Temperature and solids retention time control microbial population dynamics and volatile fatty acid production in replicated anaerobic digesters.

ABSTRACT: Anaerobic digestion is a widely used technology for waste stabilization and generation of biogas, and has recently emerged as a potentially important process for the production of high value volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and alcohols. Here, three reactors were seeded with inoculum from a stably performing methanogenic digester, and selective operating conditions (37°C and 55°C; 12 day and 4 day solids retention time) were applied to restrict methanogenesis while maintaining hydrolysis and fermentation. Replicated experiments performed at each set of operating conditions led to reproducible VFA production profiles which could be correlated with specific changes in microbial community composition. The mesophilic reactor at short solids retention time showed accumulation of propionate and aceta

SUBMITTER: Vanwonterghem I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4329568 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature