Supplemental Sewage Scum and Organic Municipal Solid Waste Addition to the Anaerobic Digestion of Thickened Waste Activated Sludge: Biomethane Potential and Microbiome Analysis

Sewage scum (SS) is collected from sedimentation tanks in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Despite its huge biogas potential, there is limited information on its potential as a co-substrate and microbial ecology, especially during anaerobic co-digestion (ACo-D) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS). In this biomethane potential (BMP) study, the bioenergy yield achieved by the supplemental addition of SS and OFMSW to TWAS was investigated, along with the microbial ecology. Compared with the digestion of TWAS alone, which produced 184.6 mLCH4 gVS(-1), biomethane yield was enhanced by as much as 32.4-121.6% in trinary mixtures with SS and OFMSW, mainly due to the positive synergistic effect. Furthermore, a mixture of 40%SS + 10%TWAS + 50%OFMSW produced the highest biogas yield of 407 mLCH(4) gVS(-1), which is proof that existing WWTPs can produce additional energy by incorporating external bioresources, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Modified Gompertz and logistic function estimates showed that methane production rate improved by as much as 60% in a trinary mixture compared with the digestion of TWAS alone. The genus Methanosaeta, capable of generating methane by the acetoclastic methanogenic pathway among all the archaeal communities, was the most prominent, followed by hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanospirillum.

Automated summary

This study investigates the potential of sewage scum (SS) as a co-substrate and its effect on microbial ecology during anaerobic co-digestion (ACo-D) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS). The addition of SS and OFMSW to TWAS significantly enhanced biomethane yield, with a mixture of 40% SS + 10% TWAS + 50%OFMSW showing the highest biogas yield. The research highlights the potential for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to produce additional energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by incorporating external bioresources.