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Fermentation
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Modern Developments in Anaerobic Digestion Process: Resource Recovery and Energy...
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Modern Developments in Anaerobic Digestion Process: Resource Recovery and Energy Production

A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Industrial Fermentation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 September 2024 | Viewed by 8476

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Muhammad Usman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
Interests: thermochemical treatments (hydrothermal liquefaction, pyrolysis, advanced wet oxidation and steam explosion) of biomass/biowaste; biological treatment of wastewater; biogas production; synthesis of carbon rich materials (hydrochar, biochar), organic and inorganic pollutant degradation, adsorption, DIET and microbial study
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Muhammad Arslan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Interests: constructed wetlands; plant-bacteria interplay; microbial ecology; phytotechnologies; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Anaerobic digestion is an attractive and economical process for waste management and energy recovery. The performance of anaerobic digestion process is attributed to the hydrolysis rate of organics, microbial and metabolic activity. Nevertheless, the presence of several toxic pollutants and ammonia, along with the accumulation of volatile fatty acids, leads to the instability of the anaerobic digestion process. Thus, it is necessary that the anaerobic digestion process is improved for maximum resource recovery and energy. For this purpose, several chemical, biological, and physical approaches have been applied, but each technique has its own merits and demerits. For instance, the two-phase anaerobic digestion process demonstrates better performance in terms of stability and efficiency, along with high methane production. However, the two-phase anaerobic digestion process is extremely energy-intensive and costly. Therefore, it is timely to investigate how the anaerobic digestion process can be enhanced to contribute towards the circular economy and eco-friendly perspectives.

This Special Issue aims to attract both research and review articles on new approaches, recent developments, and the associated challenges related to the enhancement of the anaerobic digestion process. Pre-submission inquiries may be submitted to one of the editors for questions related to the relevance of the topic.

Dr. Muhammad Usman
Dr. Muhammad Arslan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biogas 
  • bioreactors 
  • pretreatments 
  • microbial ecology 
  • hydrolysis 
  • direct interspecies electrons transformation 
  • conductive materials 
  • biomass/biowaste 
  • volatile fatty acid
  • municipal biosolids & wastewater treatment
  • organics & inorganics pollutants 
  • resource recovery 
  • integrated process 
  • life cycle assessment (LCA)

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 847 KiB  
Article
The Hard Reality of Biogas Production through the Anaerobic Digestion of Algae Grown in Dairy Farm Effluents
by Marianne Hull-Cantillo, Mark Lay, Graeme Glasgow and Peter Kovalsky
Fermentation 2024, 10(3), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10030137 - 29 Feb 2024
Viewed by 949
Abstract
Much emphasis has been given to algal biomass growth in dairy farm wastewater. Most of the systems examined require productive land to be converted and/or freshwater use to dilute high concentrations of nutrients found in dairy effluent. A rotating algal biofilm (RABR) provides [...] Read more.
Much emphasis has been given to algal biomass growth in dairy farm wastewater. Most of the systems examined require productive land to be converted and/or freshwater use to dilute high concentrations of nutrients found in dairy effluent. A rotating algal biofilm (RABR) provides the capacity to grow algae without sacrificing productive land or freshwater. In theory, this system would overcome some of the economic and environmental challenges that other systems have. A combination of theoretical information, nutrient uptake formulas, and economic formulas were used to calculate the potential of biogas production from algae grown in an RABR with dairy effluents. The average nutrient uptake was 0.8 mgN/m2 per day and 0.1 mgP/m2 per day. The maximum methane production from the anaerobic digestion of algae was 112 m3/RABR·year. The minimum and maximum economic scenarios resulted in gross profits of NZD −2101 and −1922. After evaluating this system for the first time in the New Zealand dairy farming context, it was found that biogas production from an RABR is not a feasible option for New Zealand dairy farmers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Developments in Anaerobic Digestion Process: Resource Recovery and Energy Production)
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16 pages, 2425 KiB  
Article
Hydrochar-Promoted Methane Production in Mesophilic and Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Hydrothermal Pre-Treated Sludge
by Chaosen Jing, Chao Zhang, Xingzhang Luo and Zheng Zheng
Fermentation 2024, 10(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10010010 - 21 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1058
Abstract
Hydrochar produced during the hydrothermal conversion of organic solid waste could enhance the anaerobic digestion (AD) efficiency of hydrothermal pre-treated sludge. However, there was still a lack of systematic research on the effect of hydrochar on improving the methane production and microbial communities [...] Read more.
Hydrochar produced during the hydrothermal conversion of organic solid waste could enhance the anaerobic digestion (AD) efficiency of hydrothermal pre-treated sludge. However, there was still a lack of systematic research on the effect of hydrochar on improving the methane production and microbial communities of the AD of hydrothermal pre-treated sludge under different temperature conditions. This study explored the effect of hydrochar on methane production from the mesophilic and thermophilic AD of hydrothermal pre-treated sludge and the mechanism of microbial action based on metagenomics analysis. Hydrochar could improve the methane production efficiency of mesophilic and thermophilic AD at different initial concentrations of hydrothermal pre-treated sludge. However, the effect of hydrochar in promoting AD varied under different AD temperatures. Both temperature and hydrochar were crucial factors that could influence the microbial community. Moreover, hydrochar increased the relative abundance of archaea in the AD system, resulting in an increment of 4.99% to 15.30% compared to the control group. Mesophilic reactors exhibit greater microbial diversity. Hydrochar resulted in the significant enrichment of Synergistota in the thermophilic AD system and the enrichment of Firmicutes in the mesophilic AD system, thereby promoting the hydrolysis of proteins and polysaccharides during AD. This study has practical significance for the resource treatment of excess activated sludge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Developments in Anaerobic Digestion Process: Resource Recovery and Energy Production)
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14 pages, 2103 KiB  
Article
Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Cattle Manure and Brewer’s Residual Yeast: Process Stability and Methane and Hydrogen Sulfide Production
by Luana Alves Akamine, Roberta Passini, João Antônio Silva Sousa, Aline Fernandes and Maria Joselma de Moraes
Fermentation 2023, 9(12), 993; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9120993 - 21 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1338
Abstract
Anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) of animal waste and agro-industrial by-products has been widely studied and employed to increase biogas production potential and enhance process stability. This study evaluated the AcoD of cattle manure (CM) and brewer’s residual yeast (RY) in semi-continuous biodigesters, focusing on [...] Read more.
Anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) of animal waste and agro-industrial by-products has been widely studied and employed to increase biogas production potential and enhance process stability. This study evaluated the AcoD of cattle manure (CM) and brewer’s residual yeast (RY) in semi-continuous biodigesters, focusing on energy potential (biogas and methane yields) and process stability. Four treatments were assessed, each with different proportions (% of volatile solids) of CM and RY: 100:0, 88:12, 78:22, and 68:32. Trials were conducted in 30-L tubular reactors at room temperature with a hydraulic retention time of 30 days. The inclusion of RY led to a gradual rise in biogas and methane production, with more significant reductions in solid content than mono-digestion of CM. The addition of RY resulted in daily CH4 production increases of 18.5, 32.3, and 51.9% for treatments with 12, 22, and 32% of RY, respectively, compared to the control treatment. Therefore, AcoD demonstrated a higher potential for energy recovery. However, RY introduced elevated H2S levels in the biogas. Caution is advised when adding this co-substrate to AcoD due to potential process influence and biogas application restrictions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Developments in Anaerobic Digestion Process: Resource Recovery and Energy Production)
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19 pages, 4000 KiB  
Article
