Enhanced Methane Production from Anaerobic Digestion of Disintegrated and Deproteinized Excess Sludge

Abstract

To improve biogas yield and methane content in anaerobic digestion of excess sludge from the wastewater treatment plant, the sludge was disintegrated by using various methods (sonication, alkaline and thermal treatments). Since disintegrated sludge contains a high concentration of soluble proteins, the resulting metabolite, ammonia, may inhibit methane generation. Therefore, the effects of protein removal from disintegrated sludge on methane production were also studied. As a result, an obvious enhancement of biogas generation was observed by digesting disintegrated sludge (biogas yield increased from 15 to 36 ml/g COD_added·day for the raw excess sludge and the sonicated sludge, respectively). The quality of biogas was also improved by removing proteins from the disintegrated sludge. About 50% (w/w) of soluble proteins were removed from the suspension of disintegrated sludge by salting out using 35 g MgCl₂·6H₂O/l and also by isoelectric point precipitation at pH 3.3. For deproteinized sludge, methane production increased by 19%, and its yield increased from 145 ml/g COD_removed to 325 ml/g COD_removed. Therefore, the yield and quality of biogas produced from digestion of excess sludge can be enhanced by disintegrating the sludge and subsequent protein removal.