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Pulp and paper mills generate large amounts of waste organic matter that may be converted to renewable energy in form of methane. The anaerobic treatment of mill wastewater is widely accepted however, usually only applied to few selected streams. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates in full-scale reactors range between 30 and 90%, and methane yields are 0.30–0.40 m 3 kg −1 COD removed. Highest COD removal rates are achieved with condensate streams from chemical pulping (75–90%) and paper mill effluents (60–80%). Numerous laboratory and pilot-scale studies have shown that, contrary to common perception, most other mill effluents are also to some extent anaerobically treatable. Even for difficult-to-digest streams such as bleaching effluents COD removal rates range between 15 and 90%, depending on the extent of dilution prior to anaerobic treatment, and the applied experimental setting. Co-digestion of different streams containing diverse substrate can level out and diminish toxicity, and may lead to a more robust microbial community. Furthermore, the microbial population has the ability to become acclimated and adapted to adverse conditions. Stress situations such as toxic shock loads or temporary organic overloading may be tolerated by an adapted community, whereas they could lead to process disturbance with an un-adapted community. Therefore, anaerobic treatment of wastewater containing elevated levels of inhibitors or toxicants should be initiated by an acclimation/adaptation period that can last between a few weeks and several months. In order to gain more insight into the underlying processes of microbial acclimation/adaptation and co-digestion, future research should focus on the relationship between wastewater composition, reactor operation and microbial community dynamics. The potential for engineering and managing the microbial resource is still largely untapped. Unlike in wastewater treatment, anaerobic digestion of mill biosludge (waste activated sludge) and primary sludge is still in its infancy. Current research is mainly focused on developing efficient pretreatment methods that enable fast hydrolysis of complex organic matter, shorter sludge residence times and as a consequence, smaller sludge digesters. Previous experimental studies indicate that the anaerobic digestibility of non-pretreated biosludge from pulp and paper mills varies widely, with volatile solids (VS) removal rates of 21–55% and specific methane yields ranging between 40 and 200 mL g −1 VS fed. Pretreatment can increase the digestibility to some extent, however in almost all reported cases, the specific methane yield of pretreated biosludge did not exceed 200 mL g −1 VS fed. Increases in specific methane yield mostly range between 0 and 90% compared to non-pretreated biosludge, whereas larger improvements were usually achieved with more difficult-to-digest biosludge. Thermal treatment and microwave treatment are two of the more effective methods. The heat required for the elevated temperatures applied in both methods may be provided from surplus heat that is often available at pulp and paper mills. Given the large variability in specific methane yield of non-pretreated biosludge, future research should focus on the links between anaerobic digestibility and sludge properties. Research should also involve mill-derived primary sludge. Although biosludge has been the main target in previous studies, primary sludge often constitutes the bulk of mill-generated sludge, and co-digestion of a mixture between both types of sludge may become practical. The few laboratory studies that have included mill primary sludge indicate that, similar to biosludge, the digestibility can range widely. Long-term studies should be conducted to explore the potential of microbial adaptation to lignocellulosic material which can constitute more than half of the organic matter in pulp and paper mill sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The broader application of the activated sludge process in pulp and paper mills, together with increased production, have amplified sludge management problems. With sludge management costs as high as 60% of the total wastewater treatment plant operating costs, and increasingly stringent environmental regulations, it is economically advantageous for pulp and paper mills to reduce their biosolids production. In order to provide a state-of-the-art review of secondary sludge reduction technologies, we have considered the scenarios of lower sludge production through process modifications, and waste-activated sludge reduction through post-treatment. A critical evaluation of all candidate reduction technologies indicates that sludge reduction through treatment process changes appears more appealing than post-treatment alternatives. The former approach offers a clear advantage over the latter in that the treatment process changes reduce sludge production in the first place, thus decreasing sludge management cost. Although it is technically feasible to eliminate the need for sludge disposal, it is unlikely to be economically feasible at this time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Supercritical CO 2 displaces water from alum, wastewater, and paper sludge. • Multistage dewatering increases the degree of dewatering. • The expanding CO 2 blows out the water during decompression. Supercritical CO 2 (sCO 2) displaces water from wastewater, alum, and papermill sludge. The sCO 2 appears to enter the sludge matrix through viscous fingering through the entrained water. Because the water removed far exceeds the solubility of water in sCO 2 , it must be displaced by the sCO 2 rather than dissolved out. Adding a small amount of soap to the sludge converts some of the bound water into free water, which can then be displaced by sCO 2. Application of the sCO 2 in multiple stages greatly enhances dewatering as compared to a single stage process. Approximately 70, 70 and 85% of the initial water can be removed from alum, wastewater and paper sludges, respectively, through a five-stage process. Staged application of sCO 2 doubles the efficiency of water removal over a single-stage process of the same duration. It is proposed that when the sCO 2 entrained in the sludge is decompressed between stages some of the water is explosively displaced by the expanding CO 2. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]