Abstract
Contaminated and carcinogenic sludge including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds with hydrophobic properties is formed during wastewater treatment process in lubricant refineries. This sludge will cause environmental pollution in case of landfill or if incinerated. In the present study, an anaerobic digestion system based on the degradability of PAH compounds has been investigated, with the perspective toward reducing environmental risks. Also, it was found during anaerobic digestion the energy recovered and biogas produced can contribute to combustion sources in furnaces. To analyze the degradation and thermodynamic kinetics of PAH compounds, factors including optimum conditions of degradation temperature, time duration, methanogenic substrate and energy required for the removal of these compounds have been investigated. The degradation kinetics of the two naphthalene and acenaphthene compounds in industrial sludge of lubricant refinery, through anaerobic digestion, have been evaluated at different temperatures and time durations. The results are well consistent with Arrhenius’ hypothetical relationship, which is a first-order linear equation, and show that the concentration of PAH compounds does not affect the decomposition kinetics. 71% of these two compounds decompose at optimal temperatures of 60 °C after 40 days, and the results indicate that at temperatures above 60 °C, very little degradability occurs despite high energy consumption. It is possible to remove PAH compounds from industrial sewage sludge by imposing economic costs. Any attempt to reduce economic costs requires optimizing process conditions; thereby, environmental valuable resources will be better protected.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barret M, Barcia GC, Guillon A, Carrère H, Patureau D (2010) Influence of feed characteristics on the removal of micropollutants during the anaerobic digestion of contaminated sludge. J Hazard Mater 181:241–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.05.003
Barret M, Delgadillo-Mirquez L, Trably E, Delgenes N, Braun F, Cea-Barcia G, Steyer JP, Patureau D (2012) Anaerobic removal of trace organic contaminants in sewage sludge: 15 years of experience. Pedosphere 22:508–517. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0160(12)60035-6
Batstone DJ, Keller J, Angelidaki I, Kalyuzhnyi SV, Pavlostathis SG, Rozzi A, Sanders WT, Siegrist H, Vavilin VA (2002) The IWA anaerobic digestion model no. 1 (ADM1). Water Sci Technol 45:65–73
Bayer K, Jungbauer A (2007) Advances in biochemical engineering science. J Biotechnol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec.2007.09.006
Cea-Barcia G, Carrère H, Steyer JP, Patureau D (2013) Evidence for PAH removal coupled to the first steps of anaerobic digestion in sewage sludge. Int J Chem Eng. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/450542
Chang W, Um Y, Holoman TRP (2006) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) degradation coupled to methanogenesis. Biotechnol Lett 28:425–430. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-005-6073-3
Christensen N, Batstone DJ, He Z, Angelidaki I, Schmidt JE (2004) Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from sewage sludge by anaerobic degradation. Water Sci Technol 50:237–244
Coates JD, Woodward J, Allen J, Philp P, Lovley DR (1997) Anaerobic degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and alkanes in petroleum-contaminated marine harbor sediments. Appl Environ Microbiol 63:3589–3593
Dolfing J, Xu A, Gray ND, Larter SR, Head IM (2009) The thermodynamic landscape of methanogenic PAH degradation. Microb Biotechnol 2:566–574. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-7915.2009.00096.x
Fijalkowski K, Rorat A, Grobelak A, Kacprzak MJ (2017) The presence of contaminations in sewage sludge: the current situation. J Environ Manag 203:1126–1136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.05.068
Huang YW, Chen MQ, Luo HF (2016) Nonisothermal torrefaction kinetics of sewage sludge using the simplified distributed activation energy model. Chem Eng J 298:154–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2016.04.018
Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry Method 6020A. http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/testmethods/sw846/pdfs/6020a.pdf. Accessed 30 Dec 2013
Jones DM, Head IM, Gray ND, Adams JJ, Rowan AK, Aitken CM, Bennett B, Huang H, Brown A, Bowler BFJ, Oldenburg T, Erdmann M, Larter SR (2008) Crude-oil biodegradation via methanogenesis in subsurface petroleum reservoirs. Nature 451:176–180. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06484
Kadri T, Rouissi T, Kaur Brar S, Cledon M, Sarma S, Verma M (2017) Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by fungal enzymes: a review. J Environ Sci (China) 51:52–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2016.08.023
Kirk PWW, Lester JN (1991) The fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during sewage sludge digestion. Environ Technol (United Kingdom) 12:13–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593339109384977
