Minimizing tannery sludge in landfilling through a mixed microbial culture approach: Effect of oxidizing pretreatment, temperature and hydraulic retention time on process performances and chromium fate

Exploiting tannery sludge as potential source of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and biogas offers a promising solution for a new management of this waste, which is currently landfilled due to chromium presence. This study assessed the optimal hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) dosage, temperature (T) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) through hydrolysis and acidification tests to maximize SCFAs production and to recover biogas from the solid-rich fermentation residue. A dosage of 0.4 g H2O2/g TS and mesophilic T (40°C) were the most suitable conditions to promote sludge biodegradability and SCFAs production in batch tests. Afterwards, among the two investigated HRT (4 and 8 days) in the semi-continuous processes, longer HRT increased SCFAs concentration and acidification yield up to 16.0 g CODSCFAs/L and 0.32 g CODSCFA/g VS0, respectively. Chromium was initially released in the liquid phase, but completely removed in less than 5 HRTs, allowing the utilization of fermentation liquid without environmental-safety issues. Finally, the solid-rich residue showed its potential as biogas source, having a specific gas production (SGP) of 0.48 m3/kg VS. According to the mass balance assessment, more than 50% of sludge can be saved from landfill, with potential economic benefit close to 2,700,000 €/y compared to the current management practice.