Effect of aluminium and sulphate on anaerobic digestion of sludge from wastewater enhanced primary treatment

The combined and individual effects of aluminium and sulphate at concentrations of 1,000 mg/l as Al(OH)₃, and 150 mgSO₄^2-/L as K₂SO₄, respectively, on the anaerobic digestion of sludge from enhanced primary treatment (EPT) were evaluated in 1 L capacity semi continuous reactors. It was found that at 59 days, aluminium inhibits the specific methanogenic activity (SMA) of methanogenic and acetogenic bacteria resulting in a 50% to 72% decrease. Sulphate also inhibits (48% to 65%) the SMA of the same type of bacteria. Methanogenic and acetogenic bacteria were able to adapt, to a different extent, to the assayed concentrations of aluminium and sulphate. However, the combination of aluminium and sulphate resulted in a higher inhibition, especially of the hydrogenophilic methanogenic bacteria. Indeed, this effect remained during the time of the experiment, maintaining an inhibition of 44% at 114 days. Feeding with EPT sludge led to a bigger decrease in SMA of each bacterial group, with respect to the other treatments with time. It is concluded that the acidification of anaerobic reactors fed with EPT sludge is due, among other causes, to the concurrent presence of aluminium and sulphate.