Bioenergy Recovery Research Articles

Anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste for biogas production and sustainable bioenergy recovery: a review

AbstractAnaerobic digestion constitutes a sustainable method for waste management and renewable energy generation, addressing significant environmental and societal challenges. The growing global waste crisis and the increasing momentum toward sustainable energy solutions emphasize the critical need to enhance anaerobic digestion technology for improved efficiency and environmental advantages. This process mitigates waste accumulation, enhances energy security, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, providing a feasible solution within the framework of a circular bioeconomy. Here, we review the principles of anaerobic digestion and biogas production, focusing on agricultural waste and the utilization of biogas for energy within a sustainable framework. We specifically explore biogas applications in rural and industrial settings, assess the environmental impacts, and discuss the regulatory landscape with insights from China and Europe. This study reveals that the strategic implementation of anaerobic digestion can markedly improve energy yield and sustainability, demonstrating how focused policies and advanced technological practices can optimize biogas utilization. The review enhances comprehension of environmental impacts, emphasizing insights from China and Europe as key examples.

Self-enhancement of bioenergy recovery from anaerobically digesting WAS with novel iron-based metal-organic framework assistance: Insights into electron transfer and metabolic pathways

Inadequate methane production and insufficient hydrolysis-acidification activity impede the practical application of anaerobic digestion (AD) of waste activated sludge (WAS). Recently, metal-organic framework (MOF) materials attains promising capability of controlling proton/electron transfer in AD processes. This study used a typical iron-based MOF and MIL-88A(Fe) to improve the methane production via digesting WAS. These materials were prepared via a one-step hydrothermal method. The findings indicated that the addition of 150 mg MIL-88A(Fe)/g WAS VS resulted in a 57.23% increase in accumulated methane production and a 43.84% increase in daily maximum methane production. The methane production rate (Rmax) also increased from 22.25 to 29.14 mL/g VS/d. The enhanced electron transfer capacity, improved hydrolysis of WAS, boosted acetate generation, and mitigated accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) collectively contributed to the better methane yield in the MIL-88A(Fe)-added system. The significant enrichment of Methanobacterium and Methanosaeta along with the up-regulation of key methanogenesis enzyme-encoding genes jointly suggested that the CO2 reduction and methanogenesis were strengthened. Moreover, MIL-88A(Fe) stimulated the production of c-type cytochrome and e-pili, facilitating direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) between norank-f-SC-I-84 and Methanobacterium. This study provided new solutions for improving methane production and offered insights into the mechanism of enhanced methanogenesis of AD in the presence of MIL-88A(Fe).

Integrating the independent granular charge carriers into microbial fuel cell: From performance to mechanism analysis

The mutual benefits between electroactive bacteria (EAB) and non-EAB promote bioenergy recovery in microbial fuel cell (MFC), while competition between functional and non-functional bacteria on electrodes hinders further performance improvement. Introducing non-electrode conductive carriers into MFC may reduce contact resistance and alleviate interspecies competition. In this study, three-dimensional spherical biochar (BC) granules as independent microbial and charge carriers are introduced into anode chamber of an MFC without direct contact with the electrode (carbon cloth, CC) creating CC-BC-MFC. CC-BC-MFC achieves superior power density of 15 ± 1.4 W m−3 compared to CC-MFC (12 ± 1.4 W m−3) and CC/BC-MFC (10 ± 1.2 W m−3, where BC directly contacts CC). Higher effluent quality highlights the outstanding contribution of adequate biomass in effective containment treatment. Smaller internal resistance and higher coulombic efficiency are obtained in CC-BC-MFC by relieving microbial competition at anode. Syntrophic growth between Geobacter (69.4 %) and Methanosarcina (98 %) is established on BC in CC-BC-MFC, with high expression of Geobacter-associated pili genes and acetotrophic and CO2-reducing methanogenic genes associated with methanogens. Therefore, incorporating BC as flexible and independent charge carriers can reduce internal resistance, provide adequate habitat, alleviate microbial competition at anode, and offer a feasible strategy for MFC in wastewater treatment.

