Environmental impacts and optimization strategies for integrating carbon capture and anammox-based processes in municipal wastewater treatment under uncertain influent parameters

The anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) process is increasingly recognized as an effective alternative to conventional activated sludge processes for reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions in municipal wastewater treatment. This study evaluates the environmental impact of integrating the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) or high-rate activated sludge (HRAS) with anammox-based, considering sludge treatment: anaerobic digestion (AD) and incineration. The Monte Carlo simulations (10,000 iterations) results reveal that AnMBR and Anammox process combined with AD reduces the carbon footprint by 30 %-50 % and increases energy recovery by 146.8 %-320 %. The AnMBR scenarios exhibit low carbon emissions and energy consumption owing to energy recovery from biogas production at high chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations (>200 mg/L). The HRAS schemes are recommended for nitrogen concentrations exceeding 40 mg/L and COD concentrations below 150 mg/L. Applicating carbon capture and anammox in municipal wastewater treatment provides a promising pathway toward achieving carbon neutrality and energy neutrality.