Biomethane from industrial and municipal wastewater

Remains of drainage systems to remove waste and latrines have been found in houses from the Mesopotamian Empire (3500-2500 BC); ancient Rome had its Cloaca Maxima, and there still exists a working 4000-year-old sewer system in Greece. Nevertheless, it was not until the late nineteenth century, and after a fourteenth-century long dark age, that it was recognized that municipal waste water needs to be removed from its origin and treated to prevent the outbreak of diseases (Lofrano and Brown 2010). Until then, wastewater had been discharged in surface water or so-called “night soil” (toilet waste) and collected and used for fertilization. Later, in the early twentieth century, biological oxygen demand (BOD) was introduced as a measure of pollution and the first wastewater treatment systems were installed. Recently, the recovery of nutrients, reuse of water, production of intermediates, and generation of energy have become important incentives for the treatment of wastewater from both industrial and municipal origins. This may be more feasible through separation at the source and improved design of water usage and treatment systems (Guest et al. 2009; Larsen et al. 2009). Aerobic treatment was and still is the main technology used for the treatment of municipal wastewater in the north and cold climate areas. In the twentieth century, the possible application of anaerobic systems for the treatment of industrial wastewater and municipal wastewater in warmer climates was recognized after the development of the upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) system in Wageningen in the 1970s (Lettinga 2014; van Lier et al. 2015). Nowadays, with new treatment designs and the paradigm shift toward seeing wastewater as a source of valuable resources, the application of anaerobic technology may be expanded toward treating municipal sewage in cold climates as well. Anaerobic treatment has its advantages, for example, lower excess sludge production, high applicable loadings, and lower energy demands, combined with biogas production. Initially, those were the reasons for the application of anaerobic treatment. Nowadays, the fact that nutrients (N and P) are not destroyed (e.g., emitted as N2) but released as recoverable ions is considered an additional advantage, since this facilitates recovery. Therefore, anaerobic technology has a central role in existing and newly developed waste treatment systems (Figure 3.1). It is, however, important to consider that in most cases, posttreatment of anaerobic effluent is warranted to guarantee that limits for safe discharge of the effluent are met (von Sperling and de Lemos Chrenicharo 2002).</p

Biomethane from industrial and municipal wastewater

<p>Remains of drainage systems to remove waste and latrines have been found in houses from the Mesopotamian Empire (3500-2500 BC); ancient Rome had its Cloaca Maxima, and there still exists a working 4000-year-old sewer system in Greece. Nevertheless, it was not until the late nineteenth century, and after a fourteenth-century long dark age, that it was recognized that municipal waste water needs to be removed from its origin and treated to prevent the outbreak of diseases (Lofrano and Brown 2010). Until then, wastewater had been discharged in surface water or so-called “night soil” (toilet waste) and collected and used for fertilization. Later, in the early twentieth century, biological oxygen demand (BOD) was introduced as a measure of pollution and the first wastewater treatment systems were installed. Recently, the recovery of nutrients, reuse of water, production of intermediates, and generation of energy have become important incentives for the treatment of wastewater from both industrial and municipal origins. This may be more feasible through separation at the source and improved design of water usage and treatment systems (Guest et al. 2009; Larsen et al. 2009). Aerobic treatment was and still is the main technology used for the treatment of municipal wastewater in the north and cold climate areas. In the twentieth century, the possible application of anaerobic systems for the treatment of industrial wastewater and municipal wastewater in warmer climates was recognized after the development of the upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) system in Wageningen in the 1970s (Lettinga 2014; van Lier et al. 2015). Nowadays, with new treatment designs and the paradigm shift toward seeing wastewater as a source of valuable resources, the application of anaerobic technology may be expanded toward treating municipal sewage in cold climates as well. Anaerobic treatment has its advantages, for example, lower excess sludge production, high applicable loadings, and lower energy demands, combined with biogas production. Initially, those were the reasons for the application of anaerobic treatment. Nowadays, the fact that nutrients (N and P) are not destroyed (e.g., emitted as N2) but released as recoverable ions is considered an additional advantage, since this facilitates recovery. Therefore, anaerobic technology has a central role in existing and newly developed waste treatment systems (Figure 3.1). It is, however, important to consider that in most cases, posttreatment of anaerobic effluent is warranted to guarantee that limits for safe discharge of the effluent are met (von Sperling and de Lemos Chrenicharo 2002).</p

