Proteins in hydrothermal carbonization liquor of sewage sludge interfere with vivianite crystallization for phosphorus recovery

Journal article (2024)

Authors

Yue Zhang Beijing Forestry University
Xiaofan Yang Beijing Forestry University
Xinran Zhang Beijing Forestry University
Dezhi Sun Beijing Forestry University
Xinyi Liu Beijing Forestry University
Rui Lan Beijing Forestry University
Min Zheng University of New South Wales
Mark C.M. van Loosdrecht BT/Environmental Biotechnology - AS
Xiang Cheng Beijing Forestry University
Research Group
BT/Environmental Biotechnology (AS) (TU Delft)
Protein Phosphorus Vivianite Crystal growth Sludge carbonization
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Published Date

2024

Language

English

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Faculty

Applied Sciences

Department

BT/Biotechnologie

Research Group

BT/Environmental Biotechnology

Abstract

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) liquor of waste activated sludge generated during urban sewage biotreatment contains high concentrations of phosphate and thus is an appropriate resource for phosphorus recovery. The influence of proteins in the HTC liquor on vivianite crystallization, as a promising phosphorus recovery method, was investigated in this study from the perspectives of removal efficiencies and product properties. The proteins in the HTC liquor were observed to remain in unhydrolyzed forms with free amino acids having a negligible concentration. For vivianite crystallization in the synthetic HTC liquor with bovine serum albumin (BSA) mimicking the unhydrolyzed proteins, the efficiencies of phosphorus removal and crystallization at pH 6 decreased by 13.5 % and 18.4 %, respectively, compared with the BSA-free controls. The strong interaction between Fe and the proteins was suggested to be responsible for the reduced efficiency of vivianite formation and the variation of crystal growth mode from spirally expanding to x/z-axis extending.