Review on research achievements of blackwater anaerobic digestion for enhanced resource recovery

Effect of Emerging Micropollutants on the Anaerobic Digestion of Sewage Sludge

“…Pharmaceuticals, as parent compounds or their metabolites, are largely excreted via urine. In municipal wastewater, the pharmaceuticals with levels over 100 µg/L include antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim, tetracycline), anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen), β-blockers (metoprolol), neuroleptics (carbamazepine), antidiabetics (metformin, hydrochlorothiazide), analgesics (paracetamol), and biocides (triclosan) [50]. The concentrations of pharmaceuticals in municipal sewage sludge are lower; they barely reach 100 µg/L.…”

“…However, these concentrations vary depending on the region, sampling period, and active substance. Once released into the environment, pharmaceuticals accumulate in soils and leach into groundwater, thus negatively affecting the environment and human health [50,54].…”

“…Although a strong bactericidal effect of some pharmaceuticals on the microbial structure of the anaerobic digestion environment and biogas production has been observed, this effect was observed mainly in concentrations that are higher than the concentrations typically found in sewage sludge. Therefore, in some cases, under normal operating conditions, the negligible inhibition of anaerobic digestion was considered [50]. Although the recovery of CH 4 is most valuable in sludge management in terms of so-called clean production, it is recommended VFAs be recovered from sludges with a high dosage of pharmaceuticals to limit their inhibitory effect on CH 4 production [60].…”