Role of polyferric sulfate and ferric chloride on anaerobic fermentation of sludge from novel two-stage process for resource recovery

•Iron coagulants promoted the capture of organic carbon and phosphorus.•Polyferric sulfate effectively stimulated the activities of the hydrolase.•Phosphorus in iron-based sludge was conducive to recovery. Polyferric sulfate (PFS) and ferric chloride (FC) were compared for their efficiencies in capturing organic carbon and phosphorus, and their effects on the anaerobic fermentation process of sludge from a pilot-scale two-stage reactor were studied. Both PFS and FC promoted organic carbon and phosphorus capture. Further study revealed that PFS-based sludge with a dosage of 18 mg Fe/Lsewage showed a better volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production performance (202.97 ± 2.38 mg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/g volatile solids (VS)) than that of FC-based sludge (169.25 ± 1.56 mg COD/g VS). Besides, the high dosage of PFS effectively promoted the activities of the α-glucosidase and proteases. The dissimilatory iron reduction process enhanced sludge flocs disintegration and the conversion of carbohydrates and proteins to VFAs. Non-hydroxyapatite phosphorus predominated in the total phosphorus of all samples. This study contributes to developing strategies for optimizing iron-based sludge management and high-value product recovery.