Nano zero valent iron (NZVI), although being increasingly used for environmental remediation, has potential negative effect on anaerobic digestion. NZVI inhibited methanogenic growth and methane production at 1 mM and above. Meanwhile, NZVI dissolution led to rapid production and accumulation of H2 in anaerobic digestion. The inhibition was due to disruption of cells and coincident with rapid H2 production from NZVI. For comparison, ZVI powder at the concentration of 30 mM increased methane production because of slow hydrogen production from ZVI dissolution. The highly efficient cell disruption by NZVI opens up new approaches to generate a significant amount of organic substrate for nutrient removal in wastewater treatment. Furthermore, a direct use of functionalized NZVI could be used for sludge bulking control and nutrient removal in wastewater treatment.

Implications and application of nano zero-valent iron for anaerobic digestion and wastewater treatment

247th National Meeting (2014)

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