Industrial Application of Anaerobic Digestion

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 December 2021) | Viewed by 24322

Special Issue Editors

Institute for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Wien, Austria
Interests: anaerobic digestion; microbiology; fermentation; microbiological biorefinery systems; gas fermentation
Deconstruction Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 5885 Hollis St, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
Interests: anaerobic microbiology; gas fermentation; methanogenesis; C1 based biorefinery; anaerobic digestion; seaweed conversion; microbial adaptation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to invite you to this Special Issue dealing with the industrial application of anaerobic digestion. As we all know, our overall energy demand and how we meet this demand by using fossil fuels is leading to tremendous changes in the climate. At the same time, we are polluting our environment with organic and inorganic compounds. Anaerobic digestion to produce the energy vector biogas enables the combination of both challenges, finding alternatives for fossil fuels while using organic material to cover our energy demand. Moreover, it provides several additional advantages like production of digestate, the liquid and solid residues from anaerobic digestion which are still rich in nutrients other than carbon, huge opportunities of gas utilization, variety of applied feedstocks and many more.
This Special Issue, entitled the “Industrial application of anaerobic digestion,” aims to present the wide range of implementation of anaerobic digestion within an industrial context. The targeted topics to be included in this issue are

  • Anaerobic microbiological treatment of residues from industrial and agroindustrial processes
  • Applications and integration of AD in industrial processes
  • Microbiological utilization of CO2
  • Treatment and utilization of residues from anaerobic digestion

Dr. Günther Bochmann
Dr. Lydia Rachbauer
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • anaerobic digestion
  • industrial application of anaerobic digestion
  • residue treatment
  • biomethanation

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2123 KiB  
Article
The Potential of the Biodigester as a Useful Tool in Coffee Farms
by Mauricio Hernández-Sarabia, Juan Sierra-Silva, Liliana Delgadillo-Mirquez, Julián Ávila-Navarro and Laura Carranza
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(15), 6884; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11156884 - 27 Jul 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3522
Abstract
Coffee is a highly productive agricultural product in the department of Tolima. The wet fermentation process of coffee generates about 80% of the waste, which is highly contaminated with organic matter that pollutes water sources, so anaerobic co-digestion techniques are implemented in coffee [...] Read more.
Coffee is a highly productive agricultural product in the department of Tolima. The wet fermentation process of coffee generates about 80% of the waste, which is highly contaminated with organic matter that pollutes water sources, so anaerobic co-digestion techniques are implemented in coffee wastewater using Taiwan type biodigesters. According to the study of three biodigesters fed with coffee waste and animal manure, the aim is to show their potential application in coffee farms. These biodigesters generated a biogas production with CH4 concentrations between 49.1% ± 4.6 and 58.1% ± 2.4 in volume, in addition to the benefit of the biol used as fertilizer in the crops. The biogas produced can be used for cooking and can save around USD 40.17 in natural gas. Therefore, the biodigester is a potential tool to mitigate the harmful effects of coffee cultivation on the surrounding ecosystem and can project coffee production in a sustainable direction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Application of Anaerobic Digestion)
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16 pages, 2380 KiB  
Communication
Effect of Semi-Continuous Anaerobic Digestion on the Substrate Solubilisation of Lignin-Rich Steam-Exploded Ludwigia grandiflora
by Pranshu Bhatia, Masaaki Fujiwara, Maria Cecilia D. Salangsang, Jun Qian, Xin Liu, Syuhei Ban, Mitsuyuki Myojin and Tatsuki Toda
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(10), 4452; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11104452 - 13 May 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1559
Abstract
