Zhenhu Hu

Effect of pig manure to grass silage ratio on methane production in batch anaerobic co-digestion of concentrated pig manure and grass silage

Anaerobic co-digestion of concentrated pig manure (PM) with grass silage (GS) at five different PM to GS volatile solid (VS) ratios of 1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3 and 0:1 was evaluated by examining operation stability and methane (CH(4)) production potentials. The highest specific CH(4) yields were 304.2 and 302.8 ml CH(4)/g VS at PM to GS ratios of 3:1 and 1:1, respectively. The digestion systems failed at the ratio of 0:1. The lag phase lasted 29.5, 28.1, 24.6 and 21.3 days at the ratios of 1:0, 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3, respectively. The daily methane yield was linearly correlated with the acetic acid concentration, indicating methane production was probably associated with acetoclastic methanogenesis. The hydrolysis constant linearly decreased with increasing the fraction of GS in the feedstock. This study recommends applying the PM to GS ratio of 1:1 in practice due to a high specific methane yield and a short lag phase.

Enhancing anaerobic digestibility and phosphorus recovery of dairy manure through microwave-based thermochemical pretreatment

Anaerobic digestion and struvite precipitation are two effective ways of treating dairy manure for recovering biogas and phosphorus. Anaerobic digestion of dairy manure is commonly limited by slow fiber degradation, while struvite precipitation is limited by the availability of orthophosphate. The aim of this work is to study the possibility of using microwave-based thermochemical pretreatment to simultaneously enhance manure anaerobic digestibility (through fiber degradation) and struvite precipitation (through phosphorus solubilization). Microwave heating combined with different chemicals (NaOH, CaO, H(2)SO(4), or HCl) enhanced solubilization of manure and degradation of glucan/xylan in dairy manure. However, sulfuric acid-based pretreatment resulted in a low anaerobic digestibility, probably due to the sulfur inhibition and Maillard side reaction. The pretreatments released 20-40% soluble phosphorus and 9-14% ammonium. However, CaO-based pretreatment resulted in lower orthophosphate releases and struvite precipitation efficiency as calcium interferes with phosphate to form calcium phosphate. Collectively, microwave heating combined with NaOH or HCl led to a high anaerobic digestibility and phosphorus recovery. Using these two chemicals, the performance of microwave- and conventional-heating in thermochemical pretreatment was further compared. The microwave heating resulted in a better performance in terms of COD solubilization, glucan/xylan reduction, phosphorus solubilization and anaerobic digestibility. Lastly, temperature and heating time used in microwave treatment were optimized. The optimal values of temperature and heating time were 147 degrees C and 25.3 min for methane production, and 135 degrees C and 26 min for orthophosphate release, respectively.

Adsorption of roxarsone from aqueous solution by multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Roxarsone, an organoarsenic compound serving as a common feeding additive in poultry industry, brings about potential risk of the toxic inorganic arsenate contamination in ambient environment. Current understanding in the dynamics of roxarsone removal and the determining environmental processes remains unclear, thus restricts the progress in roxarsone-contaminated wastewater treatment. In this study, the adsorption of roxarsone on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated. The adsorption of roxarsone on MWCNTs decreased dramatically with increasing pH from 2.0 to 11.7 and decreased significantly with increasing ionic strength from 0 to 1.0 mol/L KCl. It was found that the sorption isotherms of roxarsone on MWCNTs were nonlinear, which can be well described according to the Freundlich and Polanyi-Manes models. Thermodynamic analysis indicates that the adsorption of roxarsone on MWCNTs is an exothermic and spontaneous process. Sorption site energy analysis reveals a distribution of sorption energy and the heterogeneous adsorption sites of roxarsone on MWCNTs. The dynamic adsorption with column shows the potential of the practical application for the roxarsone-contaminated wastewater treatment by MWCNTs. The FTIR analysis indicates that EDA interaction and electrostatic repulsion might be the dominant mechanisms for the adsorption of roxarsone on MWCNTs.

Characterization of organic matter degradation during composting of manure-straw mixtures spiked with tetracyclines.

