title: Recovery of volatile fatty acids from fermentation of sewage sludge in municipal wastewater treatment plants.
abstract: This work investigated the pilot scale production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from sewage sludge through alkaline fermentation and the subsequent membrane filtration. Furthermore, the impact of the fermentation liquid on nutrient bioremoval was examined. The addition of wollastonite in the fermenter to buffer the pH affected the composition of the carbon source produced during fermentation, resulting in higher COD/NH4-N and COD/PO4-P ratios in the liquid phase and higher content of propionic acid. The addition of wollastonite decreased the capillary suction time (CST) and the time to filter (TTF), resulting in favorable dewatering characteristics. The sludge dewatering characteristics and the separation process were adversely affected from the use of caustic soda. When wollastonite was added, the permeate flux increased by 32%, compared to the use of caustic soda. When fermentation liquid was added as carbon source for nutrient removal, higher removal rates were obtained compared to the use of acetic acid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy. Electronic address: stefano.longo@univr.it.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy. Electronic address: ekatsou@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katsou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy. Electronic address: malamis.simos@gmail.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malamis
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Dorsoduro 2137, 30121 Venice, Italy. Electronic address: nicolafrison85@gmail.com.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Frison
authors.affiliation: Alto Trevigiano Servizi srl, Via Schiavonesca Priula 86, 31044 Montebelluna, Italy. Electronic address: drenzi@altotrevigianoservizi.it.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Renzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy. Electronic address: francesco.fatone@univr.it.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fatone
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000641:Ammonia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019149:Bioreactors; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005285:Fermentation; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011422:Propionates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D017640:Silicates / Q000737:chemistry*; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D019342:Acetic Acid; D000641:Ammonia; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D002244:Carbon; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D010758:Phosphorus; D011422:Propionates; D012722:Sewage; D017640:Silicates; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; D062065:Wastewater; C029658:propionic acid; C031293:calcium silicate
keywords: Membrane filtration; Nutrient removal; Short chain fatty acids; Sludge alkaline fermentation; Wollastonite