The influence of organic-binding metals on the biogas conversion of sewage sludge

The anaerobic conversion of sewage sludge to methane-rich biogas is an important bioenergy strategy that has been hindered by low conversion efficiency. The poorly understood mechanism of the influence of the key structural component in sludge is responsible for this. The influence of organic-binding metals (OBM), which account for a substantial proportion of metals in sludge, on biogas conversion of both sewage sludge and model sludge were explored in this study. It is observed that the net cumulative methane production of sludge decreased by 23% with the increase of OBM content, implying the crucial role of the OBM in anaerobic sludge digestion. Experimental results showed that the apparent activation energy of sludge organic solubilisation and the median particle size of sludge particulates increased with increasing OBM content, whereas the surface binding sites for enzymes decreased, indicating that the stability of the sludge floc was reinforced by the effect of OBM. Further analyses of the sludge structure revealed that a high OBM content (>2.5% total solids in the present study) compacted the sludge organic matter, restricted the molecular mobility and deteriorated the depolymerisation of the biopolymers by bridging and hydrogen-bonding interactions. This suggests that as a result of the effect of OBM, the hydrolysis and acidification of sludge particulate could be inhibited, resulting in poor biogas conversion. Moreover, it was further authenticated by the results from biochemical methane potential assay process. These findings can deepen the understanding of the role of OBM in sludge for biogas conversion and are important for the improvement of anaerobic sludge digestion.