Quantification of methane losses from the acclimatisation of anaerobic digestion to marine salt concentrations

Abstract

The research assessed losses in methane production as a result of raising digester salt concentrations to marine values, and of increasing the feedstock sulphate concentration. Acclimatisation of inoculum from a municipal wastewater biosolids digester was begun by raising the concentration of chloride salts (Na, Mg, Ca and K) to 6–9 g L?1, as initial experiments showed higher concentrations caused severe inhibition. After stable operation for four retention times salt content in the reactors and the feed was increased by 1 g L?1 every 14 days, up to 31.1 g L?1. The digesters were fed daily in semi-continuous mode and monitored for performance and stability criteria including specific methane production (SMP). SMP was 6–7% less than in controls using the same feedstock without saline addition. After steady-state conditions were achieved at high chloride salinity, magnesium chloride was partially replaced by magnesium sulphate to give a range of sulphate concentrations. Higher sulphate concentrations caused initial instability, indicated by volatile fatty acid accumulation. This subsequently reduced and stable operation was achieved at marine sulphate concentrations, but with a ?5% loss in SMP due to interspecies substrate competition. High sulphate also affected pH, leading to gaseous H2S production proportional to the applied sulphate load

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ORCID for Sonia Heaven: orcid.org/0000-0001-7798-4683

ORCID for Charles J. Banks: orcid.org/0000-0001-6795-814X

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