Increased (Antibiotic-Resistant) Pathogen Indicator Organism Removal during (Hyper-)Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Concentrated Black Water for Safe Nutrient Recovery

Marinus J. Moerland, Alicia Borneman, Paraschos Chatzopoulos, Adrian Gonzalez Fraile, Miriam H. A. van Eekert, Grietje Zeeman and Cees J. N. Buisman
Additional contact information
Marinus J. Moerland: Environmental Technology, Wageningen University and Research, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
Alicia Borneman: Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
Paraschos Chatzopoulos: DeSaH B.V., Pieter Zeemanstraat 6, 8606 JR Sneek, The Netherlands
Adrian Gonzalez Fraile: DeSaH B.V., Pieter Zeemanstraat 6, 8606 JR Sneek, The Netherlands
Miriam H. A. van Eekert: Environmental Technology, Wageningen University and Research, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
Grietje Zeeman: LeAF B.V., Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
Cees J. N. Buisman: Environmental Technology, Wageningen University and Research, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 22, 1-13

Abstract: Source separated toilet water is a valuable resource for energy and fertilizers as it has a high concentration of organics and nutrients, which can be reused in agriculture. Recovery of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK) decreases the dependency on energy-intensive processes or processes that rely on depleting natural resources. In new sanitation systems, concentrated black water (BW) is obtained by source-separated collection of toilet water. BW-derived products are often associated with safety issues, amongst which pathogens and antibiotic-resistant pathogens. This study presents results showing that thermophilic (55–60 °C) and hyperthermophilic (70 °C) anaerobic treatments had higher (antibiotic-resistant) culturable pathogen indicators removal than mesophilic anaerobic treatment. Hyperthermophilic and thermophilic anaerobic treatment successfully removed Escherichia coli and extended-spectrum β-lactamases producing E. coli from source-separated vacuum collected BW at retention times of 6–11 days and reached significantly higher removal rates than mesophilic (35 °C) anaerobic treatment ( p < 0.05). The difference between thermophilic and hyperthermophilic treatment was insignificant, which justifies operation at 55 °C rather than 70 °C. This study is the first to quantify (antibiotic-resistant) E. coli in concentrated BW (10–40 gCOD/L) and to show that both thermophilic and hyperthermophilic anaerobic treatment can adequately remove these pathogen indicators.

Keywords: source separation; black water; nutrient recovery; (hyper-)thermophilic anaerobic digestion; pathogen removal; antibiotics resistance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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