IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v69y2017icp559-577.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Overview of pretreatment strategies for enhancing sewage sludge disintegration and subsequent anaerobic digestion: Current advances, full-scale application and future perspectives

Author

Listed:
  • Zhen, Guangyin
  • Lu, Xueqin
  • Kato, Hiroyuki
  • Zhao, Youcai
  • Li, Yu-You

Abstract

Sewage sludge management is now becoming a serious issue all over the world. Anaerobic digestion is a simple and well-studied process capable of biologically converting the chemical energy of sewage sludge into methane-rich biogas, as a carbon-neutral alternative to fossil fuels whilst destroying pathogens and removing odors. Hydrolysis is the rate-limiting step because of the sewage sludge complex floc structure (such as extracellular polymeric substances) and hard cell wall. To accelerate the rate-limiting hydrolysis and improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, various pretreatment technologies have been developed. This paper presents an up-to-date review of recent research achievements in the pretreatment technologies used for improving biogas production including mechanical (ultrasonic, microwave, electrokinetic and high-pressure homogenization), thermal, chemical (acidic, alkali, ozonation, Fenton and Fe(II)-activated persulfate oxidation), and biological options (temperature-phased anaerobic digestion and microbial electrolysis cell). The effectiveness and relative worth of each of the studied technologies are summarized and compared in terms of the resulting sludge properties, the digester performance, the environmental benefits and the current state of real-world application. The challenge and technical issues encountered during sludge cotreatment are discussed, and the future research needs in promoting full-scale implementations of those approaches are proposed.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhen, Guangyin & Lu, Xueqin & Kato, Hiroyuki & Zhao, Youcai & Li, Yu-You, 2017. "Overview of pretreatment strategies for enhancing sewage sludge disintegration and subsequent anaerobic digestion: Current advances, full-scale application and future perspectives," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 559-577.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:69:y:2017:i:c:p:559-577
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.187
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032116309352
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.187?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tyagi, Vinay Kumar & Lo, Shang-Lien, 2013. "Microwave irradiation: A sustainable way for sludge treatment and resource recovery," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 288-305.
    2. Cano, R. & Pérez-Elvira, S.I. & Fdz-Polanco, F., 2015. "Energy feasibility study of sludge pretreatments: A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 176-185.
    3. Okudoh, Vincent & Trois, Cristina & Workneh, Tilahun & Schmidt, Stefan, 2014. "The potential of cassava biomass and applicable technologies for sustainable biogas production in South Africa: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 1035-1052.
    4. Liu, Wenzong & Cai, Weiwei & Guo, Zechong & Wang, Ling & Yang, Chunxue & Varrone, Cristiano & Wang, Aijie, 2016. "Microbial electrolysis contribution to anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge, leading to accelerated methane production," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 334-339.
    5. Ariunbaatar, Javkhlan & Panico, Antonio & Esposito, Giovanni & Pirozzi, Francesco & Lens, Piet N.L., 2014. "Pretreatment methods to enhance anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 143-156.
    6. Zhen, Guangyin & Lu, Xueqin & Li, Yu-You & Zhao, Youcai, 2014. "Combined electrical-alkali pretreatment to increase the anaerobic hydrolysis rate of waste activated sludge during anaerobic digestion," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 93-102.
    7. Jain, Siddharth & Jain, Shivani & Wolf, Ingo Tim & Lee, Jonathan & Tong, Yen Wah, 2015. "A comprehensive review on operating parameters and different pretreatment methodologies for anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 142-154.
    8. Ebenezer, A. Vimala & Arulazhagan, P. & Adish Kumar, S. & Yeom, Ick-Tae & Rajesh Banu, J., 2015. "Effect of deflocculation on the efficiency of low-energy microwave pretreatment and anaerobic biodegradation of waste activated sludge," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 104-110.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Wei & Guo, Jianbin & Cheng, Huicai & Wang, Wei & Dong, Renjie, 2017. "Two-phase anaerobic digestion of municipal solid wastes enhanced by hydrothermal pretreatment: Viability, performance and microbial community evaluation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 613-622.
