Roles of acid-producing bacteria in anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge

Abstract

Three acid-producing strains were isolated and identified.

The isolated bacteria accelerated the anaerobic digestion processes.

Bacillus coagulans improved TCOD removal, VS removal and biogas production.

The optimal inoculum concentration of Bacillus coagulans AFB-1 was 30%.

Three acid-producing strains, AFB-1, AFB-2 and AFB-3, were isolated during this study, and their roles in anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS) were evaluated. Data of 16S rRNA method showed that AFB-1 and AFB-2 were Bacillus coagulans, and AFB-3 was Escherichia coli. The removal in terms of volatile solids (VS) and total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) was maximized at 42.7% and 44.7% by inoculating Bacillus coagulans AFB-1. Besides, the optimal inoculum concentration of Bacillus coagulans AFB-1 was 30% (v/v). Solubilization degree experiments indicated that solubilization ratios (SR) of WAS reached 20.8%±2.2%, 17.7%±1.48%, and 11.1%±1.53%. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) concentrations and compositions were also explored with a gas chromatograph. The results showed that VFAs improved by 98.5%, 53.0% and 11.6% than those of the control, respectively. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) experiments revealed that biogas production increased by 90.7% and 75.3% when inoculating with Bacillus coagulans AFB-1 and AFB-2. These results confirmed that the isolated acid-producing bacteria, especially Bacillus coagulans, was a good candidate for anaerobic digestion of WAS.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Anaerobic digestion / Waste activated sludge / Acid-producing bacteria / Bacillus coagulans

References

[1] American Public Health Association (APHA) (2005). Standard Method for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 21st ed. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association

[2] Babel S, Fukushi K, Sitanrassamee B (2004). Effect of acid speciation on solid waste liquefaction in an anaerobic acid digester. Water Research, 38(9): 2416–2422

[3] Bohn J, Yüksel-Dadak A, Dröge S, König H (2017). Isolation of lactic acid-forming bacteria from biogas plants. Journal of Biotechnology, 244: 4–15

[4] Cheng Y, He H, Yang C, Zeng G, Li X, Chen H, Yu G (2016). Challenges and solutions for biofiltration of hydrophobic volatile organic compounds. Biotechnology Advances, 34(6): 1091–1102

[5] Cibis K G, Gneipel A, König H (2016). Isolation of acetic, propionic and butyric acid-forming bacteria from biogas plants. Journal of Biotechnology, 220: 51–63

[6] Dearman B, Bentham R H (2007). Anaerobic digestion of food waste: Comparing leachate exchange rates in sequential batch systems digesting food waste and biosolids. Waste Management, 27(12): 1792–1799

[7] Ding H H, Chang S, Liu Y (2017). Biological hydrolysis pretreatment on secondary sludge: Enhancement of anaerobic digestion and mechanism study. Bioresource Technology, 244(Pt 1): 989–995

[8] Dwyer J, Starrenburg D, Tait S, Barr K, Batstone D J, Lant P (2008). Decreasing activated sludge thermal hydrolysis temperature reduces product colour, without decreasing degradability. Water Research, 42(18): 4699–4709

[9] Feng L, Chen Y, Zheng X (2009). Enhancement of waste activated sludge protein conversion and volatile fatty acids accumulation during waste activated sludge anaerobic fermentation by carbohydrate substrate addition: the effect of pH. Environmental Science & Technology, 43(12): 4373–4380

[10] Feng L, Luo J, Chen Y (2015). Dilemma of sewage sludge treatment and disposal in China. Environmental Science & Technology, 49(8): 4781–4782

[11] Guo J, Yang C, Zeng G (2013). Treatment of swine wastewater using chemically modified zeolite and bioflocculant from activated sludge. Bioresource Technology, 143: 289–297

[12] He H J, Xiang Z H, Chen X J, Chen H, Huang H, Wen M, Yang C P (2017). Biosorption of Cd (II) from synthetic wastewater using dry biofilms from biotrickling filters. International Journal of Environmental Science & Technology,

[13] Hwang M H, Jang N J, Hyun S H, Kim I S (2004). Anaerobic bio-hydrogen production from ethanol fermentation: The role of pH. Journal of Biotechnology, 111(3): 297–309

[14] Jiang J, Zhang Y, Li K, Wang Q, Gong C, Li M (2013). Volatile fatty acids production from food waste: effects of pH, temperature, and organic loading rate. Bioresource Technology, 143: 525–530

[15] Kavitha S, Preethi J, Rajesh Banu J,Yeom I T (2017). Low temperature thermochemical mediated energy and economically efficient biological disintegration of sludge: simulation and prediction studies for anaerobic biodegradation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 317: 481–492

[16] Kavitha S, Yukesh Kannah R, Yeom I T, Do K U, Banu J R (2015). Combined thermo-chemo-sonic disintegration of waste activated sludge for biogas production. Bioresource Technology, 197: 383–392

[17] Kepp U, Machenbach I, Weisz N, Solheim O E (2000). Enhanced stabilisation of sewage sludge through thermal hydrolysis—Three years of experience with full scale plant. Water Science & Technology, 42(9): 89–96

