Long-term effectiveness of bioaugmentation with rumen culture in continuous anaerobic digestion of food and vegetable wastes under feed composition fluctuations. (October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jo, Yeadam; Rhee, Chaeyoung; Choi, Hyungmin; Shin, Juhee; Shin, Seung Gu; Lee, Changsoo
• Is Part Of: Bioresource technology. Volume 338(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-10
• Subjects: Bioaugmentation -- Co-digestion -- Feed composition -- Rumen culture -- Seasonal variation; Biomass -- Periodicals; Biomass energy -- Periodicals; Bioremediation -- Periodicals; Agricultural wastes -- Periodicals; Factory and trade waste -- Periodicals; Organic wastes -- Periodicals; Bioénergie -- Périodiques; Déchets agricoles -- Périodiques; Déchets industriels -- Périodiques; Déchets organiques -- Périodiques; Déchets (Combustible) -- Périodiques; 662.88
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125500
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-8524

Abstract

Highlights: Long-term effectiveness of bioaugmentation with RC in KW-FW co-digestion was studied. Bioaugmentation improved the diversity and resilience of reactor microbial community. RC-augmented reactor was more resilient to recurrent feed composition fluctuations. Some RC-derived microbes could remain for a long time and benefit process stability. RC-derived Methanosarcina likely played a key role in improving process resilience. Abstract: Biogas plants treating food waste (FW) often experience feed load and composition fluctuations. In Korea, vegetable waste from the preparation of kimchi comprises over 20% of the total FW production during the Kimjang season. The large production of Kimjang waste (KW) can cause mechanical and operational problems in FW digesters. This study investigated the long-term effectiveness of bioaugmentation with rumen culture (38 months) in an anaerobic reactor co-digesting FW with varying amounts of KW. The bioaugmented reactor maintained better and stabler performance under recurrent fluctuations in feed characteristics than a non-bioaugmented control reactor, particularly under high ammonia conditions. Bioaugmentation increased microbial diversity, thereby improving the resilience of the microbial community. Some augmented microorganisms, especially Methanosarcina, likely played an important role in it. The results suggest that the proposed bioaugmentation strategy may provide a means to effectively treat and valorize KW—and potentially other seasonal lignocellulosic wastes—by co-digestion with FW.