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He K, Li W, Tang L, Li W, Lv S, Xing D. Suppressing Methane Production to Boost High-Purity Hydrogen Production in Microbial Electrolysis Cells. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:11931-11951. [PMID: 35969804 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c02371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogen gas (H2) is an attractive fuel carrier due to its high specific enthalpy; moreover, it is a clean source of energy because in the combustion reaction with oxygen (O2) it produces water as the only byproduct. The microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is a promising technology for producing H2 from simple or complex organics present in wastewater and solid wastes. Methanogens and non-archaeal methane (CH4)-producing microorganisms (NAMPMs) often grow in the MECs and lead to rapid conversion of produced H2 to CH4. Moreover, non-archaeal methane production (NAMP) catalyzed by nitrogenase of photosynthetic bacteria was always overlooked. Thus, suppression of CH4 production is required to enhance H2 yield and production rate. This review comprehensively addresses the principles and current state-of-the-art technologies for suppressing methanogenesis and NAMP in MECs. Noteworthy, specific strategies aimed at the inhibition of methanogenic enzymes and nitrogenase could be a more direct approach than physical and chemical strategies for repressing the growth of methanogenic archaea. In-depth studies on the multiomics of CH4 metabolism can possibly provide insights into sustainable and efficient approaches for suppressing metabolic pathways of methanogenesis and NAMP. The main objective of this review is to highlight key concepts, directions, and challenges related to boosting H2 generation by suppressing CH4 production in MECs. Finally, perspectives are briefly outlined to guide and advance the future direction of MECs for production of high-purity H2 based on genetic and metabolic engineering and on the interspecific interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuanchang He
- Research Center for Eco-environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Wei Li
- Research Center for Eco-environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Longxiang Tang
- Research Center for Eco-environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Wei Li
- Research Center for Eco-environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Sihao Lv
- Research Center for Eco-environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Defeng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
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Abstract
The urgent need to replace fossil fuels has seen macroalgae advancing as a potential feedstock for anaerobic digestion. The natural methane productivity (dry weight per hectare) of seaweeds is greater than in many terrestrial plant systems. As part of their defence systems, seaweeds, unlike terrestrial plants, produce a range of halogenated secondary metabolites, especially chlorinated and brominated compounds. Some orders of brown seaweeds also accumulate iodine, up to 1.2% of their dry weight. Fluorine remains rather unusual within the chemical structure. Halogenated hydrocarbons have moderate to high toxicities. In addition, halogenated organic compounds constitute a large group of environmental chemicals due to their extensive use in industry and agriculture. In recent years, concerns over the environmental fate and release of these halogenated organic compounds have resulted in research into their biodegradation and the evidence emerging shows that many of these compounds are more easily degraded under strictly anaerobic conditions compared to aerobic biodegradation. Biosorption via seaweed has become an alternative to the existing technologies in removing these pollutants. Halogenated compounds are known inhibitors of methane production from ruminants and humanmade anaerobic digesters. The focus of this paper is reviewing the available information on the effects of halogenated organic compounds on anaerobic digestion.
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Ren S, Usman M, Tsang DCW, O-Thong S, Angelidaki I, Zhu X, Zhang S, Luo G. Hydrochar-Facilitated Anaerobic Digestion: Evidence for Direct Interspecies Electron Transfer Mediated through Surface Oxygen-Containing Functional Groups. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:5755-5766. [PMID: 32259430 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Acceleration of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process is crucial to achieving energy-efficient recycling of organic wastes. Hydrochar is produced by hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass, yet its application in the AD process is rarely reported. The present study showed that sewage sludge-derived hydrochar (SH) enhanced the methane production rate of glucose by 37%. SH increased the methane production rate from acetate but did not affect acidification and the methane production rate from H2/CO2. SH enhanced hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, which could be due to direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) by converting H+, e-, and CO2 to methane. Trichococcus and Methanosaeta were dominant in the AD process with SH. Label-free proteomic analysis showed Methanosaeta was involved in DIET as reflected by the up-regulation of proteins involved in hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Hydrochars derived from corn straw (CH), Enteromorpha algae (EH), and poplar wood (PH), as well as activated carbon (AC), were also tested in the AD process. SH, CH, and EH obviously increased the methane production rates, which were 39%, 15%, and 20% higher than the control experiment, respectively. It was neither electrical conductivity nor the total redox property of hydrochars and AC but the abundances of surface oxygen-containing functional groups that correlated to the methane production rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Ren
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Muhammad Usman
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Daniel C W Tsang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sompong O-Thong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Thaksin University, Phathalung, 93110, Thailand
| | - Irini Angelidaki
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Xiangdong Zhu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Shanghai Technical Service Platform for Pollution Control and Resource Utilization of Organic Wastes, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Shicheng Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Shanghai Technical Service Platform for Pollution Control and Resource Utilization of Organic Wastes, Shanghai 200438, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Luo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Shanghai Technical Service Platform for Pollution Control and Resource Utilization of Organic Wastes, Shanghai 200438, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
