Enhancing Biochemical Methane Potential and Enrichment of Specific Electroactive Communities from Nixtamalization Wastewater using Granular Activated Carbon as a Conductive Material

David Valero, Carlos Rico, Blondy Canto-Canché, Jorge Arturo Domínguez-Maldonado, Raul Tapia-Tussell, Alberto Cortes-Velazquez and Liliana Alzate-Gaviria
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David Valero: Renewable Energy Unit, Yucatan Center for Scientist Research, Mérida CP 97302, Mexico
Carlos Rico: Department of Water and Environmental Science and Technologies, University of Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Blondy Canto-Canché: Biotechnology Unit, Yucatan Center for Scientist Research, Mérida CP 97205, Mexico
Jorge Arturo Domínguez-Maldonado: Renewable Energy Unit, Yucatan Center for Scientist Research, Mérida CP 97302, Mexico
Raul Tapia-Tussell: Renewable Energy Unit, Yucatan Center for Scientist Research, Mérida CP 97302, Mexico
Alberto Cortes-Velazquez: GeMBio Laboratory, Yucatan Center for Scientist Research, Mérida CP 97205, Mexico
Liliana Alzate-Gaviria: Renewable Energy Unit, Yucatan Center for Scientist Research, Mérida CP 97302, Mexico

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: Nejayote (corn step liquor) production in Mexico is approximately 1.4 × 10 10 m 3 per year and anaerobic digestion is an effective process to transform this waste into green energy. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) test is one of the most important tests for evaluating the biodegradability and methane production capacity of any organic waste. Previous research confirms that the addition of conductive materials significantly enhances the methane production yield. This study concludes that the addition of granular activated carbon (GAC) increases methane yield by 34% in the first instance. Furthermore, results show that methane production is increased by 54% when a GAC biofilm is developed 10 days before undertaking the BMP test. In addition, the electroactive population was 30% higher when attached to the GAC than in control reactors. Moreover, results show that electroactive communities attached to the GAC increased by 38% when a GAC biofilm is developed 10 days before undertaking the BMP test, additionally only in these reactors Geobacter was identified. GAC has two main effects in anaerobic digestion; it promotes direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) by developing an electro-active biofilm and simultaneously it reduces redox potential from ?223 mV to ?470 mV. These results suggest that the addition of GAC to biodigesters, improves the anaerobic digestion performance in industrial processed food waste.

Keywords: biochemical methane potential; redox potential reduction; direct interspecies electron transfer; electroactive biofilm; Nejayote; granular activated carbon (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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