The process of wastewater treatment includes the removal of inorganic solids such as sand and gravel as well as organic materials, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Activated sludge, containing a variety of living organisms, is added into the wastewater treatment system. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), an energy source of the bioorganisms, are produced during activated sludge digestion, and play a significant role in phosphorus and nitrogen removal as well as the removal of organic materials during the process of wastewater treatment. Extensive research has been carried out recently in search of optimized conditions to increase the level of fatty acids in the activated sludge. It has been suggested that pH, carbohydrate concentration, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and ultrasonic sample treatment have significant effects on hydrolysis and acidogenesis. However, investigations into the effects of these variables have until now been conducted individually. In the present work, a comprehensive study of the effects of these variables on the fermentation process was carried out, following the development of a feasible method for the detection of SCFAs in activated sludge using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Then, SCFA production was utilized as an indicator for the efficacy of wastewater treatment using samples from the Ann Arbor Wastewater Treatment Facilities.
","abstract_html":"<p>The process of wastewater treatment includes the removal of inorganic solids such as sand and gravel as well as organic materials, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Activated sludge, containing a variety of living organisms, is added into the wastewater treatment system. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), an energy source of the bioorganisms, are produced during activated sludge digestion, and play a significant role in phosphorus and nitrogen removal as well as the removal of organic materials during the process of wastewater treatment. Extensive research has been carried out recently in search of optimized conditions to increase the level of fatty acids in the activated sludge. It has been suggested that pH, carbohydrate concentration, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and ultrasonic sample treatment have significant effects on hydrolysis and acidogenesis. However, investigations into the effects of these variables have until now been conducted individually. In the present work, a comprehensive study of the effects of these variables on the fermentation process was carried out, following the development of a feasible method for the detection of SCFAs in activated sludge using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Then, SCFA production was utilized as an indicator for the efficacy of wastewater treatment using samples from the Ann Arbor Wastewater Treatment Facilities.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Cheng, Shiyan"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Chemistry","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Heather Holmes, Ph. D.","Timothy Brewer, Ph. D.","Steven Pernecky, Ph. D."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2009-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:36Z","subjects":["Gas chromatography","Extraction (Chemistry)","Environmental monitoring Methodology","Chemistry"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/250","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Heather Holmes, Ph. D.","Timothy Brewer, Ph. D.","Steven Pernecky, Ph. D."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Cheng, Shiyan"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Chemistry"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Gas chromatography","Extraction (Chemistry)","Environmental monitoring Methodology","Chemistry"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/250"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The process of wastewater treatment includes the removal of inorganic solids such as sand and gravel as well as organic materials, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Activated sludge, containing a variety of living organisms, is added into the wastewater treatment system. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), an energy source of the bioorganisms, are produced during activated sludge digestion, and play a significant role in phosphorus and nitrogen removal as well as the removal of organic materials during the process of wastewater treatment. Extensive research has been carried out recently in search of optimized conditions to increase the level of fatty acids in the activated sludge. It has been suggested that pH, carbohydrate concentration, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and ultrasonic sample treatment have significant effects on hydrolysis and acidogenesis. However, investigations into the effects of these variables have until now been conducted individually. In the present work, a comprehensive study of the effects of these variables on the fermentation process was carried out, following the development of a feasible method for the detection of SCFAs in activated sludge using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Then, SCFA production was utilized as an indicator for the efficacy of wastewater treatment using samples from the Ann Arbor Wastewater Treatment Facilities.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Development of a headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) procedure for the determination of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in activated sludge by GC-FID"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Heather Holmes, Ph. D.","Timothy Brewer, Ph. D.","Steven Pernecky, Ph. D."],"dc:creator":["Cheng, Shiyan"],"dc:description.abstract":["The process of wastewater treatment includes the removal of inorganic solids such as sand and gravel as well as organic materials, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Activated sludge, containing a variety of living organisms, is added into the wastewater treatment system. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), an energy source of the bioorganisms, are produced during activated sludge digestion, and play a significant role in phosphorus and nitrogen removal as well as the removal of organic materials during the process of wastewater treatment. Extensive research has been carried out recently in search of optimized conditions to increase the level of fatty acids in the activated sludge. It has been suggested that pH, carbohydrate concentration, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and ultrasonic sample treatment have significant effects on hydrolysis and acidogenesis. However, investigations into the effects of these variables have until now been conducted individually. In the present work, a comprehensive study of the effects of these variables on the fermentation process was carried out, following the development of a feasible method for the detection of SCFAs in activated sludge using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Then, SCFA production was utilized as an indicator for the efficacy of wastewater treatment using samples from the Ann Arbor Wastewater Treatment Facilities.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/250"],"dc:subject":["Gas chromatography","Extraction (Chemistry)","Environmental monitoring Methodology","Chemistry"],"dc:title":["Development of a headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) procedure for the determination of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in activated sludge by GC-FID"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Chemistry"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:36Z"}