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Amha YM, Anwar MZ, Brower A, Jacobsen CS, Stadler LB, Webster TM, Smith AL. Inhibition of anaerobic digestion processes: Applications of molecular tools. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2018; 247:999-1014. [PMID: 28918349 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.08.210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Inhibition of anaerobic digestion (AD) due to perturbation caused by substrate composition and/or operating conditions can significantly reduce performance. Such perturbations could be limited by elucidating microbial community response to inhibitors and devising strategies to increase community resilience. To this end, advanced molecular methods are increasingly being applied to study the AD microbiome, a diverse community of microbial populations with complex interactions. This literature review of AD inhibition studies indicates that inhibitory concentrations are highly variable, likely stemming from differences in community structure or activity profile and previous exposure to inhibitors. More recent molecular methods such as 'omics' tools, substrate mapping, and real-time sequencing are helping to unravel the complexity of AD inhibition by elucidating physiological and ecological significance of key microbial populations. The AD community must strive towards developing predictive abilities to avoid system failure (e.g., real-time tracking of an indicator species) to improve resilience of AD systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamrot M Amha
- Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, 3620 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Muhammad Zohaib Anwar
- mBioInform ApS, Ole Maaloes Vej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark; Department of Environmental Sciences, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej, 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Andrew Brower
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, TX 77005, USA
| | - Carsten S Jacobsen
- mBioInform ApS, Ole Maaloes Vej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark; Department of Environmental Sciences, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej, 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Lauren B Stadler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, TX 77005, USA
| | - Tara M Webster
- Soil and Crop Sciences Section, Cornell University, 306 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Adam L Smith
- Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, 3620 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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Enhanced waste activated sludge digestion using a submerged anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactor: performance, sludge characteristics and microbial community. Sci Rep 2016; 6:20111. [PMID: 26830464 PMCID: PMC4735592 DOI: 10.1038/srep20111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) plays an important role in waste activated sludge (WAS) treatment; however, conventional AD (CAD) process needs substantial improvements, especially for the treatment of WAS with low solids content and poor anaerobic biodegradability. Herein, we propose a submerged anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactor (AnDMBR) for simultaneous WAS thickening and digestion without any pretreatment. During the long-term operation, the AnDMBR exhibited an enhanced sludge reduction and improved methane production over CAD process. Moreover, the biogas generated in the AnDMBR contained higher methane content than CAD process. Stable carbon isotopic signatures elucidated the occurrence of combined methanogenic pathways in the AnDMBR process, in which hydrogenotrophic methanogenic pathway made a larger contribution to the total methane production. It was also found that organic matter degradation was enhanced in the AnDMBR, thus providing more favorable substrates for microorganisms. Pyrosequencing revealed that Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were abundant in bacterial communities and Methanosarcina and Methanosaeta in archaeal communities, which played an important role in the AnDMBR system. This study shed light on the enhanced digestion of WAS using AnDMBR technology.
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Hao L, Lü F, Mazéas L, Desmond-Le Quéméner E, Madigou C, Guenne A, Shao L, Bouchez T, He P. Stable isotope probing of acetate fed anaerobic batch incubations shows a partial resistance of acetoclastic methanogenesis catalyzed by Methanosarcina to sudden increase of ammonia level. WATER RESEARCH 2015; 69:90-99. [PMID: 25437341 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2014.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Revised: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/08/2014] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia inhibition represents a major operational issue for anaerobic digestion. In order to refine our understanding of the terminal catabolic steps in thermophilic anaerobic digestion under ammonia stress, we studied batch thermophilic acetate fed experiments at low (0.26 g L(-1)) and high (7.00 g L(-1)) Total Ammonia Nitrogen concentrations (TAN). Although methane production started immediately for all incubations and resulted in methane yields close to stoichiometric expectations, a 62-72% decrease of methanogenic rate was observed throughout the incubation at 7.00 g L(-1) of TAN compared to 0.26 g L(-1). Stable Isotope Probing analysis of active microbial communities in (13)C-acetate fed experiments coupled to automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis and 16S rDNA pyrotag sequencing confirmed that microbial communities were similar for both TAN conditions. At both TAN levels, the (13)C-labeled bacterial community was mainly affiliated to Clostridia-relatives, with OPB54 bacteria being the most abundant sequence in the heavy DNA 16S rDNA pyrotag library. Sequences closely related to Methanosarcina thermophila were also abundantly retrieved in the heavy DNA fractions, showing that this methanogen was still actively assimilating labeled carbon from acetate at free ammonia nitrogen concentrations up to 916 mg L(-1). Stable isotopic signature analysis of biogas, measured in unlabeled acetate fed experiments that were conducted in parallel, confirmed that acetoclastic methanogenic pathway was dominant at both ammonia concentrations. Our work demonstrates that, besides the syntrophic acetate oxidation pathway, acetoclastic methanogenesis catalyzed by Methanosarcina can also play a major role in methane production at high ammonia levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Irstea, UR HBAN, F-92761 Antony, France; Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Fan Lü
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | | | | | | | | | - Liming Shao
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Minist Housing & Urban Rural Dev PR China MOHURD, Ctr Technol Res & Training Household Waste Small, Beijing, China
| | | | - Pinjing He
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Minist Housing & Urban Rural Dev PR China MOHURD, Ctr Technol Res & Training Household Waste Small, Beijing, China.
