Short-chain fatty acids recovery from sewage sludge via acidogenic fermentation as a carbon source for denitrification: A review

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 311; p. 123446
• Main Authors: Liu, Wen, Yang, Huan, Ye, Jiongjiong, Luo, Jinghuan, Li, Yu-You, Liu, Jianyong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2020
• Subjects: Acidogenic fermentation; activated sludge; ammonium nitrogen; bioenergy; carbon; Carbon source; Denitrification; fermentation; phosphates; Sewage sludge; Short-chain fatty acids; wastewater treatment; Denitrification; Short-chain fatty acids; Carbon source; Acidogenic fermentation; Sewage sludge
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123446

•Differences of SCFAs production efficiency and N, P contents between PS and WAS are compared.•N and P removal and SCFAs extraction to improve carbon source availability are summarized.•Different strategies for carbon source recovery should be taken in different WWTPs.•Carbon source recovery should be optimized with nutrients removal/recovery simultaneously. Wastewater treatment plants face the problem of a shortage of carbon source for denitrification. Acidogenic fermentation is an effective method for recovering short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as a carbon source from sewage sludge. Herein, the most recent advances in SCFAs production from primary sludge and waste activated sludge are systematically summarised and discussed. New technologies and problems pertaining to the improvement in SCFAs availability in fermentation liquids, including removal of ammoniacal nitrogen and phosphate and extraction of SCFAs from fermentation liquids, are analysed and evaluated. Furthermore, studies on the use of recovered SCFAs as a carbon source for denitrification are reviewed. Based on the above summarisation and discussion, some conclusions as well as perspectives on future studies and practical applications are presented. In particular, the recovery of carbon source/bioenergy from sewage sludge must be optimised considering nutrient removal/recovery simultaneously.