Kwon EE, Lee T, Ok YS, Tsang DCW, Park C, Lee J (2018) Effects of calcium carbonate on pyrolysis of sewage sludge. Energy 153:726–731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2018.04.100
Man YB, Chow KL, Cheng Z, Mo WY, Chan YH, Lam JCW, Lau FTK, Fung WC, Wong MH (2017) Profiles and removal efficiency of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by two different types of sewage treatment plants in Hong Kong. J Environ Sci (China) 53:196–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2016.04.020
Mihelcic JR, Luthy RG (1988) Microbial degradation of acenaphthene and naphthalene under denitrification conditions in soil-water systems. Appl Environ Microbiol 54:1188–1198
Mulchandani A, Westerhoff P (2016) Recovery opportunities for metals and energy from sewage sludges. Bioresour Technol 215:215–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2016.03.075
Otero M, Calvo LF, Gil MV, García AI, Morán A (2008) Co-combustion of different sewage sludge and coal: a non-isothermal thermogravimetric kinetic analysis. Bioresour Technol 99:6311–6319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2007.12.011
Park JM, Lee SB, Kim JP, Kim MJ, Kwon OS, Jung D Il (2009) Behavior of PAHs from sewage sludge incinerators in Korea. Waste Manag 29:690–695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2008.08.015
Sekiguchi Y, Kamagata Y, Nakamura K, Ohashi A, Harada H (1999) Fluorescence in situ hybridization using 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotides reveals localization of methanogens and selected uncultured bacteria in mesophilic and thermophilic sludge granules. Appl Environ Microbiol 65:1280–1288
Shamuyarira KK, Gumbo JR (2014) Assessment of heavy metals in municipal sewage sludge: a case study of Limpopo Province, South Africa. Int J Environ Res Public Health 11:2569–2579. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110302569
Trably E, Patureau D, Delgenes JP (2003) Enhancement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons removal during anaerobic treatment of urban sludge. Water Sci Technol 48:53–60
Trably E, Patureau D, Delgenes JP (2005) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) removal during anaerobic and aerobic sludge treatments. Environ Chem Green Chem Pollut Ecosyst. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-26531-7_39
U.S. EPA (1993) Clean Water Act, sec. 503, vol 58, no. 32. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
Wang X, Xi B, Huo S, Sun W, Pan H, Zhang J, Ren Y, Liu H (2013) Characterization, treatment, and releases of PBDEs and PAHs in a typical municipal sewage treatment plant situated beside an urban river, East China. J Environ Sci (China) 25:1281–1290. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-0742(12)60201-0
Wilson SC, Jones KC (1993) Bioremediation of soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): a review. Environ Pollut 81:229–249
Xiao H, Liu K (2010) Co-combustion kinetics of sewage sludge with coal and coal gangue under different atmospheres. Energy Convers Manag 51:1976–1980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2010.02.030
Xu Y, Zhou Y, Wang D, Chen S, Liu J, Wang Z (2008) Occurrence and removal of organic micropollutants in the treatment of landfill leachate by combined anaerobic–membrane bioreactor technology. J Environ Sci 20:1281–1287. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-0742(08)62222-6
Zhong Y, Luan T, Wang X, Lan C, Tam NFY (2007) Influence of growth medium on cometabolic degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Sphingomonas sp. strain PheB4. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 75:175–186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-006-0789-4
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our great appreciation to Mr. Engineer S.H. Sabetifard, a senior expert of the Research and Innovation Unit of Pars Lubricant Refinery, for his valuable and constructive contributions during the implementation of research work. His willingness to give his time so generously has been very much appreciated. This research work is supported by the Department of Environment at the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment of the Science and Research Branch of the Islamic Azad University, Environmental Science Research Institute (Shahid Beheshti University) and the Pars Oil Refinery. Thanks are also due to the management of the Pars Oil Refinery for providing support, information and laboratory facilities.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Editorial responsibility: Samareh Mirkia.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kazemi Moayed, H., Panahi, M., Jalili Ghazizade, M. et al. Removal of PAH compounds from refinery industrial sludge as hazardous environmental contaminants through anaerobic digestion. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 18, 1617–1626 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-020-02904-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-020-02904-9