The objective of this study was to investigate humification and mineralization of manure-straw mixtures contaminated by tetracyclines during composting. Hen manure, pig manure and rice straw were used as the raw materials. The manure-straw mixtures were spiked with tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and oxytetracycline at the concentration of 60 mg/kg dry matter. The results show that tetracyclines had no obvious influence on the composting process and more than 93% of the tetracyclines was decreased during a 45-day composting. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated that easily biodegradable components such as aliphatic substrates, carbohydrates and polysaccharides were decomposed and the contents of aromatic components relatively rose during the composting. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra confirmed the natural formation of struvite, the degradation of easily biodegradable components, and the mineralization of organic matter during the composting. Therefore, FTIR and XRD analysis can be useful tools for monitoring the composting process.

Microbial lipid production from potato processing wastewater using oleaginous filamentous fungi Aspergillus oryzae

Use of potato processing wastewater for microbial lipid production by oleaginous filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae was studied with the purpose of recycling potato processing wastewater for biodiesel production. The wastewater contained high concentrations of solids, starch and nutrients. Sterilization of the potato processing wastewater resulted in a thick gelatinized medium, causing the fungi to grow slow. In order to overcome this problem, the wastewater was diluted with tap water at three dilution ratios (25%, 50% and 75% before fermentation). Dilution of the wastewater not only enhanced lipid production, starch utilization and amylase secretion but also COD and nutrient removal. The dilution ratio of 25% was found to be optimum for lipid production and the maximum lipid concentration obtained was 3.5 g/L. Lipid accumulation was influenced by amylase secretion, and the amylase activity was up to 53.5 IU/mL at 25% dilution. The results show that phosphate limitation may be the mechanism to stimulate the lipid accumulation. In addition to lipid production, removals of COD, total soluble nitrogen and total soluble phosphorus up to 91%, 98% and 97% were achieved, respectively. Microbial lipids of A. oryzae contained major fatty acids such as palmitic acid (11.6%), palmitolic acid (15.6%), stearic acid (19.3%), oleic acid (30.3%), linolenic acid (5.5%) and linoleic acid (6.5%) suggesting that the lipids be suitable for second generation biodiesel production.

Electrochemical Stimulation of Microbial Roxarsone Degradation under Anaerobic Conditions

Roxarsone (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenylarsonic acid) has been commonly used in animal feed as an organoarsenic additive, most of which is excreted in manure. Roxarsone is easily biodegraded to 4-hydroxy-3-aminophenylarsonic acid (HAPA) under anaerobic conditions, but HAPA persists for long periods in the environment, increasing the risk of arsenic contamination through diffusion. We investigated the electrochemical stimulation of the microbial degradation of roxarsone under anaerobic conditions. After the carbon sources in the substrate were depleted, HAPA was slowly degraded to form arsenite under anaerobic conditions. The degradation rate of HAPA was significantly increased when 0.5 V was applied without adding a carbon source. The two-cell membrane reactor assays reveal that the HAPA was degraded in the anode chambers, confirming that the anode enhanced the electron transfer process by acting as an electron acceptor. The degradation product formed with electrochemical stimulation was arsenate, which facilitates the removal of arsenic from wastewater. Based on the high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet-hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HPLC-UV-HG-AFS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) data, the pathway for the biodegradation of roxarsone and the mechanisms for the electrochemically stimulated degradation are proposed. This method provides a potential solution for the removal of arsenic from organoarsenic-contaminated wastewater.

Adsorption of roxarsone by iron (hydr)oxide-modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes from aqueous solution and its mechanisms

The adsorption of roxarsone by iron (hydr)oxide-modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) from aqueous solution and its mechanism were investigated. The amount of roxarsone adsorbed by modified MWCNTs is higher than MWCNTs at the same condition. The results show that the sorption isotherms are nonlinear, and can be well fitted according to the Freundlich and Polanyi–Manes models. The adsorption kinetics could be well described by pseudo-second-order model. Thermodynamic analysis shows that the adsorption of roxarsone on the adsorbents is an exothermic and spontaneous process. Desorption process had no obvious desorption hysteresis phenomenon. The FT-IR and XPS analysis confirmed the loading of iron ions on the MWCNTs, and revealed the involvement of carboxyl groups and iron ions on the adsorption of roxarsone.

