Publications by authors named "Agnieszka Montusiewicz"

The present work aimed to evaluate whether the use of an innovative method such as hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) is suitable for the simultaneous removal of surfactants of different chemical natures (non-ionic, anionic and cationic) from actual car wash wastewater at different numbers of passes through the cavitation zone and different inlet pressures. An additional novelty was the use of multi-criteria decision support, which enabled the selection of optimal HC conditions that maximized the removal of each group of surfactants and chemical oxygen demand (COD) with minimal energy input. For the optimal HC variants, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR/ATR) as well as investigations of surface tension, zeta potential, specific conductivity, system viscosity and particle size were carried out.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of selected industrial food wastes on the fate of micro- and macro-elements within an anaerobic digestion process (AD), as well as define the relationship between their content and AD efficiency. Orange peels, (OP), orange pulp (PL) and brewery spent grain (BSG) were used as co-substrates, while municipal sewage sludge (SS) was applied as the main component. The introduction of co-substrates resulted in improvements in feedstock composition in terms of macro-elements, with a simultaneous decrease in the content of HMs (heavy metals).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The effect of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and the manner it affects the biodegradability of herbal waste suspended on municipal wastewater subjected to mechanical pre-treatment was examined in this paper. The HC was performed at an optimal inlet pressure equal to 3.5 bar and with the cavitation number of 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In the present study, a combined technology for energetic brewery spent grain (BSG) use in co-digestion with sewage sludge (SS) was presented. A holistic approach that includes the impact of co-substrates and their carriers on the anaerobic digestion (AD) process, and the energetic aspects, was involved. Prior to AD, BSG was pretreated involving the hydrodynamic cavitation (HC); two different carriers were applied: MPW (municipal pre-settled wastewater) and mature landfill leachate (MLL).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The present study examines the effect of introducing dried brewery spent grain (BSG), known as the main solid by-product of the brewery industry on biogas yields and kinetics in co-digestion with sewage sludge (SS). The experiment was conducted in semi-continuous anaerobic reactors (supplied once a day) operating under mesophilic conditions (35°C) at different hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 18 and 20 d. In co-digestion runs, the BSG mass to the feed volume ratio was constant and maintained 1:10.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study examined the influence of bioaugmentation on metal concentrations (aluminum, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and zinc) in anaerobically digested sewage sludge. To improve the digestion efficiency, bioaugmentation with a mixture of wild-living Archaea and Bacteria (MAB) from Yellowstone National Park, USA, was used. The total concentration of all metals was higher in the digestate than in the feedstock.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bioaugmentation with a mixture of microorganisms (Bacteria and Archaea) was applied to improve the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. The study was performed in reactors operating at a temperature of 35 °C in semi-flow mode. Three runs with different doses of bioaugmenting mixture were conducted.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The main goal of this study was to investigate the co-digestion of sewage sludge and mature landfill leachate pretreated through hydrodynamic cavitation. The process efficiency was analyzed from the aspects of organics removal, biogas production, kinetics and digestate quality. Energy efficiency of the overall treatment was evaluated as well.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF