The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Effects of ammonia on propionate degradation and microbial community in digesters using propionate as a sole carbon source

Effects of ammonia on propionate degradation and microbial community in digesters using propionate as a sole carbon source
Effects of ammonia on propionate degradation and microbial community in digesters using propionate as a sole carbon source
BACKGROUND: Propionate accumulation may lead to digester failure. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ammonia, a metabolic product of protein, on propionate degradation. The shift of microbial community was also investigated. RESULTS: Propionate accumulated over the experimental period in the reactor with a total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentration of 2.5 g N L-1, as a result the digester failed after 4 hydraulic retention times (HRT) at an organic load rate (OLR) of 0.8 g propionic acid (HPr) L-1 d-1. The average HPr degradation rate was below 54% during the fourth HRT, while >97 % of the degraded HPr was converted to methane. The reactor without ammonia stress did not experience HPr accumulation and OLR was increased stepwise to 1.2 g L-1 d-1 at the 8th HRT. The average HPr degradation rate and methane recovery rate of this reactor in the last HRT was 99% and 74%, respectively. According to the shifts of microbial community, acetoclastic methanogen was more vulnerable to ammonia than hydrogenotrophic methanogen. CONCLUSION: TAN concentration of 2.5 g N L-1 inhibited propionate degradation more severely than methanogenesis. The loss of the abundance of Clostridiaceae and Syntrophobacter might be the main reason for the poor performance under ammonia stress.
0268-2575
2538-2545
Li, Ying
7a0aa419-b524-4cc7-8fcc-8c67d373387f
Zhang, Yue
69b11d32-d555-46e4-a333-88eee4628ae7
Kong, Xiaoying
1807dfc1-e87b-4568-a6f6-3fb47b35e1f0
Li, Lianhua
cd9c54c9-7c7c-4137-a0d3-0214dc1ff0b8
Yuan, Zhenhong
ab9da306-9421-489e-981a-fefdd8dddd9d
Dong, Renjie
e3aaf03c-8ad7-47d6-a360-a70c1b5619f5
Sun, Yongming
2494a79d-f5ed-48bc-8c28-33c7ad8db5cf
Li, Ying
7a0aa419-b524-4cc7-8fcc-8c67d373387f
Zhang, Yue
69b11d32-d555-46e4-a333-88eee4628ae7
Kong, Xiaoying
1807dfc1-e87b-4568-a6f6-3fb47b35e1f0
Li, Lianhua
cd9c54c9-7c7c-4137-a0d3-0214dc1ff0b8
Yuan, Zhenhong
ab9da306-9421-489e-981a-fefdd8dddd9d
Dong, Renjie
e3aaf03c-8ad7-47d6-a360-a70c1b5619f5
Sun, Yongming
2494a79d-f5ed-48bc-8c28-33c7ad8db5cf

Li, Ying, Zhang, Yue, Kong, Xiaoying, Li, Lianhua, Yuan, Zhenhong, Dong, Renjie and Sun, Yongming (2017) Effects of ammonia on propionate degradation and microbial community in digesters using propionate as a sole carbon source. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 92 (10), 2538-2545. (doi:10.1002/jctb.5260).

Record type: Article

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Propionate accumulation may lead to digester failure. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ammonia, a metabolic product of protein, on propionate degradation. The shift of microbial community was also investigated. RESULTS: Propionate accumulated over the experimental period in the reactor with a total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentration of 2.5 g N L-1, as a result the digester failed after 4 hydraulic retention times (HRT) at an organic load rate (OLR) of 0.8 g propionic acid (HPr) L-1 d-1. The average HPr degradation rate was below 54% during the fourth HRT, while >97 % of the degraded HPr was converted to methane. The reactor without ammonia stress did not experience HPr accumulation and OLR was increased stepwise to 1.2 g L-1 d-1 at the 8th HRT. The average HPr degradation rate and methane recovery rate of this reactor in the last HRT was 99% and 74%, respectively. According to the shifts of microbial community, acetoclastic methanogen was more vulnerable to ammonia than hydrogenotrophic methanogen. CONCLUSION: TAN concentration of 2.5 g N L-1 inhibited propionate degradation more severely than methanogenesis. The loss of the abundance of Clostridiaceae and Syntrophobacter might be the main reason for the poor performance under ammonia stress.

Text
Effects of ammonia on propionate degradation and microbial community - Accepted Manuscript
Download (1MB)

More information

Accepted/In Press date: 23 February 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 6 April 2017
Published date: October 2017
Organisations: Water & Environmental Engineering Group

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 407500
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/407500
ISSN: 0268-2575
PURE UUID: 91d17bca-1220-49e1-8b03-53f26d834478
ORCID for Yue Zhang: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5068-2260

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 13 Apr 2017 01:03
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:31

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Ying Li
Author: Yue Zhang ORCID iD
Author: Xiaoying Kong
Author: Lianhua Li
Author: Zhenhong Yuan
Author: Renjie Dong
Author: Yongming Sun

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×