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Wang Y, Wei W, Dai X, Ni BJ. Corncob ash boosts fermentative hydrogen production from waste activated sludge. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:151064. [PMID: 34673056 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
With the increasing demand for sustainable development, the recycling and utilization of wastes has received widespread attention. This study proposed a green method of using one waste, corncob ash, to boost microbial the production of hydrogen from another waste, waste activated sludge, during anaerobic fermentation. The corncob ash dosage and the fermentative hydrogen production was positively correlated, and the maximum production of hydrogen reached up to 46.8 ± 1.0 mL/g VS, which was about 3.5 times that of the control group without corncob ash dosage (17.0 ± 0.9 mL/g VS). Mechanistic studies found that corncob ash was beneficial to the solubilization, hydrolysis and acetogenesis processes involved in fermentative hydrogen production process. The microbial community analysis indicated that corncob ash enriched more hydrolytic microorganisms (e.g., Bacteroides sp. and Leptolinea sp.), and has less impact on acidifying microorganisms, compared to the control group. The strategy of using corncob ash to boost the production of hydrogen during anaerobic waste activated sludge fermentation proposed in this study might provide a new waste-control-waste paradigm, making sludge disposal and wastewater treatment more sustainable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Wei Wei
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Xiaohu Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
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2
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Wang Y, Wei W, Dai X, Ni BJ. Coconut shell ash enhances short-chain fatty acids production from anaerobic algae fermentation. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 338:125494. [PMID: 34256219 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study proposed a novel method to enhance short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production from anaerobic algae fermentation by using coconut shell ash. The maximum SCFAs production was 683.0 mg COD/g VS at the ash dosage of 1.2 g/g TS, which was about 1.4-folds that of the control, and the enhancement of acetate production was the main path for the promotion of SCFAs. Coconut shell ash increased the pH and alkalinity of digestate, thereby reducing the use of alkaline reagents and being more resistant to acidic environments. Coconut shell ash promoted the processes of solubilization, hydrolysis and acetogenesis, and enriched hydrolytic microorganisms (e.g., Candidatus Microthrix) and acidifying microorganisms with acetate as substrate (e.g., Caldilinea and Proteiniphilum). Anaerobic fermentation residue with ash containing inorganic elements has the potential to be used as fertilizer, making this waste-control-waste strategy with more economic and environmental benefits for potential practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Wei Wei
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Xiaohu Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
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Wintsche B, Jehmlich N, Popp D, Harms H, Kleinsteuber S. Metabolic Adaptation of Methanogens in Anaerobic Digesters Upon Trace Element Limitation. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:405. [PMID: 29593674 PMCID: PMC5859356 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a complex multi-stage process relying on the activity of highly diverse microbial communities including hydrolytic, acidogenic and syntrophic acetogenic bacteria as well as methanogenic archaea. The lower diversity of methanogenic archaea compared to the bacterial groups involved in AD and the corresponding lack of functional redundancy cause a stronger susceptibility of methanogenesis to unfavorable process conditions such as trace element (TE) deprivation, thus controlling the stability of the overall process. Here, we investigated the effects of a slowly increasing TE deficit on the methanogenic community function in a semi-continuous biogas process. The aim of the study was to understand how methanogens in digester communities cope with TE limitation and sustain their growth and metabolic activity. Two lab-scale biogas reactors fed with distillers grains and supplemented with TEs were operated in parallel for 76 weeks before one of the reactors was subjected to TE deprivation, leading to a decline of cobalt and molybdenum concentrations from 0.9 to 0.2 mg/L, nickel concentrations from 2.9 to 0.8 mg/L, manganese concentrations from 38 to 18 mg/L, and tungsten concentrations from 1.4 to 0.2 mg/L. Amplicon sequencing of mcrA genes revealed Methanosarcina (72%) and Methanoculleus (23%) as the predominant methanogens in the undisturbed reactors. With increasing TE limitation, the relative abundance of Methanosarcina dropped to 67% and a slight decrease of acetoclastic methanogenic activity was observed in batch tests with 13C-methyl-labeled acetate, suggesting a shift toward syntrophic acetate oxidation coupled to hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Metaproteome analysis revealed abundance shifts of the enzymes involved in methanogenic pathways. Proteins involved in methylotrophic and acetoclastic methanogenesis decreased in abundance while formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase from Methanosarcinaceae increased, confirming our hypothesis of a shift from acetoclastic to hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis by Methanosarcina. Both Methanosarcina and Methanoculleus increased the abundance of N5-methyltetrahydromethanopterin-coenzyme M methyltransferase and methyl-coenzyme M reductase. However, these efforts to preserve the ion motive force for energy conservation were seemingly more successful in Methanoculleus. We conclude that both methanogenic genera use different strategies to stabilize their energy balance under TE limitation. Methanosarcina switched from TE expensive pathways (methylotrophic and acetoclastic methanogenesis) to hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Methanoculleus showed a higher robustness and was favored over the more fastidious Methanosarcina, thus stabilizing reactor performance under TE limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babett Wintsche
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nico Jehmlich
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Denny Popp
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hauke Harms
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sabine Kleinsteuber
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
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4
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Wintsche B, Jehmlich N, Popp D, Harms H, Kleinsteuber S. Metabolic Adaptation of Methanogens in Anaerobic Digesters Upon Trace Element Limitation. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:405. [PMID: 29593674 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00405/full] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a complex multi-stage process relying on the activity of highly diverse microbial communities including hydrolytic, acidogenic and syntrophic acetogenic bacteria as well as methanogenic archaea. The lower diversity of methanogenic archaea compared to the bacterial groups involved in AD and the corresponding lack of functional redundancy cause a stronger susceptibility of methanogenesis to unfavorable process conditions such as trace element (TE) deprivation, thus controlling the stability of the overall process. Here, we investigated the effects of a slowly increasing TE deficit on the methanogenic community function in a semi-continuous biogas process. The aim of the study was to understand how methanogens in digester communities cope with TE limitation and sustain their growth and metabolic activity. Two lab-scale biogas reactors fed with distillers grains and supplemented with TEs were operated in parallel for 76 weeks before one of the reactors was subjected to TE deprivation, leading to a decline of cobalt and molybdenum concentrations from 0.9 to 0.2 mg/L, nickel concentrations from 2.9 to 0.8 mg/L, manganese concentrations from 38 to 18 mg/L, and tungsten concentrations from 1.4 to 0.2 mg/L. Amplicon sequencing of mcrA genes revealed Methanosarcina (72%) and Methanoculleus (23%) as the predominant methanogens in the undisturbed reactors. With increasing TE limitation, the relative abundance of Methanosarcina dropped to 67% and a slight decrease of acetoclastic methanogenic activity was observed in batch tests with 13C-methyl-labeled acetate, suggesting a shift toward syntrophic acetate oxidation coupled to hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Metaproteome analysis revealed abundance shifts of the enzymes involved in methanogenic pathways. Proteins involved in methylotrophic and acetoclastic methanogenesis decreased in abundance while formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase from Methanosarcinaceae increased, confirming our hypothesis of a shift from acetoclastic to hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis by Methanosarcina. Both Methanosarcina and Methanoculleus increased the abundance of N5-methyltetrahydromethanopterin-coenzyme M methyltransferase and methyl-coenzyme M reductase. However, these efforts to preserve the ion motive force for energy conservation were seemingly more successful in Methanoculleus. We conclude that both methanogenic genera use different strategies to stabilize their energy balance under TE limitation. Methanosarcina switched from TE expensive pathways (methylotrophic and acetoclastic methanogenesis) to hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Methanoculleus showed a higher robustness and was favored over the more fastidious Methanosarcina, thus stabilizing reactor performance under TE limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babett Wintsche
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nico Jehmlich
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Denny Popp
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hauke Harms
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sabine Kleinsteuber
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
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Montalvo S, Cahn I, Borja R, Huiliñir C, Guerrero L. Use of solid residue from thermal power plant (fly ash) for enhancing sewage sludge anaerobic digestion: Influence of fly ash particle size. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2017; 244:416-422. [PMID: 28787690 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.07.159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The influence of fly ash particle size on methane production and anaerobic biodegradability was evaluated. Assays with different fly ash particle sizes (0.8-2.36mm) at a concentration of 50mg/L were ran under mesophilic conditions. In anaerobic processes operating with fly ash, greater removal of both volatile total and suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand (total and soluble) was achieved, with an increase of methane production between 28% and 96% compared to the control reactors. The highest increase occurred at ash particles sizes of 1.0-1.4mm. The metal concentrations in the digestates obtained after anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge are far below those considered as limiting for the use of sludge in soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Montalvo
- Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Av. Lib. Bdo. O'Higgins 3363, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
| | - I Cahn
- Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Av. Lib. Bdo. O'Higgins 3363, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - R Borja
- Instituto de la Grasa, Campus Universitario Pablo de Olavide - Edificio 46, Ctra. de Utrera, Km. 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - C Huiliñir
- Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Av. Lib. Bdo. O'Higgins 3363, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - L Guerrero
- Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile
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Paulo LM, Ramiro-Garcia J, van Mourik S, Stams AJM, Sousa DZ. Effect of Nickel and Cobalt on Methanogenic Enrichment Cultures and Role of Biogenic Sulfide in Metal Toxicity Attenuation. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1341. [PMID: 28769906 PMCID: PMC5513950 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metals play an important role in microbial metabolism by acting as cofactors for many enzymes. Supplementation of biological processes with metals may result in improved performance, but high metal concentrations are often toxic to microorganisms. In this work, methanogenic enrichment cultures growing on H2/CO2 or acetate were supplemented with trace concentrations of nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co), but no significant increase in methane production was observed in most of the tested conditions. However, high concentrations of these metals were detrimental to methanogenic activity of the cultures. Cumulative methane production (after 6 days of incubation) from H2/CO2 was 40% lower in the presence of 8 mM of Ni or 30 mM of Co, compared to controls without metal supplementation. When acetate was used as substrate, cumulative methane production was also reduced: by 18% with 8 mM of Ni and by 53% with 30 mM of Co (after 6 days of incubation). Metal precipitation with sulfide was further tested as a possible method to alleviate metal toxicity. Anaerobic sludge was incubated with Co (30 mM) and Ni (8 mM) in the presence of sulfate or sulfide. The addition of sulfide helped to mitigate the toxic effect of the metals. Methane production from H2/CO2 was negatively affected in the presence of sulfate, possibly due to competition of hydrogenotrophic methanogens by sulfate-reducing bacteria. However, in the enrichment cultures growing on acetate, biogenically produced sulfide had a positive effect and more methane was produced in these incubations than in similar assays without sulfate addition. The outcome of competition between methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria is a determinant factor for the success of using biogenic sulfide as detoxification method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara M. Paulo
