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Advances in Aerobic and Anaerobic Wastewater and Sludge Treatment and...
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Advances in Aerobic and Anaerobic Wastewater and Sludge Treatment and Recovery

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 11173

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Michela Langone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory Technologies for the Efficient Use and Management of Water and Wastewater, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), via Anguillarese, 301-00123 Roma, Italy
Interests: wastewater treatment; sewage sludge; waste treatment; resources valorization; circular economy
Dr. Silvio Matassa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, FR, Italy
Interests: animal manure management; anaerobic digestion; digester; methane production

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biological processes, both aerobic and anaerobic systems, are of great importance for sludge and wastewater treatment and valorisation. The strict discharge limits for WWTPs and the growing need for energy savings and renewable energy generation, along with carbon capture and nutrient recovery, require the research and implementation of innovative biological processes aimed at maximizing treatment efficiency, reducing the environmental impacts and increasing the circularity potential of WWTPs. Furthermore, the possibilities offered by digitalization in wastewater and sludge treatment are manifold, and could lead to substantial improvements of biological process management.

The themes of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Algae-bacteria interactions;
  • Anaerobic digestion;
  • Dark fermentation;
  • Attached growth biofilm reactors;
  • Biological nutrient removal;
  • Biological process to minimize sludge production;
  • Bioplastic production;
  • Granular process;
  • Greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment;
  • IFAS system;
  • Innovative biological processes;
  • Instrumentation, control and automation;
  • Membrane bioreactors;
  • Microbial fuel cells;
  • Modelling;
  • Moving bed biofilm reactors;
  • New frontiers in wastewater treatment;
  • Sequencing batch reactors;
  • Nutrient recovery and valorisation;
  • Carbon capture and utilization.

Dr. Michela Langone
Dr. Silvio Matassa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nutrient removal
  • anaerobic digestion
  • innovative biological processes
  • energy production
  • resource recovery
  • energy saving
  • wastewater treatment
  • sludge treatment
  • innovative aerobic biological process
  • innovative anaerobic biological process

