Mass flow and ecological risk of heavy metals in anaerobic digestion of food waste

Conversion of food waste (FW) to bioenergy via anaerobic digestion (AD) has become a topic of worldwide research interest. However, the content, distribution, and speciation of heavy metals (HMs) in feedstock and digestate samples throughout the AD process are currently unknown. Especially, the potential ecological risk (PER) of solid digestate with potential of land application was vague. Mass flow of HMs (Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) were estimated in a two-stage wet AD of FW plant in Shenzhen, China. Furthermore, the PER of the HMs in solid digestate (SD) was studied. The findings revealed that the variation in the HM contents of the intermediates, as well as the comparatively high HM contents of the SD, were mostly influenced by the total solid contents of the samples, since HMs tend to adhere to the solid matrix. As per mass balance, the Cr and Ni contents of the digestate samples were 4.7 and 5.5 times higher than in the feedstock samples, respectively. The remaining metals were within the range of 82.2 126.1 %. Furthermore, the enrichment of HMs in SD must be resolved before reclamation. Moreover, the PER of the HMs in SD was 279.6, considered as a considerable risk level, of which Hg and Cd contributed 46.3 % and 33.6 %, respectively. This research presents a case study for quantitatively assessing the distribution of typical pollutants throughout the AD process, and it offers preliminary data for potential environmental issues caused by digestion product recycling. • Heavy metal distributions in a FW AD plant were examined. • Mass balance of heavy metals (excluding Cr and Ni) ranged from 82.2 % to 126.1 %. • Feedstock accumulation and lining corrosion caused a positive balance for Cr and Ni. • Solid digestate of the FW AD represents a high potential ecological risk level. • The FW AD may enhance the potential toxicity of certain heavy metals.