Enhancement of biogas production via co-digestion of wastewater treatment sewage sludge and brewery spent grain : physicochemical characterization and microbial community

The present study intends to evaluate a synergy towards enhanced biogas production by co-digesting municipal sewage sludge (SS) with brewery spent grain (BSG). To execute this, physicochemical and metagenomics analysis was conducted on the sewage sludge substrate. The automatic methane potential test system II (AMPTS II) biochemical methane potential (BMP) batch setup was operated at 35 ± 5 ◦C, pH range of 6.5–7.5 for 30 days’ digestion time on AMPTS II and 150 days on semi-continuous setup, where the organic loading rate (OLR) was guided by pH and the volatile fatty acids to total alkalinity (VFA/TA) ratio. Metagenomics analysis revealed that Proteobacteria was the most abundant phyla, consisting of hydrolytic and fermentative bacteria. The archaea community of hydrogenotrophic methanogen genus was enriched by methanogens. The highest BMP was obtained with co-digestion of SS and BSG, and 9.65 g/kg of VS. This not only increased biogas production by 104% but also accelerated the biodegradation of organic matters. However, a significant reduction in the biogas yield, from 10.23 NL/day to 2.02 NL/day, was observed in a semi-continuous process. As such, it can be concluded that different species in different types of sludge can synergistically enhance the production of biogas. However, the operating conditions should be optimized and monitored at all times. The anaerobic co-digestion of SS and BSG might be considered as a cost-effective solution that could contribute to the energy self-efficiency of wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) and sustainable waste management. It is recommended to upscale co-digestion of the feed for the pilot biogas plant. This will also go a long way in curtailing and minimizing the impacts of sludge disposal in the environment.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainabilitydm2022Chemical Engineerin

Assessment of remediation of municipal wastewater using activated carbon produced from sewage sludge

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : Data will be made available on request.Please read abstract in the article.The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, South Africa.http://www.mdpi.com/journal/fermentationhj2023Chemical EngineeringSDG-06:Clean water and sanitatio

Co-digestion of wastewater treatment sewage sludge with various biowastes : a comparative study for the enhancement of biogas production

Please read abstract in the article.The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), University of Johannesburg, PEETS and the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (CHMT).http://www.elsevier.com/locate/matpr2024-08-17hj2023Chemical Engineerin

Enhancing methane production through anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge : a modified ADM1 model approach

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : Data will be made available on request.The International Water Association’s (IWA) established Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) was created to serve as a backup for experimental findings regarding the actual anaerobic digestion process. The previous model idea was adjusted and used to simulate an anaerobic digestion process in this study. Testing procedures, such as benchmark tests and balance checks, were performed in order to verify the accuracy of the implementation. These measures worked in tandem to ensure that the model was implemented flawlessly and without inconsistencies. The primary objective of this article is to construct a method that is based on the ADM1 for evaluating co-digestion and predicting the performance of the digestion process or methane yield based on the analyzed substrates’ physicochemical properties. Additional equations and simulations have been added to the standard model to create tools for evaluating the feasibility of anaerobic co-digestion. The study’s two most intriguing aspects are the optimal mixture and parameter dependence. The adjusted ADM1 is accurate in predicting the measured values of effluent COD, pH, methane, and produced biogas flows with a reasonable degree of accuracy, according to the validation results. This research shows how to use ADM1 in a wastewater treatment plant and other settings where anaerobic digestion is of interest.Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), University of Johannesburg, University of Pretoria, PEETS, and the University of the Witwatersrand.http://www.mdpi.com/journal/fermentationhj2023Chemical EngineeringSDG-06:Clean water and sanitatio