Anaerobic-aerobic treatment of toxic pulping black liquor with upfront effluent recirculation

Abstract Alkaline pulping liquors are problematic for anaerobic treatment due to their toxicity to methanogens and their relatively large fraction of inert lignin. In previous research, toxicity due to wood extractives was shown to be highly eliminated during aerobic wastewater treatment, but not during anaerobic treatment. These observations have led to the proposal of a detoxification strategy denominated upfront dilution, based on the sequenced anaerobic-aerobic treatment of the pulping liquor, recirculating the aerobic effluent to dilute the incoming influent to sub-toxic concentrations. In this study, the treatment of highly toxic hemp stem wood black liquor (HSWBL) in lab-scale UASB reactors with upfront dilution was compared with direct anaerobic treatment and with direct aerobic treatment. Direct anaerobic treatment of 12 g COD/ l HSWBL led to almost complete inhibition of the methanogenic activity within 14 d. However, recirculation of 75% of the aerobic post-treatment effluent for upfront dilution of the toxic HSWBL, enabled anaerobic treatment at loading rates up to 21.5 g COD/ l UASB ·d without significant inhibition of the methanogenic activity. Extensive detoxification was confirmed during anaerobic-aerobic treatment of 20 g COD/ l HSWBL recirculating 86% of the aerobic effluent. COD and BOD removal was 72% and 97%, respectively, after anaerobic-aerobic treatment at an overall loading rate of 3.6 g COD/ l ·d, while 30–35% of the incoming COD was recovered as methane. Batch-assays demonstrated significant detoxification after anaerobic-aerobic treatment of HSWBL. Treatment efficiencies and detoxification during anaerobic-aerobic and aerobic treatment were similar. However, the anaerobic-aerobic treatment system provided 50% lower surplus sludge production, production of 0.16 m 3 methane/kg COD removed as an energy source, less nutrient dosage and substantial reductions in aeration costs. During anaerobic-aerobic treatment as well as aerobic treatment significant lignin removal was obtained, ranging from 28–58%. Lignin removal could be attributed to biodegradation of low molecular weight lignin (MW 34 kD.

[1]  P. Trudgill.  Microbial metabolism and transformation of selected monoterpenes , 1994 .

[2]  Colin Ratledge,et al.  Biochemistry of microbial degradation , 2012, Springer Netherlands.

[3]  G. Lettinga,et al.  Methanogenesis in granular sludge exposed to oxygen. , 1993 .

[4]  L. Young,et al.  Anaerobic Degradation of Soluble Fractions of [14C-Lignin]Lignocellulose , 1985, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[5]  James A. Servizi,et al.  Detoxification of TMP and CTMP effluents alternating in a pilot scale aerated lagoon , 1986 .

[6]  G. Lettinga,et al.  Continuous anaerobic treatment of autoxidized bark extracts in laboratory‐scale columns , 1991, Biotechnology and bioengineering.

[7]  D. Fengel,et al.  Wood: Chemistry, Ultrastructure, Reactions , 1983 .

[8]  D. Grbìc-Galìc.  Anaerobic degradation of coniferyl alcohol by methanogenic consortia , 1983, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[9]  R. Hodson,et al.  Anaerobic Biodegradation of the Lignin and Polysaccharide Components of Lignocellulose and Synthetic Lignin by Sediment Microflora , 1984, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[10]  A. Klapwijk,et al.  Use of the upflow sludge blanket (USB) reactor concept for biological wastewater treatment, especially for anaerobic treatment , 1980 .

[11]  S. Floyd,et al.  Degradation of natural and Kraft lignins by the microflora of soil and water. , 1977, Canadian journal of microbiology.

[12]  T. Vicent,et al.  Contribution of Extractives to Methanogenic Toxicity of Hemp Black Liquor , 1995 .

[13]  K. Ohmiya,et al.  Degradation of Dehydrodivanillin by Anaerobic Bacteria from Cow Rumen Fluid , 1985, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[14]  Daniel Zitomer,et al.  Sequential environments for enhanced biotransformation of aqueous contaminants , 1993 .

[15]  J. M. Macleod,et al.  Using ultrafiltration to analyze the molar mass distribution of kraft lignin at ph 13 , 1996 .

[16]  S. Shimizu,et al.  Anaerobic degradation of veratrylglycerol-beta-guaiacyl ether and guaiacoxyacetic acid by mixed rumen bacteria , 1985, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[17]  A. Zehnder.  Biology of anaerobic microorganisms , 1988 .

