2020 journal article

Increased loading stress leads to convergence of microbial communities and high methane yields in adapted anaerobic co-digesters

Water Research, 169, 115155.

By: L. Wang  n, E. Hossen n, T. Aziz  n, J. Ducoste n  & . Reyes n

co-author countries: United States of America πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ
author keywords: Anaerobic co-digestion; Grease interceptor waste; Fat, oil and grease (FOG); Perturbation; Adaptation history; Microbial community dynamics
MeSH headings : Anaerobiosis; Bioreactors; Methane; Microbiota; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Sewage
Source: ORCID
Added: October 12, 2019

Enhancing biogas production, while avoiding inhibition of methanogenesis during co-digestion of grease interceptor waste (GIW), can help water resource recovery facilities reduce their carbon footprint. Here we used pre-adapted and non-adapted digesters to link microbial community structure to digester function. Before disturbance, the pre-adapted and non-adapted digesters showed similar methane production and microbial community diversity but dissimilar community composition. When exposed to an identical disturbance, the pre-adapted digester achieved better performance, while the non-adapted digester was inhibited. When re-exposed to disturbance after recovery, communities and performance of both digesters converged, regardless of the temporal variations. Co-digestion of up to 75% GIW added on a volatile solids (VS) basis was achieved, increasing methane yield by 336% from 0.180 to 0.785 l-methane/g-VS-added, the highest methane yield reported to date for lipid-rich waste. Progressive perturbation substantially enriched fatty acid-degrading Syntrophomonas from less than 1% to 24.6% of total 16S rRNA gene sequences, acetoclastic Methanosaeta from 2.3% to 11.9%, and hydrogenotrophic Methanospirillum from less than 1% to 6.6% in the pre-adapted digester. Specific hydrolytic and fermentative populations also increased. These ecological insights demonstrated how progressive perturbation can be strategically used to influence methanogenic microbiomes and improve co-digestion of GIW.