The influence of microfibres in municipal sludge on biogas production

Lekše, Nina (author), Griessler Bulc, Tjaša (author), Žgajnar Gotvajn, Andreja (author)

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contribute to the release of microplastics into the environment. While the removal efficiency of MPs in WWTPs can reach up to 99.9 %, the highest amount of microplastics is retained in the sludge. Anaerobic digestion, one of the most promising and common processes, can help reduce sludge volume and odour, and due to the formation of biogas, mainly consisting of methane (CH$_4$) and carbon dioxide (CO$_2$), can help decrease the operating costs of WWTPs. A test measuring the inhibition of biogas production using the OxiTop® measuring system was employed to determine the effect of added microfibres (MFs) on biogas production. Particles less than 1 mm in size of polyester, polyamide, and polyacrylic, were added to anaerobic sludge at concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 0.10 gl$^{-l}$ to simulate their effect on biogas production. The yields of CH$_4$ and CO$_2$ produced during anaerobic digestion of the MFs-contaminated sludge were determined. The addition of MFs to sewage sludge affects methane production. The results indicated that the lowest added concentrations of 0.05 gl$^{−1}$ of MFs promoted methane production, while the presence of 0.1 gl$^{−1}$ decreased methane production for all types of MFs used. Polyacrylic at 0.1 gl$^{−1}$ had the most negative effect on methane production (up to 27 %), while polyamide at 0.05 gl$^{−1}$ reached the highest methane production (up to 25 %).

• Language: English
• Keywords: anaerobic digestion, methane production, polyester, polyamide, polyacrylic
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology; ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: Str. 383-388
• Numbering: Vol. 73, br. 9/10
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-162437
• UDC: 628.31:678
• ISSN on article: 0022-9830
• DOI: 10.15255/KUI.2023.055
• COBISS.SI-ID: 208486659
• Publication date in RUL: 23.09.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Kemija u industriji : časopis kemičara i tehnologa
• Shortened title: Kem. ind.
• Publisher: Hrvatsko društvo kemijskih inženjera i tehnologa
• ISSN: 0022-9830
• COBISS.SI-ID: 747524

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Croatian
• Title: Utjecaj mikrovlakana u mulju uređaja za pročišćavanje komunalnih otpadnih voda na proizvodnju bioplina
• Keywords: anaerobna digestija, proizvodnja metana, poliester, poliamid, poliakril