A new dynamic model for bioavailability and cometabolism of micropollutants during anaerobic digestion

Organic micropollutants (OMPs) are present in wastewater and sludge. Their possible impact to the environment contributes to their increasing scientific and social interest. Anaerobic digestion has been shown as a potential biological process for removal of these compounds. An accurate description of OMP distribution in the environmental system can be used to better understand which compartment is used for degradation and to improve their depletion in conventional wastewater treatment technologies. In this work, we proposed a dynamical model with a four-compartment distribution to describe the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) fate during anaerobic digestion. The model is calibrated and validated using experimental data obtained from two continuous reactors fed with primary and secondary sludge operated under mesophilic conditions. A non-linear least square method was used to optimize the model parameters. The resulted model is in accordance with the experimental data. The PAH biodegradation rate is well modeled when considering the aqueous fraction (including free and sorbed to dissolved/colloidal matter PAHs) as the bioavailable compartment. It was also demonstrated in the simulations that the PAHs biodegradation is linked to a mechanism of cometabolism. The model proposed is potentially useful to better understand the micropollutant distribution, predict the fate of PAHs under anaerobic condition and help to optimize the operation process for their depletion.

► We developed a four-compartment model of the PAHs fate under anaerobic condition. ► We hypothesize the cometabolism as main micropollutant biodegradation mechanism. ► Aqueous phase was validated as the micropollutant bioavailable fraction in sludge. ► PAH biodegradation resulted from a combination of bioavailability and cometabolism.