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The use of mixed microbial cultures (MMC) and organic wastes and wastewaters as feed sources is considered an appealing approach to reduce the current polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) production costs. However, this method entails an additional hurdle to the PHAs downstream processing (recovery and purification). In the current work, the effect of a sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) pre-treatment coupled with dimethyl carbonate (DMC) or chloroform (CF) as extraction solvents on the PHAs recovery efficiency (RE) from MMC was evaluated. MMC were harvested from a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) fed with a synthetic prefermented olive mill wastewaster. Two different carbon-sources (acetic acid and acetic/propionic acids) were employed during the batch accumulation of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) from MMC. Obtained PHAs were characterized by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, gel-permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The results showed that when a NaClO pre-treatment is not added, the use of DMC allows to obtain higher RE of both biopolymers (PHB and PHBV), in comparison with CF. In contrast, the use of CF as extraction solvent required a pre-treatment step to improve the PHB and PHBV recovery. In all cases, RE values were higher for PHBV than for PHB.

Phosphorus recovery is usually based on the chemical precipitation of struvite from the supernatant comming from anaerobic digestion of surplus sludge of wastewater treatment plants. However, the recovery of phosphorus from the mainstream would be very beneficial to the operation of the plant. This work represents a step forward in this challenge. The configuration of a sequencing batch reactor performing Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR) was modified to include the extraction of a P-rich supernatant after a settling period. The liquid extracted after the anaerobic phase has the highest phosphorus concentration in all the reactor cycle and is therefore suitable for implementing P-recovery strategies. This is the first experimental system operated under this configuration and in a long-term basis (more than one year) under different influent COD/P ratios with good performance and stability. This work shows experimentally that up to 60% of the P could be extracted without a deleterious effect on EBPR. The system could even operate at high COD/P ratio (7.5) with high activity. Finally, anaerobic supernatant extraction was linked to anaerobic sludge purging and it was demonstrated that higher methane production (24.3%) was obtained compared to the default case with the sludge purged at the end of the aerobic phase.

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB A paradigm shift is needed in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to progress from traditional pollutant removal to resource recovery. However, whether this transformation produces overall environmental benefits will depend on the efficient and sustainable use of resources by emerging technologies. Given that many of these technologies are still being tested at the pilot scale, there is a lack of environmental assessments quantifying their impacts and benefits. In particular, an integrated approach to energy and nutrient recovery can elucidate the potential configurations for WWTPs. In this study, we conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) of emergent wastewater treatment technologies aimed at increasing resource circularity in WWTPs. We focus on increasing energy self-sufficiency through biogas upgrades and a more radical circular approach aimed at nutrient recovery. Based on a case-study WWTP, we compare its current configuration with (1) implementing autotrophic nitrogen removal in the mainstream and deriving most of the organic matter for biogas production, which increases the quality and quantity of biogas available for energy production; (2) implementing struvite recovery through enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) as a radical approach to phosphorus management, offering an alternative to mineral fertilizer; and (3) a combination of both approaches. The results show that incremental changes in biogas production are insufficient for compensating for the environmental investment in infrastructure, although autotrophic nitrogen removal is beneficial for increasing the quality of the effluent. Combined phosphorus and energy recovery reduce the environmental impacts from the avoided use of fertilizers and phosphorus and the nitrogen release into water bodies. An integrated approach to resource management in WWTPs is thus desirable and creates new opportunities toward the implementation of circular strategies with low environmental impact in cities.

Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB Altres ajuts: LIFE14/ENV/ES/000633 The use of high-rate activated sludge (HRAS) reactors for the removal of COD in urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has been investigated because its potential contribution to energy generating WWTPs. A one-year operation period of a pilot plant treating the effluent of the primary settler of a full-scale WWTP was analyzed. The HRAS pilot plant operated without iron salts addition at temperatures between 12 and 28 ºC at an average organic loading rate 2.8 ± 0.5 kg COD m-3 d-1 and with an average inflow COD concentration of 330 ± 86 mg O2 L-1. The influence of sludge retention time (SRT) on COD recovery and biomethane potential of the produced sludge was investigated and compared to the full scale WWTP performance. The highest observed sludge yield coefficient and biomethane potential of the sludge were achieved at SRT of 0.6 days. The weak point of the HRAS performance at STR of 0.6 days is the high loss of organic matter in the effluent due to the limited efficiency of the solids separation in the secondary settler. At higher SRT (in the range 1.0-2.1 days), the secondary settler efficiency and the COD recovery are higher than those achieved at SRT of 0.6 days but part of the inlet ammonium can be nitrified in the HRAS system at temperatures above 20 ºC. A detailed energy balance indicated that two-thirds reduction of aeration requirements and one-third increase of biogas production could be achieved in a plant configuration in which HRAS is coupled to autotrophic biological nitrogen removal (BNR) compared to the heterotrophic BNR configuration, yielding a net energy production of ca. 0.1 kWh m-3 of treated water.

Granular sludge aggregates are particular types of biofilms that display significantly different metrics and physical-chemical characteristics than activated sludge flocs. The efficiency of intensified processes using granular sludge relies on the application of selection pressures. Operational conditions are engineered to force microorganisms to form specific intrinsic physiological, phenotypic, and metabolic traits for granulation and high-rate biological removal of nutrients and/or recalcitrant organic matter. Granular sludge and conventional activated sludge share a core microbiome, while the distribution of the underlying populations can significantly differ in relative abundance and localization in the architecture of granules and flocs. Analogous ecological principles of microbial selection apply from activated sludge to granular sludge ecosystems with the essential difference that granules are governed by diffusion limitations through which different redox potentials are created on micrometre scale. Integrating the microbiology dimension together with the physical–chemical features of granules in engineering practice will make a difference at process level, besides offering new opportunities for bioaugmentation of granules in existing infrastructure. With this review article we critically examine the macro-scale factors impacting granulation, the physical-chemical characteristics of granular sludge, and fundamental and applied questions driven by the microbial ecology of granular sludge, to generate useful concepts for process design and evaluation in engineering practice.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biopolymers that can be an alternative against conventional plastics. The study reported herein evaluated the enrichment of a mixed microbial culture (MMC) operated under feast/famine regime and different pHs in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) using acetate as sole carbon source to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). The enrichment step was evaluated at controlled pH of 7.5 and also without pH control (averaged value of 9.0). The acetate uptake rate (− q S ) of both enrichments at the end of the experimental period exhibited similar behaviour being about 0.18 Cmol Ac Cmol X − 1 h − 1 and 0.19 Cmol Ac Cmol X − 1 h − 1 for SBR-A and SBR-B, respectively. However, the PHA-storing capacity of the biomass enriched without pH control was better, exhibiting a maximum PHA content of 36% (gPHA g − 1 VSS) with a PHA production rate (q PHA ) of 0.16 Cmol PHA Cmol X − 1 h − 1 . Batch experiments were performed to evaluate PHA-storing capacity of the enriched culture at different pHs and nutrients concentrations. In the pH experiments (without nutrient limitation), it was found that in the absence of controlled pH, the enriched biomass exhibited a PHA content of 44% gPHA g − 1 VSS with − q S and PHA to substrate yield (Y PHA/Ac ) of 0.57 Cmol Ac Cmol X − 1 h − 1 and 0.33 Cmol PHA Cmol Ac − 1 , respectively. Regarding the experiments at variable nutrients concentration (pH ranging 8.8 to 9.2), the results indicate that the PHA content in the enriched biomass is significantly higher being around 51% gPHA g − 1 VSS under nitrogen limitation. This work demonstrated the feasibility of the enrichment of a MMC with PHA storage ability without pH control. Results also suggest that better PHAs contents and substrate uptake rates are obtained without controlling the pH in the accumulation step. Finally, this work also highlights the importance of understanding the role of nutrients concentration during the accumulation step.

The effect of salinity over granular biomass treating a mixture of aromatic compounds (phenol, o-cresol and p-nitrophenol) was evaluated in a continuous airlift reactor. To mimic an industrial wastewater, increasing concentrations (from 2.0 to 29.0 g salts L(-1)) of a mixture of salts (MgSO4, NaCl, KCl, CaCl2 and NaHCO3) were introduced in the influent. The gradual salinity increase led to a good acclimation of the biomass obtaining complete biodegradation of the aromatic compounds and no accumulation of metabolic intermediates. However, a deterioration of the morphology of aerobic granules with a complete loss of granulation after 125 days was produced at 29.0 g salts L(-1). At that moment, anaerobic granules were added to promote granulation and after 50 days new aerobic granules were formed. These new aerobic granules remained stable for more than 100 days at the highest salinity condition with 100% removal of the mixture of aromatic compounds.

The short-term effect of several aromatic compounds ( o -cresol, p -nitrophenol, o -chlorophenol and quinoline) was evaluated over granular anammox sludge cultivated over 2 years in a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). The anammox granular sludge had an average size of 1.0 ± 0.2 mm and was enriched in Brocadia sp. Specific Anammox Activity (SAA) batch tests with this granular biomass were carried out in the presence of o -cresol, p -nitrophenol, o -chlorophenol, quinoline and their mixtures. The anammox biomass was never exposed to the tested aromatic compounds, prior to the SAA tests. The concentration and the mixture of aromatic compounds had a strong effect over the loss of the anammox activity. The higher the concentrations of the aromatic compounds, the higher the reduction of the SAA. Quinoline and p -nitrophenol have a lower negative effect compared to o -cresol and o -chlorophenol. The Luong inhibition model seems to adjust better the inhibition of anammox biomass by the tested aromatic compounds. Depending on the aromatic compound, toxic or inhibitory effect was measured. o -Cresol and o -chlorophenol caused a toxic effect whereas p -nitrophenol and quinoline produced an inhibitory effect. In general, synergistic effects were observed when mixtures of aromatic compounds were studied.

Bioaugmentation with an enriched microbial population was applied in an aerobic sequencing batch reactor (SBR) receiving transient or continuous shock loads of p-nitrophenol (PNP). The effect of the amount of biomass added for bioaugmentation was assessed by using two different dosages (2% or 5% w/w of the total biomass in the seeded SBR). In both cases, total PNP removal was achieved during the transient PNP shock load occurring after bioaugmentation. However, after a long PNP starvation period the only experiment still showing total PNP removal during a second PNP shock load was the one where a dosage of 5% w/w was applied. The results suggested that the dosage is a key factor for the implementation of a successful bioaugmentation strategy. In addition, the performance of a bioaugmented SBR receiving a continuous PNP shock load was enhanced when compared to a non-bioaugmented SBR.

The biological treatment of a high-strength p-nitrophenol (PNP) wastewater in an aerobic Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) has been studied. A specific operational strategy was applied with the main aim of developing a K-strategist PNP-degrading activated sludge. The enrichment of a K-strategist microbial population was performed using a non-acclimated biomass coming from a municipal WWTP as inoculum, and following a feeding strategy in which the PNP-degrading biomass was under endogenous conditions during more than 50% of the aerobic reaction phase. Hundred per cent of PNP removal was achieved in the whole operating period with a maximum specific PNP loading rate of 0.26 g PNP g(-1)VSS d(-1). A kinetic characterization of the obtained PNP-degrading population was carried out using respirometry assays in specifically designed batch tests. With the experimental data obtained a kinetic model including substrate inhibition has been used to describe the time-course of the PNP concentration and specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR), simultaneously. The kinetic parameters obtained through optimization, validated with an additional respirometric test, were k(max)=1.02 mg PNP mg(-1) COD d(-1), K(s)=1.6 mg PNP L(-1) and K(i)=54 mg PNP L(-1). The values obtained for the K(s) and k(max) are lower than those reported in the literature for mixed populations, meaning that the biomass is a K-strategist type, and therefore demonstrating the success of the operational strategy imposed to obtain such a K-strategist population. Moreover, our measured K(i) value is higher than those reported by most of the bibliographic references; therefore the acclimated activated sludge used in this work was evidently more adapted to PNP inhibition than the other reported cultures.

A granular airlift reactor enriched in ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was operated at 10 °C performing stable partial nitritation in the long-term. The reactor treated a synthetic low-strength influent during 250 days with an average nitrogen loading rate of 0.63 ± 0.06 g N L(-1) d(-1). Nitrate production was barely detected, being the average concentration in the effluent of 0.6 ± 0.3 mg N-NO3 L(-1). Furthermore, a suitable effluent for a subsequent reactor performing the anammox process was achieved. A maximum specific growth rate as high as 0.63 ± 0.05 d(-1) was determined by performing kinetic experiments with the granular sludge in a chemostat and fitting the results to the Monod model. Pyrosequencing analysis showed a high enrichment in AOB (41 and 65% of the population were identified as Nitrosomonas genus on day 98 and 233, respectively) and an effective repression of nitrite oxidizing bacteria in the long-term. Pyrosequencing analysis also identified the coexistence of nitrifying bacteria and heterotrophic psychrotolerant microorganisms in the granular sludge. Some psychrotolerant microorganisms are producers of cryoprotective extracellular polymeric substances that could explain the better survival of the whole consortia at cold temperatures.

The influence of temperature (140 and 160 ◦ C) and oxygen partial pressure (2 and 9 bar) on the continuous catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) over activated carbon (AC) has been investigated for the removal of phenol, o-cresol and 2-chlorophenol in aqueous solutions. Seventy-twohour tests were performed in a fixed bed reactor in trickle flow regime. A commercial AC was employed as catalyst. The pollutant elimination effectiveness, the distribution of major reaction products and the AC behaviour were studied for each compound. Also, respirometric screening tests were completed to the effluents before and after each CWAO experiment to assess the biodegradability enhancement. The results show that pollutant disappearance, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, total organic carbon (TOC) abatement and biodegradability enhancement (fraction of COD readily biodegradable, %CODRB) were very sensitive to temperature but rather independent of the oxygen partial pressure (PO2 ). On the contrary, AC catalyst preservation was strongly influenced by both temperature and pressure. For instance, for phenol CWAO at 2 bar of PO2 ,a s temperature increased from 140 to 160 ◦ C, phenol conversion increased from 45% to 78%, COD removal from 33% to 65%, TOC abatement from 21% to 62% and %CODRB from 4% to 36%. Similar behaviour was found for the other model compounds tested, although the level of refractoriness was rather different. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The aim of this work is to study the viability of the H2O2 Promoted Catalytic Wet Air Oxidation (PP-CWAO) process, using activated carbon (AC) as catalyst, to increase the biodegradability of phenolic aqueous solutions. Seventy-two hours experiments were performed in a trickle bed reactor at 140 8C and 2 bar of oxygen partial pressure. Feed concentrations, in terms of theoretical chemical oxygen demand (ThCOD), were 11.8 g COD l � 1 for phenol, 12.6 g COD l � 1 for o-cresol and 8.0 g COD l � 1 for p-nitrophenol. Air was used as main oxidant and 20% of the stoichiometric amount of H2O2needed for pollutant complete mineralisation was added as oxidation promoter. Adding H2O2to the CWAO process not only increases pollutant removal but also leads to higher mineralisation of the remaining oxidation products. For instance, removal of phenol, o-cresol and p-nitrophenol increase from 45, 33 and 15% in the CWAO process to 64, 64 and 49% in the PP-CWAO process. In addition, the PP-CWAO process leads to better biodegradability enhancements, when compared to CWAO, as demonstrated by the respirometric tests. However, it is still necessary to improve the oxidation step in order to assure more biodegradable effluents that could be combined with a subsequent biological wastewater plant. # 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

This study examines the feasibility of coupling a Catalytic Wet Air Oxidation (CWAO), with activated carbon (AC) as catalyst, and an aerobic biological treatment to treat a high-strength o-cresol wastewater. Two goals are pursued: (a) To determine the effect of the main AC/CWAO intermediates on the activated sludge of a municipal WasteWater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and (b) To demonstrate the feasibility of coupling the AC/CWAO effluent as a part of the influent of a municipal WWTP. In a previous study, a high-strength o-cresol wastewater was treated by AC/CWAO aiming to establish the distribution of intermediates and the biodegradability enhancement. In this work, the biodegradability, toxicity and inhibition of the most relevant intermediates detected in the AC/CWAO effluent were determined by respirometry. Also, the results of a pilot scale municipal WWTP study for an integrated AC/CWAO-aerobic biological treatment of this effluent are presented. The biodegradation parameters (i.e. maximum oxygen uptake rate and oxygen consumption) of main AC/CWAO intermediates allowed the classification of the intermediates into readily biodegradable, inert or toxic/ inhibitory compounds. This detailed study, allowed to understand the biodegradability enhancement exhibited by an AC/CWAO effluent and to achieve a successful strategy for coupling the AC/CWAO step with an aerobic biological treatment for a high-strength o-cresol wastewater. Using 30%, as COD, of AC/CWAO effluent in the inlet to the pilot scale WWTP, the integrated AC/CWAO-biological treatment achieved a 98% of total COD removal and, particularly, a 91% of AC/CWAO effluent COD removal without any undesirable effect on the biomass. � 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11269-015-0958-2 The environmental impacts resulting from sewer networks are best analysed from a life-cycle perspective to integrate the energy requirements into the infrastructure design. The energy requirements for pumping wastewater depend on the configuration of the city (e.g., climate, population, length of the sewer, topography, etc.). This study analyses and models the effect of such site-specific features on energy consumption and related effects in a sample of Spanish cities. The results show that the average annual energy used by sewers (6.4 kWh/capita and 0.014 kWh/m3 of water flow) must not be underestimated because they may require up to 50 % of the electricity needs of a typical treatment plant in terms of consumption per capita. In terms of Global Warming Potential, pumping results in an average of 2.3 kg CO2eq./capita. A significant positive relationship was demonstrated between the kWh consumed and the length of the sewer and between other factors such as the population and wastewater production. In addition, Atlantic cities can consume 5 times as much energy as Mediterranean or Subtropical regions. A similar trend was shown in coastal cities. Finally, a simple predictive model of the electricity consumption was presented that considers the analysed parameters.

Wet air oxidation (WAO) and catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) were investigated as suitable precursors for the biological treatment of industrial wastewater containing sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (DBS). Two hours WAO semi-batch experiments were conducted at 15 bar of oxygen partial pressure (P(O2)) and at 180, 200 and 220 degrees C. It was found that the highest temperature provides appreciable total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) abatement of about 42 and 47%, correspondingly. Based on the main identified intermediates (acetic acid and sulfobenzoic acid) a reaction pathway for DBS and a kinetic model in WAO were proposed. In the case of CWAO experiments, seventy-two hours tests were done in a fixed bed reactor in continuous trickle flow regime, using a commercial activated carbon (AC) as catalyst. The temperature and P(O2) were 140-160 degrees C and 2-9 bar, respectively. The influence of the operating conditions on the DBS oxidation, the occurrence of oxidative coupling reactions over the AC, and the catalytic activity (in terms of substrate removal) were established. The results show that the AC without any supported active metal behaves bi-functional as adsorbent and catalyst, giving TOC conversions up to 52% at 160 degrees C and 2 bar of P(O2), which were comparable to those obtained in WAO experiments. Respirometric tests were completed before and after CWAO and to the main intermediates identified through the WAO and CWAO oxidation route. Then, the readily biodegradable COD (COD(RB)) of the CWAO and WAO effluents were found. Taking into account these results it was possible to compare whether or not the CWAO or WAO effluents were suitable for a conventional activated sludge plant inoculated with non adapted culture.