Advances in pretreatment strategies to enhance the biodegradability of waste activated sludge for the conversion of refractory substances.

[Display omitted] • Refractory substances are primary but often ignored factor related to WAS biodegradability. • The presence and role of refractory substances in WAS biodegradability are reviewed. • Inhibition mechanisms of refractory substances in WAS are analyzed. • Mechanisms of pretreatment strategies to enhance WAS biodegradability are discussed. • Challenges of WAS enhanced biodegradability technology are prospected. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a low-cost technology widely used to divert waste activated sludge (WAS) to renewable energy production, but is generally restricted by its poor biodegradability which mainly caused by the endogenous and exogenous refractory substances present in WAS. Several conventional methods such as thermal-, chemical-, and mechanical-based pretreatment have been demonstrated to be effective on organics release, but their functions on refractory substances conversion are overlooked. This paper firstly reviewed the presence and role of endogenous and exogenous refractory substances in anaerobic biodegradability of WAS, especially on their inhibition mechanisms. Then, the pretreatment strategies developed for enhancing WAS biodegradability by facilitating refractory substances conversion were comprehensively reviewed, with the conversion pathways and underlying mechanisms being emphasized. Finally, the future research needs were directed, which are supposed to improve the circular bioeconomy of WAS management from the point of removing the hindering barrier of refractory substances on WAS biodegradability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]