Performance of Bioenergy Production from Durian Shell Wastes Coupled with Dye Wastewater Treatment

Adsorption using biochar is a high-efficient method for removing dyes from wastewater, and it has become a hot research topic in recent years. Biochar produced from organic wastes through pyrolysis is a promising way to combine bioenergy recovery and dye removal. In this study, durian shell (DS) was used as a feedstock for biochar and bio-oil production under different pyrolysis temperatures (400, 500, and 600 °C) for bioenergy recovery. Then, the biochar was applied as the absorbent for methylene blue (MB) removal from wastewater under batch and continuous experiments. It was found that the bio-oil production was slightly affected by temperature, while the productivity of biochar decreased from 42.05% to 30.65% with the increase in pyrolysis temperature from 400 to 600 °C. Compared with the biochar produced at 500 °C (DS-500) and 600 °C (DS-600), the biochar obtained at 400 °C (DS-400) exhibited higher MB removal efficiency and adsorption capacity under various pH conditions due to the superior microstructure. A high pH condition was beneficial for the adsorption process with DS-400. Additionally, the MB removal efficiencies increased with the increase in biochar dosage by providing more activated sites. A high MB content can promote the adsorption process, but a too high MB content negatively affects the removal efficiency due to the sorption saturation. Adsorption processes are more likely to match a pseudo-second-order model by chemical reactions. In the long-term continuous experiment, MB can be effectively removed to match the discharge standard by DS-400. This study provided a sustainable pathway for organic waste disposal and dye wastewater treatment.

Bridging energy and microbes: How the anodic potential of microbial electrolysis cell improves anaerobic digestion

Enhanced methane production is typically attributed to cathodic electron transfer in microbial electrolysis cell coupled anaerobic digestion (MEC-AD). This study shifts focus to the overlooked anodic reactions, illuminating their integral role in methane production during MEC-AD. Experimentation at controlled anodic potentials established 0.6 V as optimal; this parameter yielded an 87 % increase in methane and a 53 % reduction in chemical oxygen demand. The anode enriched for electroactive bacteria, notably Pseudomonas, facilitating the oxidation of propionic and butyric acids into acetic acid, thus providing sufficient substrate for methanogens. The modulation of the NADH/NAD+ ratio by the anodic potential proved central to converting carbohydrates and volatile fatty acids into acetic acid. Selective potentials enriched microbes proficient in anaerobic digestion, corroborated by bioinformatics analyses indicating enzymatic upregulation in key pathways. This investigation provides actionable insights into optimizing MEC-AD systems, advancing bioenergy recovery technologies.

Bioenergy recovery from waste engine oil through anaerobic co-digestion with sewage sludge: Effects of total solids and inoculum to substrate ratio

ABSTRACT Considering their various benefits, such as pollution control, waste management, and eco-friendly energy production, much more attention is currently devoted to utilization of some urban, industrial, and agricultural wastes in the course of anaerobic digestion (AD) across the world. From this perspective, the present study aimed to evaluate prospects of biogas production from waste engine oil (WEO) through its co-digestion (CoD) with activated municipal sewage sludge (SS). In order to do this, AD was carried out in batch-mode 1-L reactors at a mesophilic temperature of 35°C, with consideration for total solids (TS) levels of 3% and 6% and inoculum-to-substrate ratios (ISRs = 0.5, 1, and 2), which were based on volatile solids (VS), over a period of 85 days. The treatment with TS = 6% and ISR = 2, or 6874 mL, showed the maximum biogas generation rate, according to the trials, with TS and VS removal values of 23% and 28%, respectively. As well, reactor monitoring during AD revealed that the parameters of potential of hydrogen (pH) and alkalinity recovered following acidification after 7 days, and the relatively low efficiency of the given process (0.233 m3/kg-VSadded) was attributed to the highly complicated and difficult-to-degrade structure of WEO. The kinetics of anaerobic CoD consistently established that the maximum cumulative biogas production rate (Rm = 5.61 m3/kg-VSadded.d) and the shortest biogas production lag time (λ = 0) occurred when there were TS = 3% and 6%, in that order. Moreover, kinetic models, i.e. the Modified Gompertz and Logistic Function ones, were found to be in very good agreement with experimental data, whereas the first-order model failed to offer ideal predictions of biogas production trend in most cases.