Adsorption removal of tetracycline from aqueous solution by anaerobic granular sludge: equilibrium and kinetic studies

High concentration animal wastewater is often contaminated by tetracycline and an upflow anaerobic sludge bioreactor (UASB) with granular sludge is often used to treat the wastewater. The investigation of the adsorption process of tetracycline on anaerobic granular sludge during anaerobic digestion of animal wastewater will increase the understanding of antibiotics behavior in the UASB reactor. In this study, the effects of initial pH, humic acid concentration, and temperature on the removal of tetracycline by anaerobic granular sludge from aqueous solution were investigated using the batch adsorption technique in 100 mL flasks with 75 mL of work volume. The results show that the highest removal efficiency of 93.0% was achieved around pH 3.0 and the removal efficiency at the neutral pH range (pH 6.0-8.0) is about 91.5%. The thermodynamic analysis indicates that the adsorption is a spontaneous and endothermic process. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order equation. The adsorption isotherms analysis indicates that the Langmuir model is better than the Freundlich model for the description of the adsorption process and confirms the result of thermodynamics analysis. The maximum adsorption capacities were 2.984, 4.108 and 4.618 mg/g at 25, 35 and 45 °C, respectively. These results provide useful information for understanding the fate and transformation of tetracycline in a UASB digestion system and improving the management of tetracycline contaminated animal wastewater.

Performance robustness of the UASB reactors treating saline phenolic wastewater and analysis of microbial community structure

Anaerobic digestion was an important way to remove phenols from saline wastewater; however the anaerobic microorganisms were adversely affected by high concentration of salts. In order to clarify the performance robustness and microbial community structure for anaerobic digestion of saline phenolic wastewater, the UASB reactors were compared to treat phenolic wastewater under saline and non-saline conditions. The saline reactors were operated stably with phenols concentration increasing from 100 to 500mgL-1 at 10g Na+ L-1. The robustness of the saline reactors was weakened at 1000mg phenols L-1 and 10g Na+ L-1. However, the substrate utilization rates (SURs) for phenol, catechol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, and the specific methanogenic activity (SMA) of sludge were decreased by 95%, 85%, 97%, 78%, and 68%, respectively with phenols concentration enhancing from 1000 to 2000mgL-1. Moreover, the SURs for phenol, catechol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, and the SMA of sludge were reduced by 32%, 65%, 74%, 45%, and 59%, respectively with Na+ concentration increasing from 10 to 20gL-1, in comparison with the values obtained at 10g Na+ L-1 and 1000mg phenols L-1. Finally, the analysis of microbial community structure demonstrated that phenols degraders were less tolerant to high concentrations of Na+ and phenols than methanogens.

Microbial lipid production from renewable and waste materials for second-generation biodiesel feedstock

Microbes have been exploited to produce a variety of high-value products such as enzymes, proteins, antibiotics, vitamins, etc. Use of oleaginous microorganisms for production of lipids (commonly called as single cell oils) commenced during the eighteenth century in Germany. Microbial lipids containing special fatty acids such as gamma-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid are popularized and are now being produced in a large scale as neutraceuticals and food additives. In the past decade, microbial lipids have been considered as a promising feedstock for biodiesel production due to the contemporary issues on climate change, renewable energy and food security. Recently, various cheap raw materials and biowastes have been explored for economic microbial lipid production, which is considered as a solution to reduce biodiesel production cost and to achieve sustainable management of biowastes. Thus, microbial lipids produced from renewable biomass and biowastes as a second-generation biodiesel feedstock are a promising alternative for vegetable oils. In this review historical development of microbial lipids, biochemistry of lipid accumulation by oleaginous microorganisms, lipid production from various biowastes and renewable materials and cultivation methodologies are reviewed. Microbial lipids as a biodiesel feedstock are also reviewed and discussed.