Biochemical Conversion and Microbial Community in Response to Ternary pH Buffer System during Anaerobic Digestion of Swine Manure

Xiaoshan Meng, Yuxiu Zhang, Qianwen Sui, Junya Zhang, Rui Wang, Dawei Yu, Yawei Wang and Yuansong Wei
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Xiaoshan Meng: School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Yuxiu Zhang: School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Qianwen Sui: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Junya Zhang: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Rui Wang: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Dawei Yu: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Yawei Wang: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Yuansong Wei: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-17

Abstract: The ternary pH buffer system with ammonia-carbonates-volatile fatty acids (VFAs) is essential to anaerobes for bioenergy recovery via anaerobic digestion (AD). However, ammonia and VFAs are recognized as potential inhibitors that depress methanogenesis. In this study, biochemical conversion and the microbial community in batch AD at total solid (TS) from 4% to 14% were investigated to reveal their response to the ternary pH buffer system. The rapid ammonia release, probably promoted by Anaerosphaera and Eubacterium inferred from the concurrent peak of their relative abundance, triggered total ammonia (TAN) inhibition with the accumulation of VFAs in the start-up stage of high solid AD (HSAD, TS ≥ 8%). Along with evolution of the microbial community to resist high TAN and VFAs, methanogenesis recovered with improved degradation of VFAs and reduction of COD. When exposed to 3500 mg·N·L −1 TAN at 8% TS, aceticlastic Methanosarcina became dominant first and then together with hydrogenotrophic Methanoculleus , achieved the optimal biochemical conversion. While in HSAD at 11–14% TS, the main pathway of methanogenesis appeared to have shifted from the aceticlastic pathway to the hydrogenotrophic pathway, as inferred by changes in the relative abundance of methanogens, and this could have been induced by the increasing concentration of high free ammonia (FAN, ≥588 mg·N·L −1 ). Although the anaerobes had acclimatized to high TAN, the propionate-oxidizing bacteria and acetate-oxidizing bacteria might have again been inhibited by high FAN, frustrating the H 2 supply for FAN-tolerant Methanoculleus and causing an 8.2–11.3% depression of COD reduction (mainly propionate residual).

Keywords: high solid anaerobic digestion; ternary pH buffer system; ammonia inhibition; VFAs composition; propionate residual; microbial community (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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