High-Efficiency Hydrogen Recovery from Corn Straw Hydrolysate Using Functional Bacteria and Negative Pressure with Microbial Electrolysis Cells

This study attempts to overcome the challenges associated with the degradation of complex organic substances like corn straw hydrolysate in hydrogen recovery by strategically enriching functional microbial communities in single-chamber cubic microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). We applied negative pressure, using acetate or xylose as electron donors, to mitigate the hydrogen sink issues caused by methanogens. This innovative method significantly enhanced MEC performance. MECs enriched with xylose demonstrated superior performance, achieving a hydrogen production rate 3.5 times higher than that achieved by those enriched with acetate. Under negative pressure, hydrogen production in N-XyHy10 reached 0.912 ± 0.08 LH2/L MEC/D, which was 6.7 times higher than in the passive-pressure MECs (XyHy10). This advancement also resulted in substantial increases in current density (73%), energy efficiency (800%), and overall energy efficiency (540%) compared with MECs operated under passive pressure with 10% hydrolysate feed. The enrichment of polysaccharide-degrading bacteria such as Citrobacter and Pseudomonas under negative pressure underscores the potential for their industrial application in harnessing complex organic substrates for bioenergy production in single-chamber MECs. This is a promising approach to scaling up bioenergy recovery processes. The findings of this research study contribute significantly to the field by demonstrating the efficacy of negative pressure in enhancing microbial activity and energy recovery, thereby offering a promising strategy for improving bioenergy production efficiency in industries.

Effect of potassium persulphate-induced microwave pretreatment for cost-effective sludge solubilization and bioenergy recovery

The disintegration of municipal waste activated sludge (MWAS) by energy-intensive physical pretreatments is considered expensive. In the present study, an effort was undertaken to disintegrate the sludge by microwave assisted pretreatment (MAP) in an energy-efficient and economical way by combining the microwave with oxidant potassium persulphate. Besides, the sulphate radicals generated through activated persulfate can efficiently disintegrate and solubilize sludge. In this context, microwave pretreatment was combined with potassium persulfate to activate the generation of sulphate radicals for economically enhanced sludge solubilization. MAP was done by varying the microwave power levels (10 to 50 %) and pretreatment time (0 to 30 min). Microwave assisted potassium persulphate pretreatment (MAPPP) was done by varying the potassium per sulphate dosage (0.005 to 0.04 g/g Total solids (TS) and pretreatment time (0 to 14 min). Combining microwave with potassium persulfate brings about a synergistic effect, generating sulphate and hydroxyl radicals that can effectively disintegrate and solubilize biopolymers of sludge. A higher sludge lysis rate of 37.25 % was achieved by this microwave assisted potassium persulfate pretreatment (MAPPP) when compared to microwave assisted pretreatment (MAP) alone (26.27 % after thickening). A higher methane yield of 219.14 mL/g Volatile solids (VS) was obtained through MAPPP compared to MAP (154.22 mL/g VS). The detailed mass, energy, and economic assessment at a large-scale level for MAP and MAPPP revealed that MAPPP was energetically and economically feasible with an energy ratio of 1.22 and net profit of 42.03 USD/Ton compared to MAP. Thus, it can be confirmed that MAPPP was economically viable to implement on a large scale.

Exploring nanobubble technology for enhanced anaerobic digestion of thermal-hydrolysis pre-treated sewage sludge

Nanobubble technology was used to enhance anaerobic digestion (AD) of thermal-hydrolysis pre-treated sewage sludge for bioenergy recovery. The prepared air, CO2, and H2 nanobubble solutions, with concentrations of 9.88–10.2 × 107 bubbles/mL, remained stable for at least 7 days. After adding them into AD reactors, significantly higher CH4 production (37.1 %) was observed for the CO2 nanobubble treatment, followed by air (25.6 %) and H2 (14.5 %) nanobubble treatments, compared to the control group. CO2 nanobubble treatment performed the best in improving acidogenesis/acetogenesis, resulting in significantly higher volatile fatty acid generation during the initial 3–4 days. A comparison of reactors supersaturated and non-saturated with oxygen has demonstrated most of the biogas uplift observed to result from the nanobubbles rather than from initial oxygen soluble levels, demonstrating the crucial role of nanobubbles in upgrading AD. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that nanobubbles can provide additional benefits when combined with stablished sludge pre-treatment technologies.