Biomethane from industrial and municipal wastewater

<p>Remains of drainage systems to remove waste and latrines have been found in houses from the Mesopotamian Empire (3500-2500 BC); ancient Rome had its Cloaca Maxima, and there still exists a working 4000-year-old sewer system in Greece. Nevertheless, it was not until the late nineteenth century, and after a fourteenth-century long dark age, that it was recognized that municipal waste water needs to be removed from its origin and treated to prevent the outbreak of diseases (Lofrano and Brown 2010). Until then, wastewater had been discharged in surface water or so-called “night soil” (toilet waste) and collected and used for fertilization. Later, in the early twentieth century, biological oxygen demand (BOD) was introduced as a measure of pollution and the first wastewater treatment systems were installed. Recently, the recovery of nutrients, reuse of water, production of intermediates, and generation of energy have become important incentives for the treatment of wastewater from both industrial and municipal origins. This may be more feasible through separation at the source and improved design of water usage and treatment systems (Guest et al. 2009; Larsen et al. 2009). Aerobic treatment was and still is the main technology used for the treatment of municipal wastewater in the north and cold climate areas. In the twentieth century, the possible application of anaerobic systems for the treatment of industrial wastewater and municipal wastewater in warmer climates was recognized after the development of the upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) system in Wageningen in the 1970s (Lettinga 2014; van Lier et al. 2015). Nowadays, with new treatment designs and the paradigm shift toward seeing wastewater as a source of valuable resources, the application of anaerobic technology may be expanded toward treating municipal sewage in cold climates as well. Anaerobic treatment has its advantages, for example, lower excess sludge production, high applicable loadings, and lower energy demands, combined with biogas production. Initially, those were the reasons for the application of anaerobic treatment. Nowadays, the fact that nutrients (N and P) are not destroyed (e.g., emitted as N2) but released as recoverable ions is considered an additional advantage, since this facilitates recovery. Therefore, anaerobic technology has a central role in existing and newly developed waste treatment systems (Figure 3.1). It is, however, important to consider that in most cases, posttreatment of anaerobic effluent is warranted to guarantee that limits for safe discharge of the effluent are met (von Sperling and de Lemos Chrenicharo 2002).</p

Biomethane from industrial and municipal wastewater

Remains of drainage systems to remove waste and latrines have been found in houses from the Mesopotamian Empire (3500-2500 BC); ancient Rome had its Cloaca Maxima, and there still exists a working 4000-year-old sewer system in Greece. Nevertheless, it was not until the late nineteenth century, and after a fourteenth-century long dark age, that it was recognized that municipal waste water needs to be removed from its origin and treated to prevent the outbreak of diseases (Lofrano and Brown 2010). Until then, wastewater had been discharged in surface water or so-called “night soil” (toilet waste) and collected and used for fertilization. Later, in the early twentieth century, biological oxygen demand (BOD) was introduced as a measure of pollution and the first wastewater treatment systems were installed. Recently, the recovery of nutrients, reuse of water, production of intermediates, and generation of energy have become important incentives for the treatment of wastewater from both industrial and municipal origins. This may be more feasible through separation at the source and improved design of water usage and treatment systems (Guest et al. 2009; Larsen et al. 2009). Aerobic treatment was and still is the main technology used for the treatment of municipal wastewater in the north and cold climate areas. In the twentieth century, the possible application of anaerobic systems for the treatment of industrial wastewater and municipal wastewater in warmer climates was recognized after the development of the upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) system in Wageningen in the 1970s (Lettinga 2014; van Lier et al. 2015). Nowadays, with new treatment designs and the paradigm shift toward seeing wastewater as a source of valuable resources, the application of anaerobic technology may be expanded toward treating municipal sewage in cold climates as well. Anaerobic treatment has its advantages, for example, lower excess sludge production, high applicable loadings, and lower energy demands, combined with biogas production. Initially, those were the reasons for the application of anaerobic treatment. Nowadays, the fact that nutrients (N and P) are not destroyed (e.g., emitted as N2) but released as recoverable ions is considered an additional advantage, since this facilitates recovery. Therefore, anaerobic technology has a central role in existing and newly developed waste treatment systems (Figure 3.1). It is, however, important to consider that in most cases, posttreatment of anaerobic effluent is warranted to guarantee that limits for safe discharge of the effluent are met (von Sperling and de Lemos Chrenicharo 2002).</p

