Advances in energy efficient technologies for low-strength wastewater treatment

Abstract

Conventional wastewater treatment plants are major energy sink. Anaerobic treatment of high-strength wastewater has been well studied and proven technology for energy recovery. Challenges lies in the anaerobic treatment of low-strength wastewaters such as municipal wastewater. Wastewater treatment technologies, which either recover energy in different forms from wastewater or energy efficient have attracted more attention. Apart from anaerobic treatment, algal technology has become more popular for municipal wastewater treatment and energy recovery in the form of biodiesel. Microbial fuel cells, which generate electricity from wastewater while treating the same, are also gaining much more attention. Anammox (Anaerobic ammonia oxidation) has also been applied in mainstream as an energy efficient technology for municipal wastewater treatment. The current paper reviews the advances in these energy efficient technologies for the treatment of low-strength wastewater. The paper also discusses the limitations of these technologies, which need to be addressed for the successful application of these technologies in treating low-strength wastewaters.