A novel Anaerobic Cathodic Dynamic Membrane Bioreactor (AnCDMBR) for efficient mitigating fouling and recovering bioenergy from municipal wastewater

Concerns regarding membrane fouling and suboptimal bioenergy recovery have constrained the implementation of anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) for treating low-strength municipal wastewater. This study presents a novel anaerobic cathodic dynamic membrane bioreactor (AnCDMBR) designed to address these challenges. A self-formed cathodic dynamic membrane (CDM) on inexpensive carbon cloth was developed to function as both a membrane and biocathode to achieve dual-function effects of mitigating membrane fouling and accelerating organics conversion. Compared with common dynamic membrane (1.52 kPa/d) and commercial membranes (7.52 kPa/d), the developed CDM presented a significantly reduced fouling rate (1.02 kPa/d), exhibiting the potential as a substitute for high-cost conductive membranes. Furthermore, efficient and stable biomethanation occurred in AnCDMBR with a superior methane yield rate of 0.26 L-CH4/g-COD (CH4 content > 95 %), which was 1.42 times higher than the control, linked to the higher activities of microbial metabolism and methanogenic-related key enzymes. Further analysis revealed that electrostimulation-induced niche differentiation of microbiota regulated interspecies interactions between electroactive microorganisms and complex anaerobic digestion microbiomes, facilitating organic matter conversion to methane and leading to superior bioenergy recovery. This study offered a new strategy for effectively mitigating fouling and recovering bioenergy from low-strength wastewater, potentially expanding the application of AnMBRs.

Effective grease separator management is the key to enhancing bioenergy recovery of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) and contributing to a circular bio-economy

Management of fat, oil and grease (FOG) is crucial for the recovery of renewable resources and the protection of sewer systems. This study aims to identify the potential quantities and qualities of FOG that can be acquired through optimised grease separator (GS) management approaches in hotels and restaurants during seasonal tourism. A technical survey of 20 GS from hotels and restaurants in the federal state of Tyrol, Austria was conducted. The findings revealed that 55 % of the GS were in poor condition, often due to infrequent maintenance and limited operator's knowledge. The FOG layer quality and quantity was monitored over three years and physicochemical parameters including total residue, volatile solids, total organic carbon, lipid content, and biomethane yield, were analysed. An optimised management approach, which involved up to 4 GS emptying per season, revealed a significant increase in FOG quantity for the majority of the inspected establishments, with an overall doubling of the acquired FOG volume. Based on these results, the energy potential of GS is presented in three potential management scenarios. The energy recovered from GS increased by 246 %. This highlights the importance of proper GS management in the hospitality sector, which can play a critical role in promoting environmental sustainability and renewable energy production.

A novel strategy combining hydrogenotrophic methanogens' bioaugmentation and biochar biostimulation for simultaneous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation and bioenergy recovery.

A novel strategy combining bioaugmentation using methanogenic archaea and biostimulation using biochar was proposed for the first time to obtain simultaneous improvement of mixed PAHs' anaerobic biodegradation and bioenergy production. The results showed that the addition of PHAs immediately resulted in inhibition in methane production and accumulation of VFA, indicating that PHAs are more toxic to methanogens than the acetogenic bacteria. The coupling of biochar with hydrogenotrophic methanogen alleviated the inhibitory effects of PAHs, allowing the anaerobic fermentation system to recover its methane production capability rapidly. Compared to the Fe3+ + bioaugmentation group, the biochar + bioaugmentation group exhibited a 7.5% higher restored cumulative methane production. This coupling strategy ultimately facilitated the degradation of most PAHs, achieving a removal rate of over 90%. Moreover, the coupled biochar and bioaugmentation induced significant changes in the archaeal community structure. Direct interspecies electron guilds (i.e., Streptococcus and Methanosarcina) were enriched in the presence of biochar and bioaugmentation, responsible for prominent PAH removal and methane recovery. This study demonstrated the feasibility of simultaneous PAH biodegradation and bioenergy production using electron acceptor and enriched microorganisms.

