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Anaerobic Environmental Biotechnology and Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 19120

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Prof. Dr. Goksel Demirer

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School of Engineering & Technology, Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, Mt Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
Interests: anaerobic environmental biotechnology; wastewater engineering; waste valorization; resource efficiency; sustainability; pollution prevention; industrial ecology
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Dear Colleagues,

Anaerobic environmental biotechnology (AEB) has traditionally been used for the stabilization of agricultural waste and wastewater treatment sludge. With the advancement in reactor configurations and biomass immobilization techniques, industrial and even domestic wastewaters could be successfully treated with anaerobic systems. Lower operating costs, generation of biomethane, high efficiencies, especially for high-strength wastes, etc. have resulted in a widespread adoption of these systems. However, the potential applications of AEB towards integrated sustainable waste management and value-added bio-based product formation are still at their infant stages.

Waste valorization aims at accomplishing a closed-loop system to maximize the recovery of valuable materials derived from the waste at end-of-life. The wastes should be considered as “renewable resources” that can be used again to generate valuable and marketable products, replacing the exhaustible fossil-based resources. AEB offers a significant waste valorization opportunity while contributing to greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation targets.

AEB converts a wide range of biomass into biogas effectively. Biogas can be upgraded to methane that can also be compressed and used directly as a transport fuel in vehicles designed to run on gas. If CO₂ and other unwanted compounds are removed from the biogas, the methane remaining can be injected directly into the natural gas grid. This will lead to a displacement of natural gas and a consequent reduction in GHG emissions. The effluent of the anaerobic processes (digestate) is a valuable bio-fertilizer that can be used as a renewable source of critical resources, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. It can be used directly as a fertilizer or can be processed further to produce a slow-release fertilizer called struvite.

Moreover, alternative approaches of processing of biomass through AEB can be used to produce organic acids and/or alcohols instead of methane containing biogas. Alternatively, biomass processing can aim for other gaseous products like molecular hydrogen or direct generation of electricity in microbial fuel cells. Several other pathways could also be adopted to generate other high-value products from low-value feedstocks via coupling AEB with other processes.

This Special Issue on “Anaerobic Environmental Biotechnology and Sustainability” calls for original research articles on innovative applications, approaches, case studies, and best practices of AEB towards sustainable waste management and resource recovery practices.

Contributors from academia as well as industry that allow a broader perspective and practical aspects are welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Goksel Demirer
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Anaerobic environmental biotechnology
Waste valorization
Greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation
Digestate
Biogas
Biomethane
Biohydrogen
Volatile fatty acids
Fertilizer
Bio-based products

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1764 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Biogas Production from Sewage Sludge: Impact of Combination with Bovine Dung and Leachate from Municipal Organic Waste

by Mahamadi Nikiema, Narcis Barsan, Ynoussa Maiga, Marius K. Somda, Emilian Mosnegutu, Cheik A. T. Ouattara, Dayeri Dianou, Alfred S. Traore, Valentin Nedeff and Aboubakar S. Ouattara

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4380; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084380 - 07 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2846

Abstract

Biogas is a bioenergy produced from organic or all types of biological degradable wastes and could make it possible to limit energy dependence. Sludge is the best alternative substrate for biogas production at a community-level biogas plant. The literature shows that co-digestion can increase the efficiency of sludge anaerobic digestion. This research, thus, focused on (i) determining the conditions of optimal biogas production in the co-digestion of primary sludge (PS) and bovine dung (BD), (ii) evaluating the impact of leachate from organic waste and cellulose on biogas production. Primary sludge was collected in Bacau town wastewater treatment plant in Romania. The sampling of municipal solid waste was carried out in Ouagadougou pre-collect centers (Burkina Faso). Batch tests were conducted in glass bottles through anaerobic digestion (1 L). The following parameters were monitored during the digestion process: pH, volatile fatty acid (VFA), volatile solids (VS) and biogas production. Primary sludge, bovine dung and leachate showed 50.51%, 72.41% and 70.48% of volatile solids content, respectively. Sludge showed good stability, unlike the other two substrates, such as bovine dung and leachate, with VFA to alkalinity ratio 0.54. Leachate from organic waste had high values of VFA to alkalinity ratio > 3600. Co-digestion could make it possible to raise the levels of organic matter and improve microbial growth and the stability of anaerobic biomass. The best biogas production yield of 152.43 mL/g VS was obtained with a combination of 30% bovine dung and 70% primary sludge at 45 °C, with a 21.57% reduction in organic matter. An improvement in biogas productivity was effective with the addition of leachate, which could be used as an additive element during anaerobic digestion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anaerobic Environmental Biotechnology and Sustainability)

