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High-rate anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge by membrane separation solubilization coupled with UASB process

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Abstract

Conventional anaerobic digestion (AD) process was often slow and thus required a large digestion tank. Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor is an AD technology intended mainly to treat wastewater with a short hydraulic retention time (HRT). However, the potential of this reactor was often limited when treating wet solid biomass. In this study, the performance of anaerobic submerged membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) was investigated under acidic condition by varying the hydraulic retention time (HRT), from 1.5 d to 2.5 d, and sludge retention time (SRT), from 6 to 12 d, of a mixture of primary and excess sludge. The acidic permeate was thereafter utilized in a UASB reactor at an HRT of 0.5 d. The results showed a COD reduction between 26 and 36% in the AnMBR, while the average COD removal rate was 83% in the UASB reactor. The average pH in the AnMBR was 5.40 and the transmembrane pressure was below 45 mbar throughout the experimental period. The average methane yield in the UASB reactor was 0.25 L/gCOD. These results implied that operating AnMBR under acidic condition is an alternative process to minimize membrane fouling and increase the energy footprint of an AD system.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Toyobo Co., Ltd. for providing microfiltration membranes on the experiments. This work was partially supported by the Research grants for waste and marine water environment conservation from Osaka Bay Regional Offshore Environmental Improvement Center.

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Osaka bay regional offshore environmental improvement center.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1, Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan

    Gen Yoshida, Fetra J. Andriamanohiarisoamanana & Ikko Ihara

  2. Research Institute of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries, Osaka Prefecture, 442, Shakudo, Habikino, Osaka, 583-0862, Japan

    Tomohiro Seyama, Hirofumi Hirayasu & Koji Kasai

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  1. Gen Yoshida
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Correspondence to Gen Yoshida.

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Yoshida, G., Seyama, T., Andriamanohiarisoamanana, F.J. et al. High-rate anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge by membrane separation solubilization coupled with UASB process. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 24, 402–409 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-021-01331-3

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