Enhancing the Biological Oxidation of H 2 S in a Sewer Pipe with Highly Conductive Concrete and Electricity-Producing Bacteria

Huy Thanh Vo, Tsuyoshi Imai (), Masato Fukushima, Kanathip Promnuan, Tasuma Suzuki, Hiraku Sakuma, Takashi Hitomi and Yung-Tse Hung
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Huy Thanh Vo: Faculty of Urban Engineering, Mientrung University of Civil Engineering, Tuy Hoa 620000, Vietnam
Tsuyoshi Imai: Graduate School of Science and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 7558611, Japan
Masato Fukushima: Graduate School of Science and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 7558611, Japan
Kanathip Promnuan: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Tasuma Suzuki: Graduate School of Science and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 7558611, Japan
Hiraku Sakuma: Nagasaki Humepipe Industry Co., Ltd., Ibaraki 3000051, Japan
Takashi Hitomi: Nagasaki Humepipe Industry Co., Ltd., Ibaraki 3000051, Japan
Yung-Tse Hung: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) generated in sewer systems is problematic to public health and the environment, owing to its corrosive consequences, odor concerns, and poison control issues. In a previous work, conductive concrete, based on amorphous carbon with a mechanism that operates as a microbial fuel cell was investigated. The objective of the present study is to develop additional materials for highly conductive concrete, to mitigate the concentration of H 2 S in sewer pipes. Adsorption experiments were conducted to elucidate the role of the H 2 S reduction. Additionally, electricity-producing bacteria (EPB), isolated from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, were inoculated to improve the H 2 S reduction. The experimental results showed that inoculation with EPB could decrease the concentration of H 2 S, indicating that H 2 S was biologically oxidized by EPB. Several types of new materials containing acetylene black, or magnetite were discovered for use as conductive concrete, and their abilities to enhance the biological oxidation of H 2 S were evaluated. These conductive concretes were more effective than the commercial conductive concrete, based on amorphous carbon, in decreasing the H 2 S concentration in sewer pipes.

Keywords: hydrogen sulfide; sewer pipe; conductive concrete; Denka Black; electricity-producing bacteria; San-earth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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