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A Comprehensive Review on Pretreatment Methods for Enhanced Biogas Production from Sewage Sludge

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  • Georgia-Christina Mitraka

    (Soil and Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation-DIMITRA, Thermi, GR-57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
    Laboratory of Chemical & Environmental Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Konstantinos N. Kontogiannopoulos

    (Soil and Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation-DIMITRA, Thermi, GR-57001 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Maria Batsioula

    (Institute for Bio-Economy and Agri-Technology (iBO), Center for Research and Technology-Hellas (CERTH), GR-57001 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • George F. Banias

    (Institute for Bio-Economy and Agri-Technology (iBO), Center for Research and Technology-Hellas (CERTH), GR-57001 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Anastasios I. Zouboulis

    (Laboratory of Chemical & Environmental Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Panagiotis G. Kougias

    (Soil and Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation-DIMITRA, Thermi, GR-57001 Thessaloniki, Greece)

Abstract

The treatment of municipal wastewater is considered a cornerstone for the protection of public health and environment. However, a major issue derived from this process is the large quantities of produced sewage sludge. Although anaerobic digestion is a widely applied method in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) aiming to stabilize the sludge and to recover energy in the form of methane, it is usually limited due to the reduced decomposition efficiency and slow biodegradation rate of this recalcitrant substrate. For this reason, various pretreatment methods have been proposed aiming to modify the sludge structure, solubilize the organic matter, and decrease the crystallinity of sludge so as to accelerate hydrolysis and consequently enhance methane production. The current research is a comprehensive collection of recent advances in pretreatment technologies that can be potentially applied in wastewater treatment facilities. The critical review analysis presented herein reveals the several advantages and drawbacks, as well as the technical opportunities of the pretreatment methods and provides an assessment of their feasibility/applicability from an energetic, environmental, and economic point of view.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:18:p:6536-:d:909361
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Juan Félix González & Carmen María Álvez-Medina & Sergio Nogales-Delgado, 2023. "Biogas Steam Reforming in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Opportunities and Challenges," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-35, September.
    2. 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.

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