Effect of Long-term Low Concentrations of TiO2 Nanoparticles on Dewaterability of Activated Sludge and the Relevant Mechanism: The Role of Nanoparticle Aging

Abstract

Nanoparticles can undergo aging phenomena that change their physical and chemical properties in sewage treatment systems. However, the effect of aged nanoparticles under long-term low concentrations on the dewatering performance of activated sludge in sewage treatment systems has not been reported yet. Here, we compared the chronic effects of pristine and aged TiO2 nanoparticles on sludge dewatering index including specific resistance to filtration (SRF) and bound water (BW) in the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with the µg/L concentration levels and the relevant mechanisms were analyzed. The results show that the aging experiment in sludge supernatant could change the photosensitivity and water stability of nanoparticles, which was mainly due to the changes in the zeta potential and energy band of the particle, and ultimately attributed to the combined effect of particle surface inclusions such as organic matter and inorganic salt. At 10µg/L, nanoparticles could reduce the dewaterability of sludge, but at 100µg/L, nanoparticles could improve the dewaterability of sludge, because 10µg/L promoted the secretion of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), regulated the structure of sludge flora and increased the abundance of secreting quorum sensing-acyl-homoserine lactones (QS-AHL) and EPS genera, while the corresponding exposure results of 100µg/L were the opposite, due to the damage and necrosis exposure effects of 100µg/L under long-term light, which reduced EPS production and increased sludge density. Interestingly, aging could alleviate the effects of two exposure concentrations on sludge dewatering, mainly being attributed to the decrease of the photoactivity of nanoparticles. The results of this study show that environmental aging could slow down, but cannot reverse the results of exposure to specific concentrations of nanoparticles. However, the ecological effects of photosensitive nanoparticles with two environmentally-relevant concentration levels of ug/L were significantly different, which should be refined and confirmed again in freshwater environment to provide a basis for subsequent scientific management and control of photosensitive nanoparticles.