Hythane (H2 and CH4) production from unsaturated polyester resin wastewater contaminated by 1,4-dioxane and heavy metals via up-flow anaerobic self-separation gases reactor

• Published in: Energy conversion and management Vol. 152; pp. 342 - 353
• Main Authors: Mahmoud, Mohamed, Elreedy, Ahmed, Pascal, Peu, Sophie, Le Roux, Tawfik, Ahmed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 15.11.2017; Elsevier Science Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: 1,4-Dioxane; Anaerobic digestion; Contamination; Copper; Economic analysis; Environmental Sciences; Gases; Groundwater pollution; Heavy metals; Hydraulic retention time; Iron; Kinetic modelling; Microbial community; Microorganisms; Mixed culture; Organic loading; Polyester resins; Polyesters; Reactors; Resins; Retention time; Separation; Volumetric hythane production; Wastewater; Wastewater pollution; Economic analysis; Kinetic modelling; Heavy metals; Microbial community; 1,4-Dioxane; Volumetric hythane production; KINETIC MODELLING; MICROBIAL COMMUNITY; VOLUMETRIC HYTHANE PRODUCTION
• ISSN: 0196-8904; 1879-2227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2017.09.060

[Display omitted] •Bio-hythane production from polyester wastewater via UASG reactor was assessed.•Impacts of influent contamination by 1,4-dioxane and heavy metals were discussed.•Maximum volumetric H2 and CH4 productions of 0.12 and 1.06L/L/d were achieved.•Significant drop in CH4 production was resulted at OLR up to 1.07±0.06gCOD/L/d.•Bioenergy recovery through UASG economically achieved a net profit of 10,231$/y. A long-term evaluation of hythane generation from unsaturated polyester resin wastewater contaminated by 1,4-dioxane and heavy metals was investigated in a continuous up-flow anaerobic self- separation gases (UASG) reactor inoculated with mixed culture. The reactor was operated at constant hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 96h and different organic loading rates (OLRs) of 0.31±0.04, 0.71±0.08 and 1.07±0.06gCOD/L/d. Available data showed that volumetric hythane production rate was substantially increased from 0.093±0.021 to 0.245±0.016L/L/d at increasing OLR from 0.31±0.04 to 0.71±0.08gCOD/L/d. However, at OLR exceeding 1.07±0.06gCOD/L/d, it was dropped to 0.114±0.016L/L/d. The reactor achieved 1,4-dioxane removal efficiencies of 51.8±2.8, 35.9±1.6 and 26.3±1.6% at initial 1,4-dioxane concentrations of 1.14±0.28, 1.97±0.41 and 4.21±0.30mg/L, respectively. Moreover, the effect and potential removal of the contaminated by heavy metals (i.e., Cu2+, Mn2+, Cr3+, Fe3+ and Ni2+) were highlighted. Kinetic modelling and microbial community dynamics were studied, according to each OLR, to carefully describe the UASG performance. The economic analysis showed a stable operation for the anaerobic digestion of unsaturated polyester resin wastewater using UASG, and the maximum net profit was achieved at OLR of 0.71±0.08gCOD/L/d.