The mechanisms controlling the accumulation of dissolved methane in anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) treating a synthetic dilute wastewater (a glucose medium) were assessed experimentally and theoretically. The AnMBR was maintained at a temperature of 24-26 °C as the organic loading rate increased from 0.39 to 1.1 kg COD/m(3)-d. The measured concentration of dissolved methane was consistently 2.2- to 2.5-fold larger than the concentration of dissolved methane at thermodynamic equilibrium with the measured CH4 partial pressure, and the fraction of dissolved methane was as high as 76% of the total methane produced. The low gas production rate in the AnMBR significantly slowed the mass transport of dissolved methane to the gas phase. Although the production rate of total methane increased linearly with the COD loading rate, the concentration of dissolved methane only slightly increased with an increasing organic loading rate, because the mass-transfer rate increased by almost 5-fold as the COD loading increased from 0.39 to 1.1 kg COD/m(3)-d. Thus, slow mass transport kinetics exacerbated the situation in which dissolved methane accounted for a substantial fraction of the total methane generated from the AnMBR.

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We assessed the effect of solids retention times (SRT) on dissolved methane concentration in a lab-scale anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) operated at SRT 20d and 40d at ambient temperature (23 +/- 1 degrees C). Daily methane production was 196 +/- 17 mL/d and 285 +/- 18 mL/d for SRT 20d and 40d, respectively. In comparison, the average concentration of dissolved methane in AnMBR permeates was 9.9 +/- 2.3 mg/L for SRT 20d (close to thermodynamic equilibrium), which was decreased to 4.3 +/- 0.3 mg/L for SRT 40d. We often found oversaturation of dissolved methane at SRT 20d, which means that mass transfer of dissolved methane from liquid to gas phase is dynamic at this short SRT. However, we never detected oversaturation of dissolved methane at SRT 40d, due to slow endogenous decay kinetics. Higher daily methane production at SRT 40d than that at SRT 20d indicates that methane was supplementarily produced from biomass electrons by endogenous decay. This study shows that operation of AnMBRs under long SRT can keep low dissolved methane concentration in AnMBR permeate, along with high methane yield.

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The potential improvement in methane recovery and reaction kinetics from different mixes of potato peel (PP) and pig manure (PM) in a single stage anaerobic co-digestion/mono-digestion process was investigated in a laboratory study. The highest methane yield of 231 mL/g TCODadded was observed in the 50:50 mix of potato peel and pig manure. Compared to the mono-digested substrates, co-digestion of PP and PM at 75:25, 50:50, and 25:75 synergistically improved methane yield by 17%, 25%, and 11%, respectively. The co-digested mixes also produced methane at a faster rate, with the fastest methane production rate occurring at the 50:50 mix. Thus, co-digestion of potato peel and pig manure enhanced the methane yield and reaction kinetics. Hence, co-digestion rather than mono-digestion should be actively considered when a carbon rich waste (such as potato peel) and nutrient rich waste (such as pig manure) are available within reasonable proximity.