Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Author Spotlight: Optimizing Hollow-Fiber Membranes for Continuous Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids
Published on: August 9, 2024
Sulfamethazine (SMZ) affects fermentative short-chain fatty acids production from waste activated sludge
Jiawei Hu1, Qiuxiang Xu1, Xiaoming Li1
1College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China.
Abstract:
In this study, the impact of sulfamethazine (SMZ), a typical Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) existed in waste activated sludge (WAS), on the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) during sludge anaerobic fermentation was investigated for the first time. Experimental results showed that the production of SCFA was positively affected by SMZ, which increased from 571 mg COD/L in the blank to 989 mg COD/L in the 24 mg/kg VSS SMZ reactor, causing 1.73-fold of increase. Mechanism exploration revealed that SMZ enhanced the disruption of both extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and cell envelop, thereby benefiting the solubilization of sludge. It was also found that SMZ benefited the acidogenesis and acetogenesis processes but inhibited methonogenesis process, which was another reason for the enhanced SCFA production. Microbial analysis revealed that the abundance of anaerobic functional microorganisms in the SMZ reactor was more advantageous to acetic acid production.
More Related Videos
06:11Author Spotlight: Advancing Anaerobic Microbiota Research Using a Novel Respirometry Protocol
Published on: April 26, 2024
15:19Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor
Published on: October 15, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Fermentation
Fermentation is a type of metabolic process that occurs in the absence of oxygen, where organic molecules such as glucose are broken down to produce energy. During this process, the...
Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...
Electron Transport Chains
The ETC is comprised of...
Products of the Citric Acid Cycle
Microbial Fermentation
Short-distance Transport of Resources