In this study, semi-continuous anaerobic digestion of lignin-rich steam-exploded Ludwigia grandiflora (Lignin = 25.22% ± 4.6% total solids) was performed to understand better the effect of steam explosion on the substrate solubilisation and inhibitors formation during the process. Steam explosion pretreatment was performed [...] Read more.
In this study, semi-continuous anaerobic digestion of lignin-rich steam-exploded Ludwigia grandiflora (Lignin = 25.22% ± 4.6% total solids) was performed to understand better the effect of steam explosion on the substrate solubilisation and inhibitors formation during the process. Steam explosion pretreatment was performed at 180 °C for 30 min at a severity factor of 3.8 to enhance the biogas yield of the lignocellulosic biomass. The semi-continuous anaerobic digestion was performed in a continuously stirred tank reactor for 98 days at an initial hydraulic retention time of 30 days and an organic loading rate of 0.9 g-VS L−1 day−1. The performed steam explosion pretreatment caused biomass solubilisation, resulting in enhanced biogas production during the process. During the anaerobic digestion process, the average biogas yield was 265 mL g-VS−1, and the pH throughout the operation was in the optimum range of 6.5–8.2. Due to fluctuations in the biogas yield, the hydraulic retention time and organic loading rate were changed on day 42 (50 days and 0.5 g-VS L−1 day−1) and on day 49 (40 days and 0.7 g-VS L−1 day−1), and 1 M of NaOH was added to the liquid fraction of the steam-exploded L. grandiflora during the latter part of the operation to maintain the stability in the reactor. Therefore, the steam explosion pretreatment helped in the degradation of L. grandiflora by breaking the lignocellulose structure. In addition, changes in the operating conditions of the anaerobic digestion led to an increase in the biogas production towards the end of the process, leading to the stability in the CSTR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Application of Anaerobic Digestion)
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15 pages, 1891 KiB  
Article
Basic Bioelement Contents in Anaerobic Intestinal Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria
by Ivan Kushkevych, Daryna Abdulina, Dani Dordević, Monika Rozehnalová, Monika Vítězová, Martin Černý, Pavel Svoboda and Simon K.-M. R. Rittmann
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(3), 1152; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11031152 - 27 Jan 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2024
Abstract
The monitoring of trace metals in microbial cells is relevant for diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) represent an important factor in the IBD development. The content of trace metals in bacterial cells may reflect the functioning of the enzyme [...] Read more.
The monitoring of trace metals in microbial cells is relevant for diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) represent an important factor in the IBD development. The content of trace metals in bacterial cells may reflect the functioning of the enzyme systems and the environmental impact on the occurrence of SRB. The aim of our research was to compare the content of trace elements in the cells of SRB cultures isolated from fecal samples of patients with IBD and healthy people. The contents of 11 chemical elements in the bacterial cells of SRB were analyzed by the inductively coupled plasma-mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS) method. Significant changes in the content of calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and iron were observed in patients with IBD compared to healthy individuals. Through a principal component analysis (PCA), a total variability of 67.3% in the difference between the samples was explained. The main factors influencing the total variability in the bacterial cells of SRB isolated from patients suffering from IBD were the content of the micro- and trace elements, such as manganese (with power 0.87), magnesium and cobalt (0.86), calcium (0.84), molybdenum (0.81), and iron (0.78). Such changes in the elemental composition of SRB under different conditions of existence in the host may indicate adaptive responses of the microorganisms, including the inclusion of oxidative stress systems, which can lead to changes in SRB metabolism and the manifestation of parameters of IBD in humans. The use of PCA might make it possible in the future to predict the development and ratio of SRB in patients with various diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Application of Anaerobic Digestion)
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Review