Improved bioenergy recovery and desalination efficiency using innovative configuration of an upflow triple enclosed cuboid compartments -photosynthesis microbial desalination cell: Experimental and modeling study

Performance of an innovative configuration of enclosed cuboid compartments-photosynthesis microbial desalination cell (EC-PMDC) for synchronous sewage treatment, desalination of seawater, and renewable energy recovery. Bioanode and biocathode were inoculated with jumbled bacterial species and mixed microalgae, respectively. The results demonstrated that maximum removal efficiency of organic content as chemical oxygen demand (COD) from the sewage was up to 99 %, whereby the total dissolved solids (TDS) removal efficiency from seawater was 91 %, accompanied with maximum power generation of 975 mW/m3. Kinetic study of bacterial growth in the EC-PMDC demonstrated excellent agreement between experimental data and those predicted by Blackman, Monod, Moser, and Teissier models with coefficients of determination (R2) equal to 0.98, 0.97, 0.96, and 0.97, respectively. Significant harmonization was obtained between the experimental results of voltage, current density, and power density with those predicted by the adopted electrochemical model. For comparison purposes, a conventionally designed photosynthesis microbial desalination cell (SC-PMDC) consisted of triple sequential cuboid compartments was setup. It was fed with similar influents as for the EC-PMDC. Maximum efficiencies of COD and TDS removals were 99 % and 81 %, respectively accompanied with power recovery of 420 mW/m3 were observed in the SC- PMDC indicating the superiority of EC-PMDC design.

Phosphorus and bioenergy recovery from anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and corn residues with digested sludge: effect of HRT and pre-treatment methods

AbstractOrganic wastes from the human ecosystem including food waste (FW), agricultural waste and digested sludge (DS) from wastewater treatment can be utilized as valuable materials in anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) for the dual purpose of bioenergy production and phosphorus (P) recovery through a chemical precipitation process. In this study, AcoD using FW and corn residues (CS) with DS for simultaneous sustainable phosphate release and biogas production were investigated. Different hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 10, 20, and 30 days were investigated, and FW was grinded, while CS pre-treatment methods including physical (FWCS), chemical (FWCS-Chem), and thermal (FWCS-Temp) were considered. The substrates of FW and CS compositions were conducted with a total organic loading of 6 g volatile solids (VS)/L/d (5 FW/1 CS) with a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N) of 24. The results indicate that FWCS-Chem showed the highest cumulative biogas production simultaneously with P release at HRT 20 days with 7279 L/m3 and 29.67%, respectively. Moreover, the effluent from all digesters exhibited a Mg/P ratio above 1, suitable for struvite precipitation without an external Mg source. Accordingly, FW, FWCS, and FWCS-Chem achieved P recovery rates of 63.64%, 69.75%, and 70.19% at 20-day HRT, with corresponding P contents in solids of 9.45, 9.43, and 8.29%, respectively. These values are comparable to commercial phosphate fertilizer containing 8.80% P. Moreover, incinerating the precipitating solids offers high-quality P concentrations in solids of up to 15.52, 16.32, and 16.31%, respectively. Hence, 20-day HRT was found to be the optimal condition for FW, CS, and DS for anaerobic co-digestion, resulting in the highest biogas production, P release, and maximum financial return for P recovery. Graphical abstract Phosphorus and bioenergy recovery from anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and corn residues with digested sludge.

