Resource recovery from the anaerobic digestion of food waste is underpinned by cross-kingdom microbial activities. (December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nzeteu, C.; Joyce, A.; Thorn, C.; McDonnell, K.; Shirran, S.; O'Flaherty, V.; Abram, F.
• Is Part Of: Bioresource technology reports. Volume 16(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Subjects: Resource recovery from waste -- Anaerobic digestion -- Metaproteomics -- 16S rRNA profiling; Biomass energy -- Periodicals; Biotransformation (Metabolism) -- Periodicals; Agricultural wastes -- Periodicals; Factory and trade waste -- Periodicals; Organic wastes -- Periodicals; Waste products as fuel -- Periodicals; Waste products as fuel; Organic wastes; Factory and trade waste; Biotransformation (Metabolism); Biomass energy; Agricultural wastes; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 662.88
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biteb.2021.100847
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2589-014X

Abstract

Abstract: As the human population grows on the planet so does the generation of waste and particularly that of food waste. In order to tackle the world sustainability crisis, efforts to recover products from waste are critical. Here, we anaerobically recovered volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from food waste and analysed the microbial populations underpinning the process. An increased contribution of fungi relative to bacteria was observed throughout the reactor operation, with both kingdoms implicated into the main three steps of anaerobic digestion occurring within our systems: hydrolysis, acidogenesis and acetogenesis. Overall, Ascomycota, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were found to drive the anaerobic digestion of food waste, with butyrate as the most abundant VFA likely produced by Clostridium using lactate as a precursor. Taken together we demonstrate that the generation of products of added-value from food waste results from cross-kingdoms microbial activities implicating fungi and bacteria. Graphical abstract: Unlabelled Image Highlights: Food waste anaerobic digestion can be optimised for butyrate production. High organic loading rates leads to the prevalence of low pH in reactors. Low pH is a major driver of microbial community composition. Food waste hydrolysis is driven by Ascomycota and Proteobacteria . VFA accumulation implicates diverse bacterial and fungal species.