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen UniversityWageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Simon van Mourik
- Farm Technology Group, Plant Sciences GroupWageningen, Netherlands
| | - Alfons J. M. Stams
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen UniversityWageningen, Netherlands
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de GualtarBraga, Portugal
| | - Diana Z. Sousa
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen UniversityWageningen, Netherlands
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Huiliñir C, Pinto-Villegas P, Castillo A, Montalvo S, Guerrero L. Biochemical methane potential from sewage sludge: Effect of an aerobic pretreatment and fly ash addition as source of trace elements. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2017; 64:140-148. [PMID: 28325706 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2017.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The effect of aerobic pretreatment and fly ash addition on the production of methane from mixed sludge is studied. Three assays with pretreated and not pretreated mixed sludge in the presence of fly ash (concentrations of 0, 10, 25, 50, 250 and 500mg/L) were run at mesophilic condition. It was found that the combined use of aerobic pretreatment and fly ash addition increases methane production up to 70% when the fly ash concentrations were lower than 50mg/L, while concentrations higher than 250mg/L cause up to 11% decrease of methane production. For the anaerobic treatment of mixed sludge without pretreatment, the fly ash improved methane generation at all the concentrations studied, with a maximum of 56%. The removal of volatile solids does not show an improvement compared to the separate use of an aerobic pre-treatment and fly ash addition. Therefore, the combined use of the aerobic pre-treatment and fly ash addition improves only the production of methane.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Huiliñir
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Paula Pinto-Villegas
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alejandra Castillo
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Silvio Montalvo
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Lorna Guerrero
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Ambiental, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Marıa, Valparaıso, Chile
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Huiliñir C, Montalvo S, Guerrero L. Biodegradability and methane production from secondary paper and pulp sludge: effect of fly ash and modeling. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2015; 72:230-237. [PMID: 26177405 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2015.210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The effect of fly ash on biodegradability and methane production from secondary paper and pulp sludge, including its modeling, was evaluated. Three tests with fly ash concentrations of 0, 10 and 20 mg/L were evaluated at 32 °C. Methane production was modeled using the modified Gompertz equation. The results show that the doses used produce a statistically significant increase of accumulated methane, giving values greater than 225 mL of CH4 per gram of volatile solids (VS) added, and 135% greater than that obtained in the control assay. Biodegradability of VS increased 143% with respect to the control assays, giving values around 43%. The modified Gompertz model can describe well methane generation from residual sludge of the paper industry water treatment, with parameter values between those reported in the literature. Thus, the addition of fly ash to the process causes a significant increase of accumulated methane and VS removal, improving the biodegradability of paper and pulp sludge.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Huiliñir
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile E-mail:
| | - Silvio Montalvo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile E-mail:
| | - Lorna Guerrero
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Marıa, Valparaıso, Chile
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Chellapandi P. In silico description of cobalt and nickel assimilation systems in the genomes of methanogens. SYSTEMS AND SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY 2012. [PMID: 23205154 DOI: 10.1007/s11693-011-9087-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Methanogens are a diverse group of organisms that can live in a wide range of environments. Herein, cobalt and tungsten assimilation pathways have proposed to be established in the genomes of Methanococcus maripaludies C5 and Methanosarcina mazei Go1, respectively. All of the proteins involved in the proposed pathways were identified from public domain databases and then complied manually to reconstruct the pathways. The function of proteins with unknown function was assigned by a combined prediction approach. Totally, 17 proteins were identified to cobalt transport and assimilation processes whereas 7 proteins reported to tungsten assimilation system. Phylogenetic analysis of this study revealed that heavy metal transporter of methanogens could be evolved from closely related members in the different genera of methanogens. Nevertheless, genes encoding for metal resistance proteins could be originated from thermophilic and sulfur reducing bacteria. Many metalloenzymes in methanogens were very unique to the species of methanogens. It implied that these metal ions were utilized to produce the precursors for energy driven processes of methanogens. This study suggested that in combination of systems models and evolutionary inference can only correlate metabolic fluxes and physiological changes in methanogens. In silico models of this study will provide insights to design experiments for heavy metal assimilation processes of methanogens growing under heavy metal-rich environments and or in a laboratory condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Chellapandi
- Department of Bioinformatics, Centre for Excellence in Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, 620024 Tamil Nadu India
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Methanogenic activity tests by Infrared Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy. J Microbiol Methods 2012; 91:89-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2012.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2012] [Revised: 07/18/2012] [Accepted: 07/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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