Practical performance and user experience of novel DUAL-Flush vacuum toilets

Vacuum toilets have gained increasing attention in circular urban development projects, because of their marked water saving qualities compared to conventional flush toilets and the increased resource recovery potential for energy in the form of biogas and phosphorous as, e.g., struvite from the resulting concentrated wastewater. A further reduction of the flushing volume of vacuum toilets would also bring nitrogen recovery options in reach. In the framework of the EU Horizon 2020 project Run4Life, a novel dual-flush vacuum toilet was developed and tested at two sites and combined with an analysis of the flushing patterns and a qualitative user survey. The results show that a 25–50% lower flushing water consumption and accordingly 1.5–2 times higher nutrient concentrations are achievable with this novel type of vacuum toilet. The usage frequency of the dual flush feature was higher in residential homes than in an office building, which also had urinals installed at the men toilets. A notable fraction of toilet visits in which the toilet was flushed twice as well as user feedback on dissatisfactory cleaning effects suggest that the applied reduction in water use is most likely the upper limit of what can be achieved in this type of toilet

Advanced modelling to determine free ammonia concentrations during (hyper-)thermophilic anaerobic digestion in high strength wastewaters

Anaerobic digestion is an attractive treatment technology for concentrated waste streams. However, high ammonia concentrations cause inhibition of methanogenesis, especially when operated at elevated temperatures like (hyper-)thermophilic (55 and 70 °C) anaerobic digestion. These emerging (hyper-)thermophilic technologies are beneficial due to high conversion rates and pathogen removal, but are more susceptible for ammonia toxicity as consequence of a temperature-induced pKa shift. Determination of NH3-N (free ammonia nitrogen (FAN); toxic form) concentrations is conventionally based on an equilibrium model and the total ammonia nitrogen concentration (TAN). However, the conventional equilibrium model overestimates the FAN concentration and therefore we developed an Ionic Activity Model which takes the ionic strength and organic matter interactions into account. The difference between the two models could mainly be attributed to the high ionic strength of the waste stream, whereas interactions with organic matter had a smaller effect. Based on this Ionic Activity Model and batch experiments at hyper-thermophilic conditions, we found that acetoclastic methanogenesis was completely inhibited at FAN concentrations exceeding 588 mg/L, whereas hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis could produce methane up to 925 mg/L. During thermophilic and hyper-thermophilic black water treatment, the ionic strength and organic matter interactions resulted in NH3 concentrations below the inhibitory threshold

Dataset Advanced modelling to determine free ammonia concentrations during (hyper-)thermophilic anaerobic digestion in high strength wastewaters

Experimental batch data belonging to the following publication: Advanced modelling to determine free ammonia concentrations during (hyper-)thermophilic anaerobic digestion in high strength wastewaters, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2021, 9(6), 106724, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.10672

Dataset Advanced modelling to determine free ammonia concentrations during (hyper-)thermophilic anaerobic digestion in high strength wastewaters

Experimental batch data belonging to the following publication: Advanced modelling to determine free ammonia concentrations during (hyper-)thermophilic anaerobic digestion in high strength wastewaters, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2021, 9(6), 106724, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.10672

Increased (Antibiotic-Resistant) Pathogen Indicator Organism Removal during (Hyper-)Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Concentrated Black Water for Safe Nutrient Recovery

Data belonging to results published in: Increased (Antibiotic-Resistant) Pathogen Indicator Organism Removal during (Hyper-)Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Concentrated Black Water for Safe Nutrient Recovery, Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9336, https://doi.org/10.3390/su1222933

Dataset Micropollutants removal during high rate thermophilic and hyper-thermophilic anaerobic digestion of concentrated black water

Micropollutant influent and effluent concentration data belonging to the following publication: Micropollutants removal during high rate thermophilic and hyper-thermophilic anaerobic digestion of concentrated black water, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2022.10734