Mitigation of diffuse CH4 and H2S emissions from the liquid phase of UASB-based sewage treatment plants: challenges, techniques, and perspectives

Abstract

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors are considered to be a sustainable and well-established technology for sewage treatment in warm climate countries. However, gases dissolved in the effluent of these reactors, CH₄ and H₂S in some instances, are a major drawback. These dissolved gases can be emitted into the atmosphere downstream of the anaerobic reactors, resulting in odour nuisance and, in the case of H₂S, corrosion, while in the case of CH₄, increasing greenhouse gas emissions with a significant loss of potentially recoverable energy. In this sense, this study aims to provide a critical review of the recent efforts to control CH₄ and H₂S dissolved in UASB reactor effluents, with a focus on the different available techniques. Different desorption techniques have been tested for the removal/recovery of dissolved CH₄ and H₂S: diffused aeration, simplified desorption chamber, packed desorption chamber, closed downflow hanging sponge reactor, membrane contactor, and vacuum desorption chamber. Other recent publications addressing the oxidation of these compounds in biological posttreatments with simultaneous nitrification/denitrification of ammonia were also discussed. Additionally, the rationale of CH₄ recovery was determined by energy balance and carbon footprint approaches, and the H₂S removal was examined by modelling its emission and atmospheric dispersion.

Keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Desorption; Dissolved gas; Greenhouse gas; Odour.