[18]  J. M. Leach.  Toxic constituents of mechanical pulping effluents. , 1976 .

[19]  W. Mohn.  Bacteria obtained from a sequencing batch reactor that are capable of growth on dehydroabietic acid , 1995, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[20]  G. Lettinga,et al.  The tannin theory of methanogenic toxicity. , 1989 .

[21]  G. Lettinga,et al.  The anaerobic biodegradability of paper mill wastewater constituents , 1990 .

[22]  Jukka Rintala,et al.  Anaerobic-aerobic treatment of thermomechanical pulping effluents , 1988 .

[23]  Gatze Lettinga,et al.  The continuous anaerobic treatment of pulping wastewaters , 1990 .

[24]  T. Welander.  An Anaerobic Process for Treatment of CTMP Effluent , 1988 .

[25]  A. Wellstein,et al.  Molecular basis for the biodegradative recalcitrance of lignin in anaerobic environments , 1982 .

[26]  Gatze Lettinga,et al.  Sequenced Anaerobic-Aerobic Treatment of Hemp Black Liquors , 1994 .

[27]  Gatze Lettinga,et al.  Future Perspectives for the Anaerobic Treatment of Forest Industry Wastewaters , 1991 .

[28]  T. Kirk,et al.  Influence of Molecular Size and Ligninase Pretreatment on Degradation of Lignins by Xanthomonas sp. Strain 99 , 1987, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[29]  J. Rintala,et al.  Anaerobic treatment of thermomechanical pulping whitewater at 35–70°C , 1992 .

[30]  J. Healy,et al.  Anaerobic Biodegradation of Eleven Aromatic Compounds to Methane , 1979, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[31]  A. Wilkins,et al.  Removal and Transformation of Resin Acids during Secondary Treatment at a New Zealand Bleached Kraft Pulp and Paper Mill , 1994 .

[32]  L. Young,et al.  Biodegradation of lignin-derived molecules under anaerobic conditions , 1982 .

[33]  A. E. Greenberg,et al.  Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater : supplement to the sixteenth edition , 1988 .

[34]  E. Moore,et al.  Isolation and characterization of isopimaric acid-degrading bacteria from a sequencing batch reactor , 1996, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[35]  H. Drake,et al.  Growth of thermophilic acetogenic bacteria on methoxylated aromatic acids , 1988 .

[36]  Gatze Lettinga,et al.  The anaerobic biodegradability and methanogenic toxicity of pulping wastewaters. , 1991 .

[37]  R. Stanier,et al.  The Bacteria: A treatise on structure and function. Vol. Ill: Biosynthesis. Vol. IY: The physiology of growth. , 1960 .

[38]  Mogens Henze,et al.  Anaerobic Treatment of Wastewater in Fixed Film Reactors – A Literature Review , 1983 .

[39]  S. Pavlostathis,et al.  Aerobic biodegradation of selected monoterpenes , 1996, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

[40]  M. Elsohly,et al.  Constituents of Cannabis sativa L. XVII. A review of the natural constituents. , 1980, Journal of natural products.

[41]  G. Lettinga,et al.  High tolerance of methanogens in granular sludge to oxygen , 1993, Biotechnology and bioengineering.

[42]  M. Salkinoja-Salonen,et al.  Aqueous size exclusion chomatography of industrial lignins , 1985 .

[43]  G. Lettinga,et al.  The methanogenic toxicity of wood resin constituents , 1990 .

[44]  R. Droste,et al.  Role of resin acids in the anaerobic toxicity of chemithermomechanical pulp wastewater , 1990 .

[45]  S. Shimizu,et al.  Anaerobic degradation of dehydrodiisoeugenol by rumen bacteria , 1987 .

[46]  S. Duff,et al.  Coagulation and precipitation of a mechanical pulping effluent-II. Toxicity removal and metal salt recovery , 1996 .

[47]  Jaakko A. Puhakka,et al.  Anaerobic treatment in pulp- and paper-mill waste management: A review , 1994 .

[48]  Kyosti V. Sarkanen,et al.  Lignins : occurrence, formation, structure and reactions , 1971 .

[49]  S R Guiot,et al.  Long‐term impact of dissolved O2 on the activity of anaerobic granules , 2000, Biotechnology and bioengineering.

[50]  J. Saddler,et al.  Growth, induction, and substrate specificity of dehydroabietic acid-degrading bacteria isolated from a kraft mill effluent enrichment , 1995, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[51]  S. Pavlostathis,et al.  Kinetics of anaerobic treatment: A critical review , 1991 .