Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Optimization and biokinetic studies on pretreatment of sludge for enhancing biogas production

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Excess sludge generation is a major problem in biological effluent treatment processes. Utilization of excess sludge for gas production is an attractive route, which could be enhanced by pretreatment methods. This study involves two sets of experiments. The first set covers mechanical pretreatment of both feed and inoculum. The second set involves alkaline and mechanical treatments of feed and only mechanical treatment of inoculum. Response surface methodology was used for experimental design, analysis and optimization. The optimized mechanical treatment volume of feed was found to be 50%. Diligent mechanical treatment of inoculum resulted in enhanced microbial activity and improved gas production. Reduction in volatile solids, proteins and carbohydrates was observed to a maximum of 63, 84 and 78.5%, respectively. Feed was subjected to alkali treatment in order to reduce mechanical energy input and to improve solubilization. Compared to mechanical treatment alone, enhanced gas production of about 15% was observed at an optimized pH of 11.8 and SRT of 21 days. A biokinetic model was formulated, simulated and validated for the degradation of organics and gas production.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aboulfotoh AM, El Gohary EH, El Monayeri OD (2015) Effect of thermal pretreatment on the solubilization of organic matters in a mixture of primary and waste activated sludge. Int J Therm Environ Eng. 10:161–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Adekunle KF, Okolie JA (2015) A review of biochemical process of anaerobic digestion. Adv Biosci Biotech. 6:205–212

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Antognoni S, Ragazzi M, Rada EC, Plank R, Aichinger P, Kuprian M, Ebner C (2013) Potential effects of mechanical pre-treatments on methane yield from solid waste anaerobically digested. Int J Environ Bioremed Biodegrad 1:20–25

    Google Scholar 

  • APHA (1998) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. American Public Health Association, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Appels L, Baeyens J, Degreve J, Dewil R (2008) Principles and potential of the anaerobic digestion of waste-activated sludge. Progr Energy Combust. 34:755–781

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ariunbaatar J, Panico A, Esposito G, Pirozzi F, Lens PNL (2014) Pretreatment methods to enhance anaerobic digestion of organic solid Waste. Appl Energy 123:143–156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cho SK, Ju HJ, Lee JG, Kim SH (2014) Alkaline—mechanical pretreatment process for enhanced anaerobic digestion thickened waste activated sludge with a novel crushing device: performance evaluation and economic analysis. Bioresour Technol 165:183–190

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dawood AS, Li Y (2014) Wastewater flocculation using a new hybrid copolymer: modeling and optimization by response surface methodology. Pol J Environ Stud. 23:43–50

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Feki E, Khoufi S, Loukil S, Sayadi S (2015) Improvement of anaerobic digestion of waste—activated sludge by using H2O2 oxidation, electrolysis, electro-oxidation and thermo-alkaline pretreatments. Environ Sci Pollut R 22:14717–14726

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gianico A, Braguglia CM, Gallipoli A, Mininni G (2014) Innovative two-stage mesophilic/thermophilic anaerobic degradation of sonicated sludge: performances and energy balance. Environ Sci Pollut R. 22:7248–7256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo WQ, Yang SS, Xiang WS, Wang XJ, Ren NQ (2013) Minimization of excess sludge production by in-situ activated sludge treatment processes—a comprehensive review. Biotechnol Adv 31:1386–1396

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang J, Yang S, Chen M, Zhang Q (2009) Disintegration of sewage sludge with bifrequency ultrasonic treatment. Water Sci Technol. 60:1445–1453

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kanchinadham SBK, Kalyanaraman C, Kumarasamy T (2015) Optimization of organic load for co-digestion of tannery solid waste in semi-continuous mode of operation. Clean Technol Environ. 17:693–706

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li H, Li C, Liu W, Zou S (2012) Optimized alkaline pretreatment of sludge before anaerobic digestion. Bioresour Technol. 123:189–194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin Y, Wang D, Wang L (2010) Biological pretreatment enhances biogas production in the anaerobic digestion of pulp and paper sludge. Waste Manag Res. 28:800–810