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1799 KiB  
Article
Effect of Varying Zinc Concentrations on the Biomethane Potential of Sewage Sludge
by Manoj Kumar, Silvio Matassa, Francesco Bianco, Armando Oliva, Stefano Papirio, Francesco Pirozzi, Francesco De Paola and Giovanni Esposito
Water 2023, 15(4), 729; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15040729 - 12 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1988
Abstract
The anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge is highly sensitive to high zinc concentrations. Although sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) activity can negatively affect methanogenesis, SRB-mediated metal sulfide precipitation can alleviate zinc toxicity. A series of mesophilic anaerobic batch experiments was performed for the biomethane potential [...] Read more.
The anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge is highly sensitive to high zinc concentrations. Although sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) activity can negatively affect methanogenesis, SRB-mediated metal sulfide precipitation can alleviate zinc toxicity. A series of mesophilic anaerobic batch experiments was performed for the biomethane potential of three different sewage sludge samples for 74 days using the background sludge zinc content, alone or in combination with the external addition of 200, 300 and 400 mg Zn/L. The highest biomethane production was 165 ± 1 mL CH4/g VS using activated sludge (AS) with a background concentration of 93 mg Zn/L. A slight decrease in the biomethane yield (i.e., 157 ± 1, 158 ± 1 and 159 ± 1 mL CH4/g VS) was obtained in the presence of 293, 393 and 493 mg Zn/L, respectively. The potential reason for the high methanogenic activity at high inlet Zn concentrations could be that the AS used in this study was already acclimated to those conditions. Zinc was likely removed from the system by sulfide precipitation, and a removal efficiency above 99% was achieved under all zinc concentrations. A sulfate reduction efficiency of 99% was also obtained. Overall, this study details the potential utilization of biogenic sulfide as a metal detoxifying agent without detrimental effects on methane production from sewage sludge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Aerobic and Anaerobic Wastewater and Sludge Treatment and Recovery)
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16 pages, 3569 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Oxic-Settling-Anaerobic (OSA) Process on Methane Production by Anaerobic Digestion of Sewage Sludge
by Santo Fabio Corsino, Daniele Di Trapani, Federica De Marines, Michele Torregrossa and Gaspare Viviani
Water 2023, 15(3), 513; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15030513 - 28 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1514
Abstract
The present study evaluated different sludge-reduction mechanisms in the oxic-settling-anaerobic (OSA) process in terms of their effects on methane productivity by anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. Two different layouts were investigated for the sludge return from an anaerobic side-stream reactor (ASSR) to the [...] Read more.
The present study evaluated different sludge-reduction mechanisms in the oxic-settling-anaerobic (OSA) process in terms of their effects on methane productivity by anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. Two different layouts were investigated for the sludge return from an anaerobic side-stream reactor (ASSR) to the anoxic (scheme A) or the aerobic (scheme B) reactor of a pre-denitrification plant. Biochemical methane-potential (BMP) assays performed on the excess sludge revealed that scheme A promoted an overall increase of methane production in the OSA (20 mLCH4 gVSS−1d−1, +19%), although compared with a control CAS plant a significant decrease in the excess sludge production (31%) was obtained. Operating conditions in scheme A caused the occurrence of cell lysis and EPS hydrolysis, thereby increasing the biodegradability of sludge. In contrast, scheme B favoured the occurrence of uncoupling and a maintenance metabolism that did not involve sludge hydrolysis. Consequently, despite a higher reduction of excess sludge (82%), a significant decrease in methane productivity in the OSA (4 mLCH4 gVSS−1d−1, −41%) was observed. Based on the results, implementing the OSA process may allow high levels of methane production by anaerobic digestion to be maintained if specific sludge-reduction mechanisms are triggered in the waterline, also raising the possibility of co-digestion with other feedstocks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Aerobic and Anaerobic Wastewater and Sludge Treatment and Recovery)
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13 pages, 2298 KiB  
Article
Removal of Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus spp. in Microalgal–Bacterial Systems: Influence of Microalgal Inoculum and CO2/O2 Addition
by Graziele Ruas, Sarah Lacerda Farias, Bruno A. B. dos Reis, Mayara Leite Serejo, Gustavo Henrique Ribeiro da Silva and Marc Árpád Boncz
Water 2023, 15(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15010005 - 20 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2243
Abstract
Conventional biological wastewater treatment systems have a low pathogen removal capacity. Microalgae-based systems are sustainable and low-cost alternatives for wastewater treatment and are capable of removing pathogens from domestic effluents. Other microorganisms have been identified as alternative indicators of disinfection since they have [...] Read more.
Conventional biological wastewater treatment systems have a low pathogen removal capacity. Microalgae-based systems are sustainable and low-cost alternatives for wastewater treatment and are capable of removing pathogens from domestic effluents. Other microorganisms have been identified as alternative indicators of disinfection since they have greater resistance than Escherichia coli, either because of the formation of spores or because of other mechanisms of protection, and because they spread in wastewater treatment plants; the most important are Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus spp. This study assessed the influence of microalgal strains (e.g., Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus acutus Meyen) and the addition of CO2 and O2 on the removal of C. perfringens and Staphylococcus spp. from domestic wastewater in microalgal–bacterial systems. The removal of C. perfringens (2.5 to 3.2 log units) and Staphylococcus sp. (1.8 to 2.0 log units) was higher when using Chlorella sp. inoculum. The addition of CO2 and O2 did not have a significant effect on the removal of pathogenic bacteria. The main mechanism of C. perfringens removal was by means of toxins and bactericidal substances produced by the microalgae, while Staphylococcus spp. removal also occurred through photooxidative processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Aerobic and Anaerobic Wastewater and Sludge Treatment and Recovery)
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12 pages, 1229 KiB  
Article
CO2 Addition and Semicontinuous Feed Regime in Shaded HRAP—Pathogen Removal Performance
by Graziele Ruas, Sarah Farias Lacerda, Maria Alice Nantes, Mayara Leite Serejo, Gustavo Henrique Ribeiro da Silva and Marc Árpad Boncz
Water 2022, 14(24), 4047; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14244047 - 12 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1456
Abstract
The influence of CO2 addition and feeding regime (continuous versus semicontinuous) on the removal of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) from three shaded high-rate algal ponds (HRAPs) treating raw sewage (RS) [...] Read more.
The influence of CO2 addition and feeding regime (continuous versus semicontinuous) on the removal of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) from three shaded high-rate algal ponds (HRAPs) treating raw sewage (RS) was studied. The three HRAPs were operated at an analogous hydraulic retention time (HRT) for 5 days and with shading of 50%. The CO2 addition and feeding regime had no statistically significant influence on the removal of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus sp., and Enterococcus faecalis, with 2.39–3.01, 2.07–2.31, 3.02–3.38, and 3.14–3.45 log units, respectively. However, the removal of E. coli decreased significantly with the feeding regime of 0.1 h d−1 and 2.23–3.29 log units. The productivity and the total suspended solids (TSS) removal efficiency were significantly improved with the semicontinuous feeding regime and CO2 addition. The highest productivity was obtained in the semicontinuous feeding regime, 5.93 g m2 d−1, while the TSS removal efficiency was similar between the semicontinuous feeding regime and CO2 addition (31–36%). The control of light intensity led to greater variability in the algal community, and was present in the three reactors, in different proportions, in the form of the microalgae Scenedesmus acutus, Scenedesmus obliquus, and Chlorella sp. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Aerobic and Anaerobic Wastewater and Sludge Treatment and Recovery)
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16 pages, 1926 KiB  
Article
Abattoir Wastewater Treatment in Anaerobic Co-Digestion with Sugar Press Mud in Batch Reactor for Improved Biogas Yield
by Beatrice N. Anyango, Simon M. Wandera and James M. Raude
Water 2022, 14(16), 2571; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14162571 - 20 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2462
Abstract
Slaughterhouse wastewater (SHWW) has a great potential to generate biomethane energy when subjected to anaerobic digestion (AD). Nonetheless, the process is susceptible and prone to failure because of slow hydrolysis and the production of inhibitory compounds. Accordingly, to address this deficiency, anaerobic co-digestion [...] Read more.
Slaughterhouse wastewater (SHWW) has a great potential to generate biomethane energy when subjected to anaerobic digestion (AD). Nonetheless, the process is susceptible and prone to failure because of slow hydrolysis and the production of inhibitory compounds. Accordingly, to address this deficiency, anaerobic co-digestion (ACoD) is used to improve the treatment efficiency of the monodigestion of this high-strength waste and thereby increase methane production. The current investigation utilized the biochemical methane potential (BMP) test to assess the treatment performance of co-digested SHWW with sugar press mud (SPM) for improving biomethane energy recovery. It was established that the ACoD of SHWW with SPM increased methane (CH4) yield, enhanced organic matter removal efficiency and improved process stability, while also presenting synergistic effects. The anaerobic monodigestion (AMoD) of SHWW (100SHWW: 0SPM) showed a higher CH4 yield (348.40 CH4/g VS) compared with SPM (198.2 mL CH4/g VS). The 80% SPM: 20% SHWW mix ratio showed the optimum results with regard to organic matter removal efficiency (67%) and CH4 yield (478.40 mL CH4/g VS), with increments of 27% and 59% compared with AMoD of SHWW and SPM, respectively. However, it is also possible to achieve 5% and 46% CH4 yield increases under a 40% SPM: 60% SHWW mix proportion in comparison to the AMoD of SHWW and SPM, respectively. Furthermore, kinetic analysis of the study using a modified Gompertz model revealed that the CH4 production rate increased while the lag time decreased. The synergistic effects observed in this study demonstrate that incorporating SPM into the substrate ratios investigated can improve the AD of the SHWW. In fact, this represents the environmental and economic benefits of successfully implementing this alternative solution. Bioenergy recovery could also be used to supplement the country’s energy supply. This would help to increase the use of cleaner energy sources in electricity generation and heating applications, reducing the greenhouse gas effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Aerobic and Anaerobic Wastewater and Sludge Treatment and Recovery)
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