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7 pages, 230 KiB  
Review
Valorisation of Starch Wastewater by Anaerobic Fermentation
by Bernhard Drosg, Matthias Neubauer, Marceli Marzynski and Katharina Meixner
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(21), 10482; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app112110482 - 08 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2611
Abstract
Starch production is mainly focused on feedstocks such as corn, wheat and potato in the EU, whereas cassava, rice, and other feedstocks are utilised worldwide. In starch production, a high amount of wastewater is generated, which accumulates from different process steps such as [...] Read more.
Starch production is mainly focused on feedstocks such as corn, wheat and potato in the EU, whereas cassava, rice, and other feedstocks are utilised worldwide. In starch production, a high amount of wastewater is generated, which accumulates from different process steps such as washing, steeping, starch refining, saccharification and derivatisation. Valorisation of these wastewaters can help to improve the environmental impact as well as the economics of starch production. Anaerobic fermentation is a promising approach, and this review gives an overview of the different utilisation concepts outlined in the literature and the state of the technology. Among bioenergy recovery processes, biogas technology is widely applied at the industrial scale, whereas biohydrogen production is used at the research stage. Starch wastewater can also be used for the production of bulk chemicals such as acetone, ethanol, butanol or lactic acids by anaerobic microbes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Application of Anaerobic Digestion)
16 pages, 351 KiB  
Review
Environmental Impact of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria, Their Role in Intestinal Bowel Diseases, and Possible Control by Bacteriophages
by Ivan Kushkevych, Dani Dordević, Monika Vítězová and Simon K.-M. R. Rittmann
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(2), 735; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11020735 - 14 Jan 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4376
Abstract
Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) represent a group of prokaryotic microorganisms that are widely spread in the anoxic environment (seabed, riverbed and lakebed sediments, mud, intestinal tract of humans and animals, metal surfaces). SRB species also have an impact on processes occurring in the intestinal [...] Read more.
Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) represent a group of prokaryotic microorganisms that are widely spread in the anoxic environment (seabed, riverbed and lakebed sediments, mud, intestinal tract of humans and animals, metal surfaces). SRB species also have an impact on processes occurring in the intestinal tract of humans and animals, including the connections between their presence and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Since these SRB can develop antimicrobial resistance toward the drugs, including antibiotics and antimicrobial agents, bacteriophages could represent an additional potential effective treatment. The main objectives of the review were as follows: (a) to review SRB (both from intestinal and environmental sources) regarding their role in intestinal diseases as well as their influence in environmental processes; and (b) to review, according to literature data, the influence of bacteriophages on SRB and their possible applications. Since SRB can have a significant adverse influence on industry as well as on humans and animals health, phage treatment of SRB can be seen as a possible effective method of SRB inhibition. However, there are relatively few studies concerning the influence of phages on SRB strains. Siphoviridae and Myoviridae families represent the main sulfide-producing bacteria phages. The most recent studies induced, by UV light, bacteriophages from Desulfovibrio vulgaris NCIMB 8303 and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 13541. Notwithstanding costly and medically significant negative impacts of phages on SRB, they have been the subject of relatively few studies. The current search for alternatives to chemical biocides and antibiotics has led to the renewed interest in phages as antibacterial biocontrol and therapeutic agents, including their use against SRB. Hence, phages might represent a promising treatment against SRB in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Application of Anaerobic Digestion)
17 pages, 2169 KiB  
Review
Process Optimisation of Anaerobic Digestion Treating High-Strength Wastewater in the Australian Red Meat Processing Industry
by Peter W. Harris and Bernadette K. McCabe
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(21), 7947; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10217947 - 09 Nov 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3324
Abstract
This work represents and reviews a compilation of investigations into improving anaerobic digestion performance of high-strength wastewater in the Australian Red Meat Processing industry. The industry produces significant quantities of organic-rich wastewater which requires treatment prior to release to the environment. Anaerobic lagoons [...] Read more.
This work represents and reviews a compilation of investigations into improving anaerobic digestion performance of high-strength wastewater in the Australian Red Meat Processing industry. The industry produces significant quantities of organic-rich wastewater which requires treatment prior to release to the environment. Anaerobic lagoons are a cost-effective method of waste treatment where land availability is not an issue; however, the high fat load in the wastewater can negatively impact the anaerobic lagoon system and result in compromised anaerobic digestion performance. This paper will discuss the importance of upstream primary pre-treatment and review a series of investigations focused on optimising digester performance and improving fat biodegradability. These studies include: 1. the effect of temperature and mixing; 2. the influence of feedstock trace element composition and supplementation, and; 3. the potential benefit from pre-treatments such as chemical, thermobaric, thermochemical and bio-surfactant. This paper discusses the implications of these findings for covered anaerobic lagoon operation and provides recommendations to promote optimum digester performance and future opportunities in adopting alternate anaerobic digestion technology options. Finally, the paper provides recent trends toward the use of other waste streams for co-digestion and discusses this in terms of digester optimization and technology options. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Application of Anaerobic Digestion)
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24 pages, 4271 KiB  
Review
Dry Anaerobic Digestion of Chicken Manure: A Review
by Yevhenii Shapovalov, Sergey Zhadan, Günther Bochmann, Anatoly Salyuk and Volodymyr Nykyforov
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(21), 7825; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10217825 - 05 Nov 2020
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 5969
Abstract
Providing anaerobic digestion is a prospective technology for utilizing organic waste, however, for waste with a high content of nitrogen such as manure, dilution is necessary to decrease the ammonia inhibition effect which leads to the production of a huge effluent amount which [...] Read more.
Providing anaerobic digestion is a prospective technology for utilizing organic waste, however, for waste with a high content of nitrogen such as manure, dilution is necessary to decrease the ammonia inhibition effect which leads to the production of a huge effluent amount which is difficult to use. Dry anaerobic digestion has some advantages such as reduced reactor volume, higher volumetric methane yield, lower energy consumption for heating, less wastewater production, and lower logistic costs for fertilizers. These factors generate interest in using it for treatment of even high-nitrogen substrates. The purpose of this work was to analyze different dry anaerobic digestion technologies, the features of dry anaerobic digestion, laboratory studies on chicken manure dry anaerobic digestion, and methods of reducing inhibitors’ effects. Nowadays, there are no dry anaerobic industrial plants working on chicken manure. However, studies on dry anaerobic digestion of chicken manure have proven the possibility of methane production under fermentation of chicken manure with high total solids content, but the process has been described as being unstable. Co-fermentation, ammonium/ammonia removal, and adaptation of the microbial consortium have been used to decrease the effect of ammonia inhibition. A prospective way for ammonia concentration control is absorption using a non-volatile sorbent located in the reactor. It decreases ammonia content during wet anaerobic digestion by 33% and it is characterized by having a positive economic effect. Therefore, dry anaerobic fermentation of chicken manure is possible, but there is still no efficient way to provide it. The results of this article should be helpful in the selection of anaerobic digestion technology for treating chicken manure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Application of Anaerobic Digestion)
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