Mitigation of hydrogen sulfide production in sewer systems by inhibiting sulfate-reducing bacteria: a review

Highlights

	● Key strategies for H2S control in sewer systems were critically reviewed.
	● Mechanisms for reducing H2S by inhibiting SRB metabolism were discussed.
	● Advantages and limitations of chemical versus biological H2S control were analyzed.
	● Enhanced SRB inhibition through bioaugmentation and chemical synergy were proposed.

Abstract

The emission of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in sewers leads to pipeline corrosion and odor issues. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) reduce sulfate as the main pathway for H₂S production in wastewater. Inhibiting SRB activity through chemical or biological methods is an effective strategy to reduce H₂S emissions. Therefore, the objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of research in the reduction of H₂S production in sewer systems via inhibition of the metabolic activity of SRB. This study provides an understanding on the complex metabolism of SRB, which is crucial for mitigating H₂S generation in sewer systems. This review addresses H₂S production in sewer systems and its reduction methods by inhibiting SRB activity using both chemical and biological methods. Currently, the addition of chemicals to sewer systems to control H₂S has shown good effectiveness. However, these methods face challenges such as the need for repeated dosing, short effective durations, bacterial resistance, and increased loads on downstream wastewater treatment plants. Biological agents are more environmentally friendly, but research on their application for controlling H₂S in sewer systems is limited, and their effectiveness and stability are yet to be determined. This review analyses the potential of chemical and biological methods, discusses current applications and future research directions based on SRB inhibition mechanisms, and provides insights for developing more efficient and ecofriendly strategies for H₂S control in sewer systems.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Chemical dosing / Biological agent / Hydrogen sulfide / Sewer systems / Sulfate-reducing bacteria

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Conflict of Interests

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2022YFC3702000).

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