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Hao L, Lü F, Wu Q, Shao L, He P. High concentrations of methyl fluoride affect the bacterial community in a thermophilic methanogenic sludge. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92604. [PMID: 24658656 PMCID: PMC3962445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
To precisely control the application of methyl fluoride (CH3F) for analysis of methanogenic pathways, the influence of 0–10% CH3F on bacterial and archaeal communities in a thermophilic methanogenic sludge was investigated. The results suggested that CH3F acts specifically on acetoclastic methanogenesis. The inhibitory effect stabilized at an initial concentration of 3–5%, with around 90% of the total methanogenic activity being suppressed, and a characteristic of hydrogenotrophic pathway in isotope fractionation was demonstrated under this condition. However, extended exposure (12 days) to high concentrations of CH3F (>3%) altered the bacterial community structure significantly, resulting in increased diversity and decreased evenness, which can be related to acetate oxidation and CH3F degradation. Bacterial clone library analysis showed that syntrophic acetate oxidizing bacteria Thermacetogenium phaeum were highly enriched under the suppression of 10% CH3F. However, the methanogenic community did not change obviously. Thus, excessive usage of CH3F over the long term can change the composition of the bacterial community. Therefore, data from studies involving the use of CH3F as an acetoclast inhibitor should be interpreted with care. Conversely, CH3F has been suggested as a factor to stimulate the enrichment of syntrophic acetate oxidizing bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fan Lü
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (FL); (PH)
| | - Qing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liming Shao
- Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Centre for the Technology Research and Training on Household Waste in Small Towns & Rural Area, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of P.R. China (MOHURD), Shanghai, China
| | - Pinjing He
- Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Centre for the Technology Research and Training on Household Waste in Small Towns & Rural Area, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of P.R. China (MOHURD), Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (FL); (PH)
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Lin Y, Lü F, Shao L, He P. Influence of bicarbonate buffer on the methanogenetic pathway during thermophilic anaerobic digestion. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2013; 137:245-253. [PMID: 23587826 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.03.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Revised: 03/10/2013] [Accepted: 03/13/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the influence of bicarbonate on the metabolic pathway of methanogenesis, different concentrations of bicarbonate (0-0.2 mol/L) were applied during thermophilic anaerobic digestion of 2.5 and 5 g/L glucose. The stable carbon isotopic results demonstrated that, as the bicarbonate concentration increased, the proportion of total CH4 generated from hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis generally increased. Furthermore, methane production rates and acetate degradation rates were seriously reduced under high levels of bicarbonate (0.15 and 0.2 mol/L). Meanwhile, carbon isotope fractionation was more prominent in treatments with 5 g/L glucose than that of 2.5 g/L glucose. Increased concentrations of bicarbonate altered the dominant methanogens and bacteria and increased the microbial diversity. The inhibitory effects of high concentrations of bicarbonate suggested that bicarbonate should be used cautiously as a buffer salt in anaerobic processes, especially when methanogenetic pathways were studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucheng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
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Hao LP, Lü F, Li L, Shao LM, He PJ. Shift of pathways during initiation of thermophilic methanogenesis at different initial pH. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2012; 126:418-424. [PMID: 22227145 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2011.12.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2011] [Revised: 12/12/2011] [Accepted: 12/13/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the metabolic pathways during the initiation of methanogenesis from acid crisis, the influence of initial pH (5.0-6.5) on thermophilic methanogenic conversion of 100mmol/L acetate was monitored based on the isotopic signature and selective-inhibition method combined with analysis of the microbial structure. The results showed, lower pH extended the lag phase for methanogenesis which was inhibited at pH5.0 throughout the incubation. At initial pH6.0-6.5, methanogenesis was primarily initiated via acetoclastic methanogenesis (AM), with the fraction of the hydrogenotrophic pathway (f(mc)) accounting for 21-22% of total methane formation. Conversely, at initial pH5.5, the dominant pathway shifted to syntrophic acetate oxidation coupled with hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis (SAO-HM), with f(mc) rising to 51% and the abundance of syntrophic acetate-oxidizing bacteria increasing remarkably. Methanogenesis could initiate independently via SAO-HM pathway when AM pathway was inhibited. Acetate-oxidizing syntrophs could function as the initiation center of methanogenesis from low-pH crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ping Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
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