Review on pretreatment techniques to improve anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) Vol. 285; p. 119105
• Main Authors: Khanh Nguyen, V., Kumar Chaudhary, Dhiraj, Hari Dahal, Ram, Hoang Trinh, N., Kim, Jaisoo, Chang, S. Woong, Hong, Yongseok, Duc La, Duong, Nguyen, X. Cuong, Hao Ngo, H., Chung, W. Jin, Nguyen, D. Duc
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2021
• Subjects: Anaerobic digestion; Biogas production; Pretreatment techniques; Sewage sludge; Pretreatment techniques; Biogas production; Sewage sludge; Anaerobic digestion
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2020.119105

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•Recent pretreatment techniques for improving anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge were reviewed.•Sludge pretreatment ameliorates anaerobic digestion and increases the biogas yield.•Pretreatment technique efficiency depends on sewage sludge composition.•Microbes play a crucial role in sewage sludge stabilization.•Very few pretreatment techniques are suitable for full-scale implementation.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) of sewage sludge is one of the most efficient, effective, and environmentally sustainable remediation techniques; however, the presence of complex floc structures, hard cell walls, and large amounts of molecular organic matter in the sludge hinder AD hydrolysis. Consequently, sewage sludge pretreatment is a prerequisite to accelerate hydrolysis and improve AD efficiency. This review focuses on pretreatment techniques for improving sewage sludge AD, which include mechanical, chemical, thermal, and biological processes. The various pretreatment process effects are discussed in terms of advantages and disadvantages, including their effectiveness, and recent achievements are reviewed for improved biogas production.