Exploring Anaerobic Digestion from Mesophilic to Thermophilic Temperatures—Operational and Microbial Aspects
by Bettina Steiniger, Sebastian Hupfauf, Heribert Insam and Christian Schaum
Fermentation 2023, 9(9), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9090798 - 29 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1673
Abstract
Digesters at water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) operating at different temperatures within the mesophilic and thermophilic temperature range is a flexibilization concept to contribute to heat management. Four 25 L digesters were fed with sewage sludge from a municipal WRRF and were operated [...] Read more.
Digesters at water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) operating at different temperatures within the mesophilic and thermophilic temperature range is a flexibilization concept to contribute to heat management. Four 25 L digesters were fed with sewage sludge from a municipal WRRF and were operated at 37, 43, 47 and 53 °C, respectively, to describe changes in the overall process performance and the microbiota. Specific methane yield and COD degradation rates were the highest at 47 °C, only being up to 7% higher compared with at 37 °C. The increase in pH and concentrations of NH4-N and PO4-P above 43 °C were statistically significant. The effect on the microbial community was strong, indicating both a constant specialization towards thermophilic organisms as well as a change from acetoclastic to hydrogenotrophic/methylotrophic methanogenesis. The influence of temperature on process-engineering and physicochemical aspects was rather small compared with the changes in the microbiota. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Developments in Anaerobic Digestion Process: Resource Recovery and Energy Production)
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16 pages, 4019 KiB  
Article
The Role of Hydrochar in Promoting Methane Production from Anaerobic Digestion with Different Inocula
by Jieyi Sun, Shicheng Zhang and Gang Luo
Fermentation 2023, 9(5), 433; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9050433 - 29 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1561
Abstract
Carbon materials, including hydrochar, can promote methane production from anaerobic digestion, and many previous studies have investigated the mechanism by analyzing changes in the microbial community. Based on the fact that the major functional microorganisms have varied in different studies, in order to [...] Read more.
Carbon materials, including hydrochar, can promote methane production from anaerobic digestion, and many previous studies have investigated the mechanism by analyzing changes in the microbial community. Based on the fact that the major functional microorganisms have varied in different studies, in order to investigate the effect of inocula on the final microbial composition and to compare the promotion effects of hydrochar on different microorganisms, this study introduced inocula from three distinct sources to anaerobic sequential batch reactors and analyzed the microbial community using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Hydrochar showed significant promotion effects for all three of the inocula, by increasing microbial activity at high acid concentrations and/or by reducing butyrate accumulation. The dominant microorganisms in all reactors were Clostridium and Methanosarcina, and hydrochar increased the proportion of acetoclastic methanogens. The bacteria which were promoted by hydrochar (e.g., Aminicenantales, Anaerolineaceae and SBR1031 in anaerobic granular sludge and sludge digestate, as well as Lachnospiraceae in food waste digestate) only accounted for around 10%. The bacteria found to be involved in DIET in earlier studies were lacking in this study. It was speculated that hydrochar acted as an electron intermediate and supported microbial aggregation, while the possibility that hydrochar promoted DIET cannot be ruled out. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Developments in Anaerobic Digestion Process: Resource Recovery and Energy Production)
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14 pages, 1060 KiB  
Article
Metagenomic Binning Revealed Microbial Shifts in Anaerobic Degradation of Phenol with Hydrochar and Pyrochar
by Tao Luo, Jun He, Zhijian Shi, Yan Shi, Shicheng Zhang, Yan Liu and Gang Luo
Fermentation 2023, 9(4), 387; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9040387 - 17 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1273
Abstract
Phenolic compounds, which are difficultly degraded, are one of the main toxic threats faced in the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. It has previously been reported that hydrochar/pyrochar produced by the hydrothermal liquefaction/pyrolysis of biomass can enhance AD by promoting direct interspecific electron transfer [...] Read more.
Phenolic compounds, which are difficultly degraded, are one of the main toxic threats faced in the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. It has previously been reported that hydrochar/pyrochar produced by the hydrothermal liquefaction/pyrolysis of biomass can enhance AD by promoting direct interspecific electron transfer (DIET). The present study investigated the effects of different hydrochars and pyrochars on the anaerobic degradation of phenol and provided deep insights into the related micro-organisms at the species level through genome-centric metagenomic analysis. Compared with the control experiment, the addition of hydrochar and pyrochar shortened the lag time. However, hydrochar created a large increase in the maximum methane production rate (Rm) (79.1%) compared to the control experiments, while the addition of pyrochar decreased Rm. Metagenomic analysis showed that the addition of carbon materials affected the relative abundance of genes in the phenol anaerobic degradation pathway, as well as the species and relative abundance of phenol degrading micro-organisms. The relative abundance of key genes for phenol degradation, such as bsdB, bamB, oah, etc., under the action of hydrochar was higher than those under the action of pyrochar. In addition, hydrochar-enriched phenol degradation-related bacteria (Syntrophus aciditrophicus, etc.) and methanogen (Methanothrix soehngenii, etc.). These micro-organisms might improve the phenol degradation efficiency by promoting DIET. Therefore, hydrochar had a more significant effect in promoting anaerobic degradation of phenol. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Developments in Anaerobic Digestion Process: Resource Recovery and Energy Production)
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