Conflicting carbon footprint and energy saving in a side-stream Anammox Process

In this study, a pilot-scale Anammox reactor has been incorporated into an optimized full-scale wastewater treatment plant. The supernatant of the reject sludge waters has been treated by the full scale wastewater treatment plant with and without incorporating a full-scale Anammox reactor in the sludge line. Energy consumption and nitrous oxide emissions have been monitored in both scenarios.In terms of total impact, a side-stream Anammox process can effectively mitigate the nitrogen rich sludge reject water. The impact on the carbon footprint of the full-scale wastewater treatment plant is instead, to its best, neutral. The risks related to the incorporation of an Anammox process have been highlighted: if operations are not bound to good practices, they may lead to a severe increase in carbon footprint. The use of side-stream technologies, that can further reduce both electricity consumption and the total impact but not the carbon footprint, remains attractive only when good practices for nitrous oxide mitigation are enforced.

Source: Biochemical Engineering Journal - August 9, 2019 Category: Biochemistry Source Type: research