Evaluating the effect of biochar on mesophilic anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge and microbial diversity. (December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wu, Bo; Yang, Qi; Yao, Fubing; Chen, Shengjie; He, Li; Hou, Kunjie; Pi, Zhoujie; Yin, Huanyu; Fu, Jing; Wang, Dongbo; Li, Xiaoming
• Is Part Of: Bioresource technology. Volume 294(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-12
• Subjects: Anaerobic digestion -- Methane -- Hydrochar -- Pyrochar -- Sludge-derived biochar -- Waste activated sludge (WAS); Biomass -- Periodicals; Biomass energy -- Periodicals; Bioremediation -- Periodicals; Agricultural wastes -- Periodicals; Factory and trade waste -- Periodicals; Organic wastes -- Periodicals; Bioénergie -- Périodiques; Déchets agricoles -- Périodiques; Déchets industriels -- Périodiques; Déchets organiques -- Périodiques; Déchets (Combustible) -- Périodiques; 662.88
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.122235
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-8524

Abstract

Highlights: Impact of pyrochar (PC) and hydrochar (HC) on the anaeribic digestion of WAS was compared. The highest accumulative methane yield was observed at group HC180. Pyrochar showed a slightly negative effect on methane production. Specific DIET-based syntrophic microbes were enriched with HCs addition. Abstract: This study compared the effects of sewage sludge-derived pyrochar (PC300, PC500, and PC700) and hydrochar (HC180, HC240, and HC300) on mesophilic anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS). It was demonstrated that hydrochar can better promote the methane production compared with pyrochar. The highest accumulative methane yield of 132.04 ± 4.41 mL/g VSadded was obtained with HC180 addition. In contrast, the PC500 and PC700 showed a slightly negative effect on methane production. Sludge-derived HC not only accelerated the solubilization and hydrolysis of sludge floc, but also improved the production of acetic acid and propionate, further resulting in improved methane production. Simultaneously, the syntrophic microbes facilitating direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) such as Syntrophomonas, Peptococcaceae, Methanosaeta and Methanobacterium bred rapidly with the addition of HCs. These results indicated that the hydrochar is more ideal as the accelerant to promote the methane production from mesophilic anaerobic digestion of WAS than the pyrochar.