    2. Kavitha, S. & Banu, J. Rajesh & Priya, A. Arul & Uan, Do Khac & Yeom, Ick Tae, 2017. "Liquefaction of food waste and its impacts on anaerobic biodegradability, energy ratio and economic feasibility," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 228-238.
    3. Wang, Jie & Li, Yongmei, 2016. "Synergistic pretreatment of waste activated sludge using CaO2 in combination with microwave irradiation to enhance methane production during anaerobic digestion," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 1123-1132.
    4. Yin, Yao & Liu, Ya-Juan & Meng, Shu-Juan & Kiran, Esra Uçkun & Liu, Yu, 2016. "Enzymatic pretreatment of activated sludge, food waste and their mixture for enhanced bioenergy recovery and waste volume reduction via anaerobic digestion," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 1131-1137.
    5. Li, Yue & Chen, Yinguang & Wu, Jiang, 2019. "Enhancement of methane production in anaerobic digestion process: A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C), pages 120-137.
    6. Cano, R. & Pérez-Elvira, S.I. & Fdz-Polanco, F., 2015. "Energy feasibility study of sludge pretreatments: A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 176-185.
    7. Kor-Bicakci, Gokce & Eskicioglu, Cigdem, 2019. "Recent developments on thermal municipal sludge pretreatment technologies for enhanced anaerobic digestion," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 423-443.
    8. Kong, Fanying & Ren, Hong-Yu & Pavlostathis, Spyros G. & Nan, Jun & Ren, Nan-Qi & Wang, Aijie, 2020. "Overview of value-added products bioelectrosynthesized from waste materials in microbial electrosynthesis systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    9. Georgia-Christina Mitraka & Konstantinos N. Kontogiannopoulos & Maria Batsioula & George F. Banias & Anastasios I. Zouboulis & Panagiotis G. Kougias, 2022. "A Comprehensive Review on Pretreatment Methods for Enhanced Biogas Production from Sewage Sludge," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-56, September.
    10. Zhang, Jingxin & Kan, Xiang & Shen, Ye & Loh, Kai-Chee & Wang, Chi-Hwa & Dai, Yanjun & Tong, Yen Wah, 2018. "A hybrid biological and thermal waste-to-energy system with heat energy recovery and utilization for solid organic waste treatment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 214-222.
    11. Bhatnagar, N. & Ryan, D. & Murphy, R. & Enright, A.M., 2022. "A comprehensive review of green policy, anaerobic digestion of animal manure and chicken litter feedstock potential – Global and Irish perspective," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    12. Zabed, Hossain M. & Akter, Suely & Yun, Junhua & Zhang, Guoyan & Zhang, Yufei & Qi, Xianghui, 2020. "Biogas from microalgae: Technologies, challenges and opportunities," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    13. Akgul, Deniz & Cella, Monica Angela & Eskicioglu, Cigdem, 2017. "Influences of low-energy input microwave and ultrasonic pretreatments on single-stage and temperature-phased anaerobic digestion (TPAD) of municipal wastewater sludge," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 271-282.
    14. Fernández-Polanco, D. & Tatsumi, H., 2016. "Optimum energy integration of thermal hydrolysis through pinch analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB), pages 1093-1102.
    15. Derick Lima & Gregory Appleby & Li Li, 2023. "A Scoping Review of Options for Increasing Biogas Production from Sewage Sludge: Challenges and Opportunities for Enhancing Energy Self-Sufficiency in Wastewater Treatment Plants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-34, March.
    16. Kor-Bicakci, Gokce & Ubay-Cokgor, Emine & Eskicioglu, Cigdem, 2019. "Effect of dewatered sludge microwave pretreatment temperature and duration on net energy generation and biosolids quality from anaerobic digestion," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 782-795.
    17. Zamri, M.F.M.A. & Hasmady, Saiful & Akhiar, Afifi & Ideris, Fazril & Shamsuddin, A.H. & Mofijur, M. & Fattah, I. M. Rizwanul & Mahlia, T.M.I., 2021. "A comprehensive review on anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    18. Wang, Zhongzhong & Hu, Yuansheng & Wang, Shun & Wu, Guangxue & Zhan, Xinmin, 2023. "A critical review on dry anaerobic digestion of organic waste: Characteristics, operational conditions, and improvement strategies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    19. Hwijin Seo & Anna Joicy & Myoung Eun Lee & Chaeyoung Rhee & Seung Gu Shin & Si-Kyung Cho & Yongtae Ahn, 2023. "Development of a Primary Sewage Sludge Pretreatment Strategy Using a Combined Alkaline–Ultrasound Pretreatment for Enhancing Microbial Electrolysis Cell Performance," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-14, May.
    20. Ma, Chaonan & Liu, Jianyong & Ye, Min & Zou, Lianpei & Qian, Guangren & Li, Yu-You, 2018. "Towards utmost bioenergy conversion efficiency of food waste: Pretreatment, co-digestion, and reactor type," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 700-709.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:69:y:2017:i:c:p:559-577. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.