[18] Kuglarz M, Karakashev D, Angelidaki I (2013). Microwave and thermal pretreatment as methods for increasing the biogas potential of secondary sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants. Bioresource Technology, 134(2): 290–297

[19] Li X, Yang W L, He H, Wu S, Zhou Q, Yang C, Zeng G, Luo L, Lou W (2018). Responses of microalgae Coelastrella sp. to stress of cupric ions in treatment of anaerobically digested swine wastewater. Bioresource Technology, 251: 274–279

[20] Liu X L, Liu H, Du G C, Chen J (2009). Improved bioconversion of volatile fatty acids from waste activated sludge by pretreatment. Water Environment Research A Research Publication of the Water Environment Federation, 81(1): 13–20

[21] Lizama A C, Figueiras C C, Herrera R R, Pedreguera A Z, Ruiz Espinoza J E (2017). Effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on the solubilization and kinetic study of biogas production from anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 123: 1–9

[22] Lv Y T, Chen X, Wang L, Ju K, Chen X Q, Miao R, Wang X D (2016). Microprofiles of activated sludge aggregates using microelectrodes in completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) reactor. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 10(2): 390–398

[23] Peng L, Yang C, Zeng G, Wang L, Dai C, Long Z, Liu H, Zhong Y (2014). Characterization and application of bioflocculant prepared by Rhodococcus erythropolis using sludge and livestock wastewater as cheap culture media. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 98(15): 6847–6858

[24] Qiao W, Yan X Y, Ye J H, Sun Y F, Wang W, Zhang Z Z (2011). Evaluation of biogas production from different biomass wastes with/without hydrothermal pretreatment. Renewable Energy, 36(12): 3313–3318

[25] Schlüter A, Bekel T, Diaz N N, Dondrup M, Eichenlaub R, Gartemann K H, Krahn I, Krause L, Krömeke H, Kruse O, Mussgnug J H, Neuweger H, Niehaus K, Pühler A, Runte K J, Szczepanowski R, Tauch A, Tilker A, Viehöver P, Goesmann A (2008). The metagenome of a biogas-producing microbial community of a production-scale biogas plant fermenter analysed by the 454-pyrosequencing technology. Journal of Biotechnology, 136(1–2): 77–90

[26] Sharma K K, Sharma S, Karp M, Kuhad R C (2012). Ligninolytic enzymes improve soil DNA purity: Solution to methodological challenges of soil metagenomics. Journal of Molecular Catalysis, B Enzymatic, 83(5): 73–79

[27] Ushani U, Rajesh Banu J, Kavitha S, Kaliappan S, Yeom I T (2017). Immobilized and MgSO₄ induced cost effective bacterial disintegration of waste activated sludge for effective anaerobic digestion. Chemosphere, 175: 66–75

[28] Viéitez E R, Ghosh S (1999). Biogasification of solid wastes by two-phase anaerobic fermentation. Biomass & Bioenergy, 16(5): 299–309

[29] Wu S H, Shen Z Q, Yang C P, Zhou Y X, Li X, Zeng G M, Ai S J, He H J (2017). Effects of C/N ratio and bulking agent on speciation of Zn and Cu and enzymatic activity during pig manure composting. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 119: 429–436

[30] Yan S T, Miyanaga K, Xing X H, Tanji T (2008). Succession of bacterial community and enzymatic activities of activated sludge by heat-treatment for reduction of excess sludge. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 39(3): 598–603

[31] Yang C, Chen H, Zeng G, Yu G, Luo S (2010a). Biomass accumulation and control strategies in gas biofiltration. Biotechnology Advances, 28(4): 531–540

[32] Yang C, Wang J, Lei M, Xie G, Zeng G, Luo S (2010b). Biosorption of zinc(II) from aqueous solution by dried activated sludge. Journal of Environmental Sciences-China, 22(5): 675–680

[33] Yang Y F, Zhang Y B, Li Z Y, Zhao Z Q, Quan X, Zhao Z S (2017). Adding granular activated carbon into anaerobic sludge digestion to promote methane production and sludge decomposition. Journal of Cleaner Production, 149: 1101–1108

[34] Yu R, Zhang S W, Chen Z K, Li, C Y (2017a). Isolation and application of predatory Bdellovibrio-and-like organisms for municipal waste sludge biolysis and dewaterability enhancement. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 11(1): 10

[35] Yu T, Deng Y H, Liu H Y, Yang C P, Wu B W, Zeng G M, Lu L, Nishimura F (2017b). Effect of alkaline microwaving pretreatment on anaerobic digestion and biogas production of swine manure. Scientific Reports, 7(1): 1668 (1–8)

[36] Zhang L L, He X, Zhang Z X, Cang D Q, Nwe K A, Zheng L, Li Z F, Cheng S K (2017). Evaluating the influences of Zno engineering nanomaterials on VFA accumulation in sludge anaerobic digestion. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 125: 206–211

[37] Zhou Q, Lin Y, Li X, Yang C, Han Z, Zeng G, Lu L, He S (2018). Effect of zinc ions on nutrient removal and growth of Lemna aequinoctialis from anaerobically digested swine wastewater. Bioresource Technology, 249: 457–463

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press and Springer–Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature