Co-digestion of Wastewater-Grown Filamentous Algae With Sewage Sludge Improves Biomethane Production and Energy Balance Compared to Thermal, Chemical, or Thermochemical Pretreatments

Bohutskyi, Pavlo; Keller, Troy A.; Phan, Duc; Parris, Markeshia L.; Li, Mengyuan; Richardson, Lakesha; Kopachevsky, Anatoliy M.

doi:10.3389/fenrg.2019.00047

Cited by 36 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Oedegonium , one of the principle species in these experiments, has high productivities [ 59 ] and is composed of a high proportion of carbon [ 60 ]. This rich organic composition improves potential for conversion of the algae into biogas using anaerobic biodigestion, particularly if mixed with sewage solids [ 61 ]. The economic feasibility of filamentous wastewater treatment systems is greatly improved when the biomass can be effectively converted to energy rich biofuels [ 17 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon limitation in hypereutrophic, periphytic algal wastewater treatment systems

Furnish

Keller

2020

PLoS ONE

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Global eutrophication degrades water quality in freshwater ecosystems and limits the availability of freshwater for human consumption. While current wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) remove pathogens and pollutants, many US WWTF continue to discharge nutrients that contribute to eutrophication. Traditional nutrient removal technologies can effectively reduce eutrophication risk, but can have unintended negative consequences on human and environmental health. Alternatives, such as algae-based treatment systems, improve the sustainability of the nutrient recovery process by producing biomass that can be converted to biofuel. However, research is needed to increase the productivity of algal treatment systems to improve their economic viability. Because algae in wastewater treatment systems are grown in wastewater rich in nutrients, the algae could become limited by dissolved inorganic carbon. This hypothesis was tested in 1.2 m long recirculating floways (n = 8 for each treatment/control) by quantifying algal dry mass and wastewater nutrient concentrations in 3 independent experiments: (1) carbon dioxide gas infused vs air infused control; (2) hydrochloric acid acidified vs neutralized solution control vs no chemical addition control; and (3) sodium bicarbonate addition vs no chemical control. Results showed increases in algal biomass after 18 days in wastewater augmented with dissolved inorganic carbon (carbon dioxide or sodium bicarbonate). In contrast, maintaining wastewater at near neutral pH with hydrochloric acid reduced algal productivity relative to controls. Nutrient reductions generally paralleled algal biomass increases except in the bicarbonate addition experiment. These findings provide evidence for the importance of carbon limitation in algal wastewater treatment floways. These results could help explain why carbon dioxide infusions stimulate algae in treatment systems. Furthermore, these results suggest that algae in nutrient enriched, sun-exposed streams (e.g., agricultural ditches or urbanized streams) may become carbon limited during peak periods of productivity. These findings could have important implications for ecosystems undergoing eutrophication as atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations continue to rise.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon limitation in hypereutrophic, periphytic algal wastewater treatment systems

Furnish

Keller

2020

PLoS ONE

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“…78,79 Acid and alkaline pretreatments were also studied and a methane production increase by 15 and 16% were respectively found. 64,70 However, by combining thermal and chemical pretreatments, methane production can be enhanced as found in a previous work. 75 Moreover, biological pretreatment can achieve high methane production increase.…”

Section: Pretreatment Of Microalgaementioning

confidence: 94%

Anaerobic digestion and agronomic applications of microalgae for its sustainable valorization

2021

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“…This result has practical implementation and filamentous algal biomass through low lipid content that can improve the AD energy balance (Bohutskyi et al . 2019). AD of restricted nitrogen substrates gave higher biogas (750 ± 15 ml N g −1 ), methane productivity (462 ± 9 ml N g VS −1 day −1 ) by significantly higher (84%) biomass‐methane conversion rates.…”

Section: Biogas Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anaerobic digestion of microalgal biomass for bioenergy production, removal of nutrients and microcystin: current status

et al. 2021

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Using renewable microalgal biomass as active feedstocks for biofuels and bioproducts is explored to substitute petroleum-based fuels and chemicals. In the last few years, the importance of microalgae biomass has been realized as a renewable feedstock due to several positive attributes associated with it. Biorefinery via anaerobic digestion (AD) of microalgal biomass is a promising and sustainable method to produce value-added chemicals, edible products and biofuels. Microalgal biomass pretreatment is a significant process to enhance methane production by AD. Findings on the AD microbial community's variety and organization can give novel in turn on digester steadiness and presentation. This review presents a vital study of the existing facts on the AD microbial community and AD production. Co-digestion of microalgal biomass with different co-substrates was used in AD to enhance biogas production, and the process was economically viable with improved biodegradability. Microcystins, which are produced by toxic cyanobacterial blooms, create a severe hazard to environmental health. Anaerobic biodegradation is an effective method to degrade the microcystins and convert into nontoxic products. However, for the cost-effective conversion of biomass to energy and other beneficial byproducts, additional highly developed research is still required for large-scale AD of microalgal biomass.

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Co-digestion of Wastewater-Grown Filamentous Algae With Sewage Sludge Improves Biomethane Production and Energy Balance Compared to Thermal, Chemical, or Thermochemical Pretreatments

Cited by 36 publications

References 70 publications

Carbon limitation in hypereutrophic, periphytic algal wastewater treatment systems

Carbon limitation in hypereutrophic, periphytic algal wastewater treatment systems

Anaerobic digestion and agronomic applications of microalgae for its sustainable valorization

Anaerobic digestion of microalgal biomass for bioenergy production, removal of nutrients and microcystin: current status

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