Abstract

This paper proposed a concept of “co-treating” waste activated sludge (WAS) with waste-derived sulfite and environmentally-friendly ferrous iron. The maximal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production from WAS anaerobic fermentation ascended by 27.1 times after pretreated by Fe(Ⅱ) activated sulfite with a sulfite dosage of 500 mg S/L and a Fe(Ⅱ)/sulfite ratio of 1.25. Mechanism explorations elucidated that the production of SO4·- and ·OH induced by Fe(Ⅱ)-activated sulfite-auto-oxidation remarkably promoted the disintegration of WAS and the biodegradability of dissolved organic matter, leading to enrichment of substances available for SCFAs-producing microbes. Besides, activities of hydrolytic and acidogenic enzymes were stimulated, while enzymes related to SCFAs consumption were inhibited severely. Further microbial community investigation confirmed that the abundances of hydrolytic microorganisms and acidogens were enriched. In addition, sludge dewaterability and vivianite production was enhanced after Fe(Ⅱ)-sulfite pretreated WAS fermentation, thereby benefiting the subsequent sludge disposal and resource recovery.

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