Revealing the mechanisms of Triclosan affecting of methane production from waste activated sludge.

Triclosan (TCS), as an antimicrobial agent, is considered as a representative emerging contaminant and was frequently detected in excess sludge. This study investigated the effect of TCS on activate wastewater sludge (WAS) digestion through laboratory methane production experiment. It was concluded that TCS had a tendency to restrain methane production from sludge with its exposure level increasing. The results displayed that the yields of final maximum cumulative methane production were similar about 108.4 mL/g VSS at TCS level lower 200 mg TCS/kg TSS, while the values were approximately 95.2 mL/g VSS with TCS level over 550 mg TCS/kg TSS. Although TCS could be degraded, its intermediates in this study had no effect on sludge digestion. In addition, TCS at higher levels had seriously negative effect on the solubilization, hydrolysis, acidification, and methanogenesis processes. Microbial community was further analyzed to understand the TCS's effect on digestion system from a micro perspective.