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Bioprocess Evaluation of Petroleum Wastewater Treatment with Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle for the Production of Methane Gas: Process Assessment and Modelling

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Abstract

The process evaluation of zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO NP) was added to enhance the degradation of petroleum wastewater (PWW) fermentation system with different mixing ratios for enhancing methane production. The results showed that the highest methane yield and total solids (TS) removal ratio reached 485 mL/g-VS L PWW added and 81.9% at the ZnO NP g-VS L PWW ratio of 4.5:15, respectively. The proposed model CO2 sequester 545 mL CO2/L PWW, production rate 750 mL CH4 g-VS L PWW/h, and CH4 yield was 4.85 L CH4 g-VS L PWW at 4.5:15 of ZnO NP g-VS L PWW. The kinetic analysis indicated that the modified Gompertz model best fitted the actual evolution of methane yields, as evidenced by the low root mean square prediction error (RMSPE) as well as high correlation difference between (Diff.%) the predicted and actual values. The parameters analyses were highlighted that the PWW digestion with ZnO NP substantially enhanced the hydrolysis rate (khyd), methanogenesis potential (fd), lag phase time h (λ), and methane production rate (Rm) of PWW. The evolution of soluble metabolites, utilization of ZnO NP and carbohydrates were also improved by co-fermentation.

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Abbreviations

PWW:

Petroleum wastewater

VS:

Volatile solids

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand (g/L)

Alk:

Alkalinity

BOD:

Biochemical oxygen demand (mg/L)

D:

Dilution rate, 1/HRT (day_1)

L:

Liter

NH3-N:

Ammonia nitrogen (mg/L)

O&G:

Oil and grease (mg/L)

OLR:

Organic loading rate (kg/m3/day)

S:

Substrate concentration in the reactor (mg/L)

S1:

Influent substrate concentration (mg/L)

S2:

Effluent substrate concentration (mg/L)

SCOD:

Soluble chemical oxygen demand (mg/L)

SRT:

Solid retention time (day)

SS:

Suspended solid (mg/L)

t :

Time (day)

MLSS:

Mixed liquor suspended sludge (mg/L)

SVI:

Sludge volume index (mL/L)

TN:

Total nitrogen (mg/L)

TS:

Total solid (mg/L)

TVS:

Total volatile solid (mg/L)

UASFF:

Upflow anaerobic sludge fixed film

V:

Volume reactor (L)

VFA:

Volatile fatty acid (mg/L)

TC:

Total carbon

VSS:

Volatile suspended solid (mg/L)

SSV:

Sludge settling velocity (m/h)

SMA:

Specific methanogenic activity

Y :

measured methane yield (L/g CODadded)

f d :

methane potential (mL g COD L POMEadded)

Diff.%:

Difference between

R m :

Methane production rate (mL/g COD/h)

k hyd :

Hydrolysis rate (g COD/day)

n :

Shape factor

λ :

Lag phase time (h)

S.E.E:

Standard error of estimate

RMSE:

Root mean square prediction error

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the deanship of scientific research (DSR) at the University of Nizwa (UNIZWA) for this research by the Research Cluster Group Energy, Environment and Sustainable technology.

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  1. Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture, University of Nizwa, PO 33, 616, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman

    A. Ahmad

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Ahmad, A. Bioprocess Evaluation of Petroleum Wastewater Treatment with Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle for the Production of Methane Gas: Process Assessment and Modelling. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 190, 851–866 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-019-03137-4

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