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer T, Edwards EA (2014) Anaerobic digestion of pulp and paper mill wastewater and sludge. Water Res. 65:321–349

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery DC (1991) Design and analysis of experiments, 3rd edn. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Oz NA, Uzun AC (2015) Ultrasonic pretreatment for enhanced biogas production from olive mill wastewater. Ultrason Sonochem. 22:565–572

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Priyadarshini R, Vaishnavi L, Murugan D, Sivarajan M, Sivasamy A, Saravanan P, Balasubramanian N, Lajapathi Rai C (2015) Kinetic studies on anaerobic co-digestion of ultrasonic disintegrated feed and biomass and its effect substantiated by microcalorimetry. Int J Environ Sci Technol. 12:3029–3038

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ramakrishna DM, Viraraghavan T (2005) Strategies for sludge minimization in activated sludge process—a review. Fresen Environ Bull. 14:1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Rasouli M, Ajabshirchi Y, Mousavi SM, Nosrati M, Yaghmaei S (2015) Process optimization and modeling of anaerobic digestion of cow manure for enhanced biogas yield in a mixed plug-flow reactor using response surface methodology. Biosci Biotech R Asia 12:2333–2344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saxena U, Saxena S, Bundella K, Varshney M (2013) Activated sludge treatment process to increase bio gas production—a need of present energy crisis scenario. Int J Sci Res Rev. 2:147–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Shehu MS, Manan ZA, Wan Alwi SR (2012) Optimization of thermo-alkaline disintegration of sewage sludge for enhanced biogas yield. Bioresour Technol. 114:69–74

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith SR (2009) Organic contaminants in sewage sludge (biosolids) and their significance for agricultural recycling. Philos Trans R Soc A 367:4005–4041

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Takdastan A, Azimi AA, Jaafarzadeh N (2010) Biological excess sludge reduction in municipal wastewater treatment by chlorine. Asian J Chem. 22:1665–1674

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Uma Rani R, Adish Kumar S, Kaliappan S, Yeom I-T, Rajesh Banu J (2014) Enhancing the anaerobic digestion potential of dairy waste activated sludge by two step sono-alkalization pretreatment. Ultrason Sonochem. 21:1065–1074

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Venkatesh Babu S, Ragupathy S, Rajasimman M (2016) Optimization of anaerobic conditions for the treatment of textile dye wastewater using mixed culture. Environ Sci Pollut R. 2:50–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Wastewater management in cluster of Tanneries in Tamil Nadu, NEERI Report (1997)

  • Yang Q, Yi Y, Luo K, Jing X, Li X, Liu Y, Zeng G (2013) Improving disintegration and acidification of waste activated sludge by combined alkaline and microwave pretreatment. Process Saf Environ. 91:521–526

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yeneneh AM, Sen TK, Chong S, Ang HM, Kayaalp A (2013) Effect of combined microwave-ultrasonic pretreatment on anaerobic biodegradability of primary, excess activated and mixed sludge. Comput Water Energy Environ Eng. 2:7–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank CSIR-ZERIS, WP-28 (CSC 0103) for funding this project. Thanks are also due to Dr.B. Chandrasekaran, Director, CSIR-CLRI for the encouragement.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Engineering Division, CSIR - Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai, 600 020, India

    P. Divyalakshmi, D. Murugan, M. Sivarajan, A. Sivasamy & C. L. Rai

  2. Leather Processing Division, CSIR - Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai, 600 020, India

    P. Saravanan

Authors
  1. P. Divyalakshmi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. Murugan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Sivarajan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. Sivasamy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. P. Saravanan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. C. L. Rai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. L. Rai.

Additional information

Editorial responsibility: Binbin Huang.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Divyalakshmi, P., Murugan, D., Sivarajan, M. et al. Optimization and biokinetic studies on pretreatment of sludge for enhancing biogas production. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 14, 813–822 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-016-1191-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-016-1191-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation