PAH fate during the anaerobic digestion of contaminated sludge: Do bioavailability and/or cometabolism limit their biodegradation?

Abstract

The anaerobic removal of 13 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) was measured in five continuous anaerobic digestors with different feed sludge, in which abiotic losses were neglected. These feeds were chosen to generate different levels of PAH bioavailability and cometabolism within the reactors. Based on the accurate modelling of PAH sorption in sludge, the aqueous fraction (including free and sorbed-to-dissolved-and-colloidal-matter PAHs) was demonstrated to be bioavailable, which validated a widespread assumption about micropollutants bioavailability in sludge. It was also demonstrated that bioavailability is not the only influencing factor. Indeed, PAHs biodegradation resulted from a combination of bioavailability and cometabolism. An equation adapted from Criddle (1993, The Kinetics of Cometabolism. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 41, 1048-1056) that takes into account both mechanisms was shown to fit the experimental data, with dry matter removal rate identified as the criteria for cometabolism. The existence of a threshold of dry matter cometabolism was suggested, below which PAHs removal would not be possible. The parameters of the Criddle equation were demonstrated to depend on PAH molecular structure, and the results suggest that they would also be influenced by substrate composition and microbial population. This research provided original outcomes for the assessment of micropollutants fate. Indeed, the understanding of the driving mechanisms was improved, which has implications for the optimization of micropollutants removal.