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11 pages, 1367 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Supplementation of Carbon-Based Conductive Materials and Trace Metals to Improve Biogas Production from Apple Pomace

by Addam Claes, Lucy Melchi, Sibel Uludag-Demirer and Goksel N. Demirer

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9488; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179488 - 24 Aug 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2612

Abstract

Due to its high water and organic contents, management of apple pomace (AP) poses several waste management challenges on the apple juice and cider producing industries. Bioconversion of AP into biogas provides an excellent possibility to reduce the environmental challenge faced in the management of AP waste along with producing renewable energy in the form of methane. This study investigated the effect of carbon-based conductive materials (biochar and graphene) and trace metals supplementation to improve biogas production from AP. The results indicate that supplementation of biochar, trace metals, and graphene significantly improves the biogas production from AP. Trace metal and biochar supplementation at a COD concentration of 6000 mg/L resulted in 7.2% and 13.3% increases in the biogas production, respectively. When trace metals and biochar were supplemented together, the biogas production increased by 22.7%. This synergistic effect was also observed at the COD concentration of 12,000 mg/L. The improvement in the biogas formation was significantly higher for graphene supplemented reactors (27.8%). Moreover, biochar and trace metals supplementation also led to 19.6% and 23.0% increases in the methane yield relative to the reactor fed only with AP, respectively. These results suggest anaerobic digestion supplemented with carbon-based conductive materials and trace metals is a viable option for valorizing apple pomace. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anaerobic Environmental Biotechnology and Sustainability)

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11 pages, 1346 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improved Food Waste Stabilization and Valorization by Anaerobic Digestion Through Supplementation of Conductive Materials and Trace Elements

by A. Sinan Akturk and Goksel N. Demirer

Sustainability 2020, 12(12), 5222; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12125222 - 26 Jun 2020

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3450

Abstract

The positive effects of conductive material supplementation on anaerobic digestion have been mainly investigated for single synthetic substrates, while its significance for real and complex organic wastes such as food waste has not been sufficiently investigated. This study investigated the effect of conductive material (biochar and magnetite) and trace metal supplementation on the anaerobic digestion of food waste by means of biochemical methane potential assays. The results indicated that the supplementation of biochar and trace metals improved both total biogas production and methane yields. A biochar dose of 2.0 and 5.0 g/L resulted in 11.2 ± 6.5 and 27.3 ± 9.5% increase in biogas and 8.3 ± 6.8 and 33.2 ± 2.8% increase in methane yield, respectively. Moreover, the same reactors demonstrated high food waste stabilization performance of over 80% chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency. These results indicate that biochar supplementation leads to more enhanced anaerobic digestion operation that could be through increased surface area for microbial growth and/or direct interspecies electron transfer mechanism. In turn, food waste will not only be stabilized but also valorized by anaerobic digestion at higher efficiencies that support sustainable waste management through both environmentally safe disposal and value-added generation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anaerobic Environmental Biotechnology and Sustainability)

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15 pages, 13860 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inhibition during Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Aqueous Pyrolysis Liquid from Wastewater Solids and Synthetic Primary Sludge

by Saba Seyedi, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Nicholas Benn and Daniel Zitomer

Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3441; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083441 - 23 Apr 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3153

Abstract

Pyrolysis can convert wastewater solids into useful byproducts such as pyrolysis gas (py-gas), bio-oil and biochar. However, pyrolysis also yields organic-rich aqueous pyrolysis liquid (APL), which presently has no beneficial use. Autocatalytic pyrolysis can beneficially increase py-gas production and eliminate bio-oil; however, APL is still generated. This study aimed to utilize APLs derived from conventional and autocatalytic wastewater solids pyrolysis as co-digestates to produce biomethane. Results showed that digester performance was not reduced when conventional APL was co-digested. Despite having a lower phenolics concentration, catalyzed APL inhibited methane production more than conventional APL and microbial community analysis revealed a concomitant reduction in acetoclastic Methanosaeta. Long-term (over 500-day) co-digestion of conventional APL with synthetic primary sludge was performed at different APL organic loading rates (OLRs). Acclimation resulted in a doubling of biomass tolerance to APL toxicity. However, at OLRs higher than 0.10 gCOD/L_r-d (COD = chemical oxygen demand, L_r = liter of reactor), methane production was inhibited. In conclusion, conventional APL COD was stoichiometrically converted to methane in quasi steady state, semi-continuous fed co-digesters at OLR ≤ 0.10 gCOD/L_r-d. Undetected organic compounds in the catalyzed APL ostensibly inhibited anaerobic digestion. Strategies such as use of specific acclimated inoculum, addition of biochar to the digester and pretreatment to remove toxicants may improve future APL digestion efforts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anaerobic Environmental Biotechnology and Sustainability)

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15 pages, 1984 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Techno-Economic Analysis of Electrocoagulation on Water Reclamation and Bacterial/Viral Indicator Reductions of a High-Strength Organic Wastewater—Anaerobic Digestion Effluent

by Sibel Uludag-Demirer, Nathan Olson, Rebecca Ives, Jean Pierre Nshimyimana, Cory A. Rusinek, Joan B. Rose and Wei Liao

Sustainability 2020, 12(7), 2697; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072697 - 30 Mar 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3830

Abstract

This study investigated the use of iron and aluminum and their combinations as electrodes to determine the technically sound and economically feasible electrochemical approach for the treatment of anaerobic digestion effluent. The results indicated that the use of iron as anode and cathode is the most suitable solution among different electrode combinations. The reduction of turbidity, total chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Enterococci, and phages in the reclaimed water were 99%, 91%, 100%, 1.5 log, 1.7 log, 1.0 log, and 2.0 log, respectively. The economic assessment further concluded that the average treatment cost is $3 per 1000 L for a small-scale operation handling 3000 L wastewater/day. This study demonstrated that the electrocoagulation (EC) is a promising technique for the recovery and reclamation of water from anaerobic digestion effluent. Even though its energy consumption is higher and the nitrogen removal is insufficient compared to some conventional wastewater treatment technologies, there are several advantages of the EC treatment, such as short retention time, small footprint, no mixing, and gradual addition of coagulants. These features make EC technology applicable to be used alone or combined with other technologies for a wide range of wastewater treatment applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anaerobic Environmental Biotechnology and Sustainability)

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11 pages, 2775 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Exogenous Aerobic Bacteria on Sustainable Methane Production Associated with Municipal Solid Waste Biodegradation: Revealed by High-Throughput Sequencing

by Sai Ge, Jun Ma, Lei Liu and Zhiming Yuan

Sustainability 2020, 12(5), 1815; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051815 - 28 Feb 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2260

Abstract

In this work, the impact of exogenous aerobic bacteria mixture (EABM) on municipal solid waste (MSW) is well evaluated in the following aspects: biogas production, leachate analysis, organic waste degradation, EABM population, and the composition of microbial communities. The study was designed and performed as follows: the control bioreactor (R1) was filled up with MSW and the culture medium of EABM and the experimental bioreactor (R2) was filled up with MSW and EABM. The data suggests that the composition of microbial communities (bacterial and methanogenic) in R1 and R2 were similar at day 0, while the addition of EABM in R2 led to a differential abundance of Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphlyoccus xylosus, and Pantoea agglomerans in two bioreactors. The population of exogenous aerobic bacteria in R2 greatly increased during hydrolysis and acidogenesis stages, and subsequently increased the degradation of volatile solid (VS), protein, lipid, and lignin by 59.25%, 25.68%, 60.47%, and 197.62%, respectively, compared to R1. The duration of hydrolysis and acidogenesis in R2 was 33.33% shorter than that in R1. At the end of the study, the accumulative methane yield in R2 (494.4 L) was almost three times more than that in R1 (187.4 L). In addition, the abundance of acetoclasic methanogens increased at acetogenesis and methanogenesis stages in both bioreactors, which indicates that acetoclasic methanogens (especially Methanoseata) could contribute to methane production. This study demonstrates that EABM can accelerate organic waste degradation to promote MSW biodegradation and methane production. Moreover, the operational parameters helped EABM to generate 20.85% more in accumulative methane yield. With a better understanding of how EABM affects MSW and the composition of bacterial community, this study offers a potential practical approach to MSW disposal and cleaner energy generation worldwide. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anaerobic Environmental Biotechnology and Sustainability)

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