane yield was improved from 2.8 L/d at VS/TS 0.35 to 4.7 L/d at VS/TS 0.56. Also, the efficiency of VS reduction during sludge anaerobic digestion varied between 18.9% and 45.6%, and increased gradually with VS/TS. Mechanism investigation of VS/TS on WAS anaerobic digestion suggested that the general activities of anaerobic microorganisms, activities of key enzymes related to sludge hydrolysis, acidification and methanogenesis, and the ratio of Archaea to Bacteria were all increased with VS/TS, showing good agreement with methane production.

Simultaneous enhancement of nonylphenol biodegradation and short-chain fatty acids production in waste activated sludge under acidogenic conditions

Nonylphenol (NP) biodegradation in waste activated sludge (WAS) under anaerobic conditions is usually slow, and no information on NP biodegradation under acidogenic conditions is currently available. In this study, the simultaneous enhancement of NP biodegradation and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) accumulation in a WAS fermentation system under acidogenic conditions was accomplished by controlling pH 10 and adding sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). The biodegradation efficiency of NP was found to be 55.5% within 8 d under acidogenic conditions, much higher than that in the control (24.6%). Meanwhile, the concentration of SCFAs under the same conditions for NP biodegradation was increased from 2234 mg COD/L (control) to 4691 mg COD/L (at pH 10 with SLS). Mechanism study revealed that the abundances of both NP-degrading microorganisms and acidogenic bacteria increased under acidogenic conditions. Altering the enzymatic activity and the quantity of functional genes in the acidogenic fermentation system were beneficial to NP biodegradation and SCFAs accumulation. Furthermore, organic substrates available for uptake by NP-degrading and acidogenic bacteria, i.e. NP, protein and carbohydrate, were released from WAS under acidogenic conditions. More importantly, intermediate substrates involved in acidogenic fermentation were advantageous to the cometabolic biodegradation of NP.

Acidogenic bacteria assisted biodegradation of nonylphenol in waste activated sludge during anaerobic fermentation for short-chain fatty acids production

Nonylphenol (NP) biodegradation under anaerobic conditions is difficult. Here, enhancement of anaerobic NP biodegradation mainly by regulating the role of acidogenic bacteria during anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge (WAS) for short-chain fatty acids production is reported. The maximum degradation efficiency of NP (69.4%) was achieved under conditions of pH 10.0 and 10 mg/L Brij 35 within 8 d, which was nearly 3-fold of that in the control (24.6%). Mechanism exploration revealed that the bioavailability of NP and specific NP-degrading bacteria and their functional genes were advantageous to NP biodegradation with alkaline pH and surfactant. More importantly, acidogenic bacteria, the dominant functional bacteria in WAS fermentation systems, were demonstrated to be involved in NP anaerobic biodegradation by providing intermediate organic substrates, as well as through their intrinsic NP-degrading abilities. Possible pathways of NP biodegradation assisted by acidogenic bacteria during anaerobic fermentation were also proposed based on the detected metabolites.