Enhanced co-production of hydrogen and ethanol from brown algae fermentation by supplementing nano zero-valent iron (nZVI)

Nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) has been shown to facilitate biofuel production, notably in hydrogen generation. However, its effect on bioethanol production is rarely studied, and even less so on its impact on hydrogen and ethanol co-production. This study therefore conducted ethanol-type hydrogen-producing fermentation with brown algae to explore the effect of nZVI. With the supplementation of nZVI, fermentation was accelerated and the production of hydrogen and ethanol were both significantly enhanced. At the optimal nZVI concentration of 100 mg/L, the production of hydrogen and ethanol increased by 71.44% and 65.11%, respectively. A high hydrogen yield of 2.32 mol/mol-mannitol was achieved. The ethanol yield (1.86 mol/mol-mannitol) reached 93% of the theoretical maximal yield with a high selectivity of 91.09%. Electron distribution analysis showed that nZVI increased the total electron amounts of fermentation, and directed more electrons to ethanol than hydrogen. The reduced redox potential (ORP) and increased NADH level further confirmed the role of nZVI. Moreover, nZVI fostered Fe2+ availability to hydrogen-producing bacteria, enhancing the enzymes hydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase, as well as cell biomass. The bioenergy conversion efficiency (BioECE) improved from 19.08% to 31.74% with 100 mg/L nZVI treatment. This study provided a first demonstration regarding the role of nZVI in hydrogen and ethanol co-production, highlighting the great potential of multiple bioenergy recovery from marine biomass.

Carbon flow, energy metabolic intensity and metagenomic characteristics of a Fe (III)-enhanced anerobic digestion system during treating swine wastewater

Deep treatment and bioenergy recovery of swine wastewater (SW) are beneficial for constructing a low-carbon footprint and resource-recycling society. In this study, Fe (III) addition from 0 to 600 mg/L significantly increased the methane (CH4) content of the recovered biogas from 61.4 ± 2.0 to 89.3 ± 2.0 % during SW treatment in an anaerobic membrane digestion system. The specific methane yields (SMY) also increased significantly from 0.20 ± 0.05 to 0.29 ± 0.02 L/g COD. Fe (III) and its bio-transformed products which participated in establishing direct interspecific electron transfer (DIET), upregulated the abundance of e-pili and Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), enriched electroactive bacteria. The increase in cellular adenosine triphosphate (cATP) from 6583 to 14,518 ng/gVSS and electron transport system (ETS) from 1468 to 1968 mg/(g·h) promoted the intensity of energy flow and electron flow during anaerobic digestion of SW. Moreover, Fe (III) promoted the hydrolysis and acidification of organic matters, and strengthened the acetoacetic methanogenesis pathway. This study established an approach for harvesting high quality bioenergy from SW and revealed the effects and mechanisms from the view of carbon flow, energy metabolic intensity and metagenomics.

Iron Recycle-Driven Organic Capture and Sidestream Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor for Revolutionizing Bioenergy Generation in Municipal Wastewater Treatment.

The practicality of intensifying organic matter capture for bioenergy recovery to achieve energy-neutral municipal wastewater treatment is hindered by the lack of sustainable methods. This study developed innovative processes integrating iron recycle-driven organic capture with a sidestream anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR). Iron-assisted chemically enhanced primary treatment achieved elemental redirection with 75.2% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), 20.2% of nitrogen, and 97.4% of phosphorus captured into the sidestream process as iron-enhanced primary sludge (Fe-PS). A stable and efficient biomethanation of Fe-PS was obtained in AnMBR with a high methane yield of 224 mL/g COD. Consequently, 64.1% of the COD in Fe-PS and 48.2% of the COD in municipal wastewater were converted into bioenergy. The acidification of anaerobically digested sludge at pH = 2 achieved a high iron release efficiency of 96.1% and a sludge reduction of 29.3% in total suspended solids. Ultimately, 87.4% of iron was recycled for coagulant reuse, resulting in a theoretical 70% reduction in chemical costs. The novel system evaluation exhibited a 75.2% improvement in bioenergy recovery and an 83.3% enhancement in net energy compared to the conventional system (primary sedimentation and anaerobic digestion). This self-reliant and novel process can be applied in municipal wastewater treatment to advance energy neutrality at a lower cost.

