The Effect of Thermal Hydrolysis Pretreatment on the Anaerobic Degradation of Nonylphenol and Short-Chain Nonylphenol Ethoxylates in Digested Biosolids

Authors

Patrick J. McNamara, Marquette UniversityFollow
C. A. Wilson, Greeley and Hanson, Richmond VA
M. T. Wogen, University of Minnesota
S. N. Murthy, District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
J. T. Novak, Virginia Tech
Paige J. Novak, University of Minnesota

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Format of Original

10 p.

Publication Date

2012

Publisher

Elsevier

Source Publication

Water Research

Source ISSN

0043-1354

Original Item ID

doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2012.03.015

Abstract

The presence of micropollutants can be a concern for land application of biosolids. Of particular interest are nonylphenol diethoxylate (NP₂EO), nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP₁EO), and nonylphenol (NP), collectively referred to as NPE, which accumulate in anaerobically digested biosolids and are subject to regulation based on the environmental risks associated with them. Because biosolids are a valuable nutrient resource, it is essential that we understand how various treatment processes impact the fate of NPE in biosolids. Thermal hydrolysis (TH) coupled with mesophilic anaerobic digestion (MAD) is an advanced digestion process that destroys pathogens in biosolids and increases methane yields and volatile solids destruction. We investigated the impact of thermal hydrolysis pretreatment on the subsequent biodegradation of NPE in digested biosolids. Biosolids were treated with TH, anaerobic digestion, and aerobic digestion in laboratory-scale reactors, and NPE were analyzed in the influent and effluent of the digesters. NP₂EO and NP₁EO have been observed to degrade to the more estrogenic NP under anaerobic conditions; therefore, changes in the ratio of NP:NPE were of interest. The increase in NP:NPE following MAD was 56%; the average increase of this ratio in four sets of TH-MAD samples, however, was only 24.6 ± 3.1%. In addition, TH experiments performed in pure water verified that, during TH, the high temperature and pressure alone did not directly destroy NPE; TH experiments with NP added to sludge also showed that NP was not destroyed by the high temperature and pressure of TH when in a more complex sludge matrix. The post-aerobic digestion phases removed NPE, regardless of whether TH pretreatment occurred. This research indicates that changes in biosolids processing can have impacts beyond just gas production and solids destruction.

Comments

Accepted version. Water Research, Vol. 46, No. 9 (June 2012): 2937-2946. DOI. © 2012 Elsevier. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

McNamara, Patrick J.; Wilson, C. A.; Wogen, M. T.; Murthy, S. N.; Novak, J. T.; and Novak, Paige J., "The Effect of Thermal Hydrolysis Pretreatment on the Anaerobic Degradation of Nonylphenol and Short-Chain Nonylphenol Ethoxylates in Digested Biosolids" (2012). Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications. 5.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/civengin_fac/5