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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Measuring Biomethane Potential of Food Scrap Waste Anaerobically Co-Digested with Waste-Activated Sludge Using Respirometry
Published on: April 26, 2024
Low-energy treatment of decentralized kitchen wastewater: removal efficiency, stability, and microbial
Kai Li1,2, Wenhao Sun1,2, Zhijun Ren1,2
1Faculty of Ecology Environmental Engineering, Guizhou Minzu University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China.
Abstract:
An integrated two-stage biofilm reactor (ITBR) with a capacity of 16.4 m3/d and a footprint of 28.5 m2 was designed and field-tested for decentralized treatment of rural kitchen wastewater in mountainous Guizhou, China. Employing sludge immobilization, gravity flow, and two-stage low-oxygen aeration, the ITBR achieved average removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and suspended solids (SS) of 92.9 ± 1.6%, 83.6 ± 2.2%, 86.0 ± 1.9%, 84.7 ± 5.9%, and 93.0 ± 4.1%, respectively, with robust stability under fluctuating influent load, temperature, and HRT. Optimized aeration at 341 m3/d in Stage I and 225 m3/d in Stage II yielded volumetric removal loads of 1.30 kg COD/(m3·d) and 0.03 kg NH4+-N/(m3·d) at an energy consumption of only 0.234 kWh/m3. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-throughput sequencing revealed abundant extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and filamentous bacteria in both stages; Thiothrix and Candidatus Microthrix dominated Stage I and Stage II, respectively, The EPS matrix and filamentous bacteria played a critical role in microbial immobilization and overall system stability. These findings provided essential biological insights for the optimization and control of the system.
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