摘要 綜述了廢水處理中厭氧污泥顆粒化研究進展,介紹了厭氧顆粒形成的主要理論,解釋了顆粒污泥之間的關系、組成和厭氧污泥顆粒化的影響因素。研究表明:胞外聚合物是細菌群落以顆粒污泥形式存在關鍵;此外,溫度、有機負荷率、pH值、堿度、營養鹽、陽離子和重金屬是影響厭氧顆粒污泥形成的重要因素。產甲烷過程中的產氣量與顆粒污泥內部產甲烷菌的活性密切相關。
關鍵詞:UASB反應器 厭氧顆粒污泥 胞外聚合物 微生物 甲烷
廢水厭氧處理技術由于其具有低污泥產量、低運行成本以及低能耗等特點而成為應用泛的處理技術之一[1],并且已被是的廢水處理方式。相對于其他傳統的厭氧工藝,升流式厭氧污泥床(UASB)反應器實現了沼氣收集[2]和高濃度廢水處理[3] ,被廣泛使用于廢水厭氧處理中[4–11]。
1969年,Young和McCarty觀察到了厭氧顆粒污泥[12],但由于當時經費不足且難以深入了解顆粒污泥的形成,顆粒污泥的研究進程較緩慢。顆粒污泥作為厭氧生物法處理廢水的主體,也成為國內外學者研究的熱點。污泥顆粒化是一個復雜的物理、化學及微生物相互作用的過程,已有很多理論對UASB反應器內微生物群落的功能進行了闡述。大多數研究認為產甲烷菌對污泥顆粒化過程起著關鍵作用[13],甲烷菌的聚集作用促進了顆粒污泥的形成,一部分研究認為細菌的粘附作用是污泥顆粒形成的原始因素[14],也有研究認為顆粒的形成需要穩定的運行條件,避免顆粒的沖刷,以及pH和溫度的影響。然而污泥顆粒化機制尚未十分明確。因此,本文對UASB反應器內顆粒污泥的形成進行綜述,并對重要的試驗研究進行討論。
1 厭氧污泥顆粒化理論
厭氧污泥顆粒化實質上是一個厭氧微生物生態系統演化的過程[15],顆粒化過程本身的復雜性決定了顆粒污泥結構的復雜性,生長基質、操作條件、反應器中的流體流動狀況等都會影響顆粒污泥的結構。研究者們對顆粒污泥的形成進行各種分類,Liu將污泥顆粒化模型分為物理化學模型和結構模型[16],Thaveesri 等從熱力學的角度研究了顆粒污泥的結構,Hulshoff隨后報道了一種新的顆粒形成分類方法。表1介紹了一些基礎的污泥顆粒化理論。
表1 幾種顆粒污泥形成理論
序號 | 方法 | 理論名稱 |
1 | 物理法 | 選擇壓理論[13] |
懸浮顆粒增長理論[17] | ||
2 | 微生物法 | 開普敦假說[18] |
絮凝架橋理論[19] | ||
甲烷菌聚集理論[20] | ||
3 | 熱力學法 | 晶核形成理論[21] |
表面張力理論[22] |
2 污泥顆粒化過程種泥的選擇
通常情況下,種泥可取自厭氧沉淀池、化糞池、糞便、消化污泥和厭氧污水處理廠等[23]。研究人員利用含有某種菌群的種泥,對 UASB反應器啟動期間污泥顆粒化進行研究。Zeikus研究表明,好氧活性污泥中甲烷菌含量高達108/g,而消化污泥中甲烷菌含量更高,達2.5×1010/g[24]。研究者將不同種泥應用于UASB反應器的啟動均獲得了成功,其中將活性污泥作為接種污泥時能夠獲得更好的運行效能,且啟動期較短。各種關于污泥顆粒化的研究表明,含有甲烷菌膠團的種泥對顆粒污泥的形成具有促進作用,而利用含有產酸菌的種泥則會延緩顆粒的增長[25]。另外,陽離子和礦物質也是影響顆粒污泥形成的關鍵因素。
3 顆粒污泥的組成
由于廢水性質的不同以及運行條件的變化,每個顆粒污泥具有不同的結構,其中無機物、微生物和胞外聚合物的比例也不同。
3.1無機物
由于基質特性、種泥、反應器運行條件、發生的化學反應以及外在因素的不同,顆粒污泥的組成也有所不同。一般情況下,無機物由礦物質和灰分組成[26]。根據廢水組成和運作條件的不同,顆粒污泥中無機成分在10%~90%不等[27]。除此之外,即使是同一顆顆粒污泥在同一個反應器內,隨著其位置的改變,其無機組分也會改變。事實上,有研究表明,處理復雜廢水的顆粒污泥中無機物比例較低,而處理簡單的廢水(如乙酸,丙酸,丁酸)[28]時,無機物比例較高。顆粒污泥中灰分比例的增大會引起密度的增大[29]。此外,灰分中含有的30%FeS是顆粒呈黑色的主要原因[30]。另外,尚未發現灰分是否能增強顆粒的強度[24]。
3.2微生物
每一顆顆粒污泥都是功能齊全的個體,包含了各種分解有機物的微生物。顆粒的形成開始于微生物的黏附作用,即胞外聚合物和其他組分形成菌膠團,并且大多數污泥顆粒化理論也一致認同[13], 甲烷菌可促進污泥顆粒化進程。但也有研究認為,先由乙酸菌形成菌膠團,形成的菌膠團隨后創建甲烷菌群以利于污泥顆粒化過程[16]。
3.3胞外聚合物
一些研究表明細菌產生的胞外聚合物[31]對顆粒污泥的形成具有重要影響[31–34]。不同的胞外聚合物帶有不同電荷的離子,電荷相反的離子之間的相互吸引可能是顆粒污泥形成的重要條件,胞外聚合物通過吸附架橋作用[35–36]形成強度較大不易變形的顆粒[37–38]。然而,過量的胞外聚合物不利于顆粒的形成并可能導致絮狀物的產生[39]。將胞外聚合物從細胞培養過程中分離出來并添加到UASB反應器內,發現并不利于顆粒污泥形成,相反起到了抑制作用[40]。
4 影響污泥顆粒化過程的因素
4.1溫度
產甲烷菌相比產酸菌更易受溫度的影響[41]。大多數微生物都適合在中溫條件下生長,溫度為30~40℃。而事實上,中溫條件下的顆粒污泥相比高溫條件下的顆粒污泥更易受到溫度的沖擊,并且更易被分解[42]。有報道指出,中溫條件下接種的污泥相比高溫條件其活性更高,反應器所需的啟動期也更短[43]。溫度對污泥顆粒化過程的影響意見不一,而且中溫條件和高溫條件下不同的顆粒污泥結構也并未清楚。
4.2有機負荷率
有機負荷率是需要考慮的最關鍵因素之一,應謹慎調整,可通過調整進水COD濃度或進水流速控制[44]。增加有機負荷率易使揮發性脂肪酸積累,導致應器內pH降低[45];降低有機負荷率則會導致顆粒污泥因饑餓而分解。通常有機負荷率不應小于1.5kgCOD/(m3?d)[46],雖然有學者在有機負荷率1.5kgCOD/(m3?d)條件下成功培育出了顆粒污泥[47–48],的高品質顆粒污泥生長的有機負荷率[49]為2~4.5kg COD/(m3?d)。
4.3pH 和堿度
顆粒顆粒內的pH值通常較周圍溶液低[50]。根據微生物的特性,產甲烷微生物比產酸微生物對pH值的波動更敏感,并且產甲烷菌的生存環境需pH>6.3。實際上,pH<6.3的酸性環境會抑制產甲烷菌的生長并降低甲烷產量[51]。另一方面,有機負荷率的增加或變化會導致VFA的增多,而堿度在中和調整pH波動方面[52]發揮顯著的作用。通常,堿度的范圍為250~950 mg/L[53]。
4.4營養物質
進水中的營養物質(氮、磷和硫)是保證顆粒污泥形成的基本元素。顆粒形成的初始階段,在進水中投放營養元素可促進污泥顆粒化過程。而當進水中缺乏營養物質則會對污泥顆粒化過程產生不利影響。據報道,當氮濃度低于300 mg/L時,顆粒污泥的生長會出現低迷的狀態[53]。此外,營養物質濃度過高,也會抑制顆粒污泥的生長[54]。
4.5 陽離子和重金屬
顆粒污泥的形成是一個非常復雜的過程,與吸附作用和細菌粘附作用有關。顆粒化過程所需的主要陽離子為細菌表面的氨基和蛋白質中羧基[55],可加速顆粒污泥的形成 [13,37,56];另一方面,一些金屬離子的毒性與各種因素有關,如種類、結構、pH值、VFA濃度、水力停留時間,以及細菌表面所需離子的比例[57]。眾多學者對一些多價陽離子(如鈣、鐵和鋁)在顆粒形成過程所起的作用進行了研究,發現鈣離子能改善初始顆粒污泥的形成。具體來說,鈣離子增強了細胞和胞外聚合物之間的粘附作用[20],因此,鈣離子的存在是顆粒污泥形成的必要條件。針對溶液中的鈣離子濃度的研究結論不一,有學者認為80~150 mg/L為條件,可加速顆粒污泥生長[58],但也有研究表明,濃度為150~300 mg/L[59];研究同時發現,過量鈣離子濃度可能會抑制顆粒污泥的生長。鐵離子可促進COD轉化為生物量[60],當鐵離子含量高達300mg/L時,在較短時間內可獲得較大顆粒 [14]。此外,鋁對加速顆粒的形成具有重要作用[59]。值得注意的是,UASB反應器中過量的礦物質會抑制污泥顆粒化進程。
5 產甲烷過程的微生物活性
UASB反應器中的產甲烷過程包含了有機物的轉化過程,這個過程需要某些微生物的參與完成,即完成水解、酸化、產乙酸和產甲烷階段,這些過程與廢水的pH和溫度密切相關[61]。廢水中pH較低時,除了VFA積累,產甲烷活性也會受到抑制,將不利于產沼氣。另外,溫度是影響厭氧生物處理工藝的重要因素,溫度主要是通過對厭氧微生物細胞內某些酶的活性的影響而影響微生物的生長速率和微生物對基質的代謝速率,這樣就會影響到廢水厭氧生物處理工藝中污泥的產量、有機物的去除速率、反應器所能達到的處理負荷。溫度還會影響有機物在生化反應中的流向和某些中間產物的形成以及各種物質在水中的溶解度,因而可能會影響到沼氣的產量和成分等;另外溫度還可能會影響剩余污泥的成分與性狀。
6 結語
UASB反應器內顆粒污泥大,有機物去除率高,能夠降解高濃度有機廢水,是關注的反應器之一,其成功運行的核心因素是反應器內污泥床中顆粒污泥形成。顆粒污泥已應用于各類污水的處理,可獲得更安全的出水,以保護環境。胞外聚合物是影響微生物聚集的重要因素,與不同電荷的金屬離子結合可促進污泥顆粒化過程,但是無機組分對污泥顆粒化過程影響不大。另外,沼氣產生過程與顆粒污泥的活性有關。適合的溫度和pH對產沼氣過程和沼氣產量具有重要作用。廢水中適合的金屬離子和營養物質濃度有利于顆粒污泥的形成。因而,UASB反應器的運行過程中,應認真考慮影響污泥顆粒化過程的各種因素,以充分發揮其優勢。
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