Photosynthetic microalgae microbial fuel cells for bioelectricity generation and microalgae lipid recovery using Gd-Co@N-CSs/NF as cathode

Photosynthetic microalgae microbial fuel cells (PMMFCs) have an enormous potential for wastewater treatment and bioenergy recovery. However, to overcome low power generation problem, it is crucial to understand how the operational parameters influence the pathways and mechanisms of PMMFCs performance. In this study, microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella sp., Tetradesmus obliquus and Microcystis aeruginosa), light intensity (1400, 2100 and 3200 lx) and light/dark cycle (12/12, 18/6 and 24/0) were screened to promote the bioenergy recovery of PMMFCs. The highest power generation and electrochemical activity were obtained for Chlorella vulgaris under 3200 lx and cycle 18/6, with the maximum power density of 2.0 W m−3, and the lowest charge transfer resistance of 26.60 Ω and Tafel slope of 44.74 mV dec−1. Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between NH4+-N concentration in the cathode chamber and output voltage. Structural equation model further elucidated that NH4+-N indirectly regulated the output voltage via the negative association with dissolved oxygen. In addition, the by-product lipid reached 145 mg g−1 dry mass. Furthermore, the specific gravity, iodine value, and cetane number of the fatty acids met the production standards for biodiesel. The electroactive bacteria Propionibacteriaceae (24.45%) were the dominant genera. This study provided suitable microalgae species and crucial operating conditions for bioenergy recovery from electrochemical systems with high catalytic activity.

Anaerobic co-digestion of municipal mixed sludge and mango peel biowaste: Performance and stability analysis for different ratios

In an urban context, municipal mixed sludge (MMS) and fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) are becoming the major organic solid wastes in human society. Thus, anaerobic digestion as a low carbon energy strategy to minimize their environmental polluting risk was studied. To overcome the drawbacks of anaerobic digestion of MMS, an alternative approach is proposed, involving the addition of increasing proportions of mango peel pulp (MPP) as a co-substrate. Different ratios of MMS:MPP (v:v) were studied: 80:20 (T1), 70:30 (T2), 60:40 (T3). The increase in the organic loading rate was well incorporated by the reactor's biomass activity, and it had no negative effects on the reactor stability and performance operational parameters. Results indicated that the addition of MPP had a beneficial effect on specific methane production, where the highest value was registered in T2 (0.47 L CH4/g VS added), with a 1.8-fold increase in this operational parameter. Moreover, bioenergy recovery within the same trial followed the same profile, representing a two-fold increment.

Coupling Partial Nitritation, Anammox and n-DAMO in a membrane aerated biofilm reactor for simultaneous dissolved methane and nitrogen removal

Anaerobic technologies with downstream autotrophic nitrogen removal have been proposed to enhance bioenergy recovery and transform a wastewater treatment plant from an energy consumer to an energy exporter. However, approximately 20–50 % of the produced methane is dissolved in the anaerobically treated effluent and is easily stripped into the atmosphere in the downstream aerobic process, contributing to the release of greenhouse gas emissions. This study aims to develop a solution to beneficially utilize dissolved methane to support high-level nitrogen removal from anaerobically treated mainstream wastewater. A novel technology, integrating Partial Nitritation, Anammox and Methane-dependent nitrite/nitrate reduction (i.e. PNAM) was demonstrated in a membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR). With the feeding of ∼50 mg NH4+-N/L and ∼20 mg/L dissolved methane at a hydraulic retention time of 15 h, around 90 % of nitrogen and ∼100 % of dissolved methane can be removed together in the MABR. Microbial community characterization revealed that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), anammox bacteria, nitrite/nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation microorganisms (n-DAMO bacteria and archaea) and aerobic methanotrophs co-existed in the established biofilm. Batch tests confirmed the active microbial pathways and showed that AOB, anammox bacteria and n-DAMO microbes were jointly responsible for the nitrogen removal, and dissolved methane was mainly removed by the n-DAMO process, with aerobic methane oxidation making a minor contribution. In addition, the established system was robust against dynamic changes in influent composition. The study provides a promising technology for the simultaneous removal of dissolved methane and nitrogen from domestic wastewater, which can support the transformation of wastewater treatment from an energy- and carbon-intensive process, to one that is energy- and carbon-neutral.