Resource recovery from wastewater treatment: Effects of water reuse and slow-release fertilizers on faba bean within Palermo University (Italy) case study.

The wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) must be transformed into Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs) in view of a more sustainable approach focusing on the circular economy concept. Different to WWTPs, the WRRFs have as a major goal not only the wastewater treatment to meet the legislation limits but also the recovery of resources such as: treated water for water reuse, carbon, nutrients, biopolymers etc. In view of boosting the WRRFs application in the real WWTs, a WRRF at Palermo University (UNIPA) has been built within the EU project: Achieving Wider-Uptake of Water Smart Solutions.

Assessing the aerobic/anoxic enrichment efficiency at different C/N ratios: polyhydroxyalkanoate production from waste activated sludge.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) can be produced using fermentation products of an excess sewage sludge fermentation process. An efficient method to enrich a PHA-producing community is an aerobic-feast/anoxic-famine enrichment strategy. The effect of different carbon to nitrogen (C/N) feed ratios of 1, 2 and 3.

The effects of headspace volume reactor on the microbial community structure during fermentation processes for volatile fatty acid production.

The transition from traditional wastewater treatment plants to biorefineries represents an environmentally and economically sustainable approach to extracting valuable compounds from waste. Sewage sludge produced from wastewater treatment is incinerated or disposed of in specific landfills. Repurposing this waste material to recover valuable resources could help lower disposal costs and reduce environmental impact by producing other beneficial polymers.

The effect of aeration mode (intermittent vs. continuous) on nutrient removal and greenhouse gas emissions in the wastewater treatment plant of Corleone (Italy).

The paper reports the results of an experimental study aimed at comparing two configurations of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP): conventional activated sludge (CAS) and oxic-settling-anaerobic process (OSA) with intermittent aeration (IA). A comprehensive monitoring campaign was carried out to assess multiple parameters for comparing the two configurations: carbon and nutrient removal, greenhouse gas emissions, respirometric analysis, and sludge production. A holistic approach has been adopted in the study with the novelty of including the carbon footprint (CF) contribution (as direct, indirect and derivative emissions) in comparing the two configurations.

Enhancing volatile fatty acid production from sewage sludge in batch fermentation tests.

Volatile fatty acids (VFA) from sewage sludge represent an excellent recovered resource from wastewater treatment. This study investigated four sludge pre-treatments (namely, potassium permanganate - KMnO, initial pH = 10, initial pH = 2.5 and low-temperature thermal hydrolysis) by operating batch reactors under acidogenic fermentation conditions.

Enhancing the production of volatile fatty acids by potassium permanganate from wasted sewage sludge: A batch test experiment.

Recovering resources from wastewater treatment is vital for the transition from a linear to a circular economy model in the water sector. Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs) are valuable products among the possible recovered resources. This study investigates the influence of potassium permanganate (KMnO) addition during acidogenic fermentation of waste activated sludge for enhancing VFAs production.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate production from fermentation of domestic sewage sludge monitoring greenhouse gas emissions: A pilot plant case study at the WRRF of Palermo University (Italy).

This paper presents a comprehensive study on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from sewage sludge. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were monitored for the first time to assess the impact of climate change and environmental sustainability. The pilot plant was composed of a fermenter with a membrane and two biological reactors (namely, selection and accumulation).

Reduction of sewage sludge and NO emissions by an Oxic Settling Anaerobic (OSA) process: The case study of Corleone (Italy) wastewater treatment plant.

Biosolid management is becoming one of the most crucial issues for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operators. The application of the Oxic Settling Anaerobic (OSA) process allows the minimisation of excess sludge production. This study compares conventional activated sludge (CAS) and OSA layouts in a full-scale WWTP (namely, Corleone - Italy).

Effect of organic loading rate on the production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates from sewage sludge.

The aim of this work was to study the effect of organic loading rate on the production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from sewage sludge. Synthesis of PHA using sewage sludge as platform was achieved in this work. Three pilot-scale selection-sequencing batch reactors (S-SBR) were used for obtaining a culture able to accumulate PHA following a strategy of aerobic dynamic feeding (ADF) at different volumetric organic-loading-rate (vOLR): 1.

Sewage sludge acidogenic fermentation for organic resource recovery towards carbon neutrality: An experimental survey testing the headspace influence.

Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) produced by acidogenic digestion of sewage sludge are very interesting bio-products which can contribute to carbon neutrality of wastewater treatment plants. Studies on the production of VFAs from sewage sludge from fermenters with membrane are limited. In view of above, VFAs from a fermenter pilot plant equipped with a membrane bioreactor and fed with real sewage sludge has been monitored.

Initial pH Conditions Shape the Microbial Community Structure of Sewage Sludge in Batch Fermentations for the Improvement of Volatile Fatty Acid Production.

Conversion of wastewater treatment plants into biorefineries is a sustainable alternative for obtaining valuable compounds, thus reducing pollutants and costs and protecting the environment and human health. Under specific operating conditions, microbial fermentative products of sewage sludge are volatile fatty acids (VFA) that can be precursors of polyhydroxyalkanoate thermoplastic polyesters. The role of various operating parameters in VFA production has yet to be elucidated.