Automated measurements of the specific methanogenic activity of anaerobic digestion biomass

Concannon, Frank; Quinn, Maura; O'Flaherty, S.; Colleran, Emer

doi:10.1042/bst0170425

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…The measurement of the pressure build-up can be automated by using a pressure transducer permanently fitted to the bioreactor (Concannon et al 1988).…”

Section: Manometric Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methods of assessing microbial activity and inhibition under anaerobic conditions: a literature review

Rozzi

Remigi

2004

Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol

104

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This work reviews the existing methodologies for assessing microbial activity and inhibition under anaerobic conditions. The anaerobic digestion process consists of several metabolic steps: the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) has attempted to describe these steps in the form of a mathematical model with the intention of providing a reference base for all further efforts in the modelling of anaerobic processes. The existence of a reference point for modelling has highlighted the fact that there is a lack of coherence between the many different methodologies for experimentally assessing anaerobic activity and inhibition.A working group of the International Water Association was recently founded to harmonise the existing methodologies with the ultimate intention of developing a unified reference procedure: a primary objective of the group will be the establishment of a standard terminology in the field of anaerobic digestion, activity and inhibition assessment. Secondly, it will compare the existing methodologies and develop standard protocols for assessing the kinetic parameters (e.g. maximum uptake rate, half-saturation constant) of anaerobic processes that may be entered directly into ADM1 and its successors. This paper revises and enlarges a contribution presented by the authors at the workshop ''Harmonisation of anaerobic biodegradation, activity and inhibition assays'' (Ligthart & Nieman 2002, Proc. workshop held in Orta (Italy) June 7-8, 2002) and aims to promote a clear understanding of the currently established methodology.Numerous methods have been developed over the past 30 years, since Van den Berg et al. (1974, Biotechnol Bioeng 16(11): 1459-1469) measured methanogenic activity, by using a manometric device equipped with a photoelectric sensor to quantify the gas production. Methanogenesis is often the rate limiting step of the entire process and since the quantification of gas flowrate is relatively easy to perform, most of the methods reported in literature monitor the production of biogas. These methods can be termed volumetric or manometric methods, as the volume of biogas produced or the pressure increase due to gas production inside a close vessel are assessed, respectively. However, this same concept can be employed to assess activity or inhibition of individual metabolic steps preceding the methanogenic one, providing that they are rate limiting for the whole process. The reliability of activity assessment through gas measurement has been proven to be strongly dependent on the equilibrium between liquid and gas phase in a closed vessel. This can be influenced by many factors, e.g. the amount and characteristics of the test substrate; the concentration of the biomass; the gas-to-liquid ratio: all these aspects will need to be addressed in the standard procedure. Other direct or indirect methods, targeting physico-chemical or microbiological parameter exist and have been investigated by many authors. Besides the interest for research purposes, the definition of reference methods to assess ...

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“…The measurement of the pressure build-up can be automated by using a pressure transducer permanently fitted to the bioreactor (Concannon et al 1988).…”

Section: Manometric Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methods of assessing microbial activity and inhibition under anaerobic conditions: a literature review

Rozzi

Remigi

2004

Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol

104

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“…15 After substrate and/or sulfate and inhibitor addition, all vials, including blanks (no substrate addition), were vented to release the overnight gas production as well as the pressure resulting from substrate/inhibitor/ sulfate addition. Vials were then incubated without shaking at 37°C and the gas produced was monitored throughout the duration of the test by measuring the increase in headspace pressure using the pressure transducer device developed by Concannon et al 16,17 The device incorporates a gauge type pressure transducer (±2.0 Â 10 À5 Pa, relative values) with a negligible dead volume of about 5±10 À2 cm 3 . At the end of each test ie when gas production ceased) the methane content of headspace gas samples was measured by gas chromatography using a Pye Unicam 204 chromatograph ®tted with a gas sampling port and a hydrogen ame ionisation detector, as described by Colleran and Pistilli.…”

Section: à3mentioning

confidence: 99%

Large-scale anaerobic degradation of betaine

Thalasso

Burgt

O’Flaherty

et al. 1999

J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol.

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Betaine, also known as N,N,N-trimethyl glycine, is a soluble nitrogenous compound present at signi®cant concentrations in sugar-beet molasses. Molasses is used as substrate in a wide range of industrial fermentations, for example, alcohol, acid and yeast cell production. Betaine is not consumed to any signi®cant extent during these fermentations and appears to largely pass through the subsequent processing stages, becoming an important constituent of the wastewater produced by these industries. The present study con®rmed that betaine is present in large amounts in sugar-beet molasses (up to 6% w/w) and in the ef¯uent of processes using sugar-beet molasses as substrate (up to 4.5 g dm ). Betaine appeared to be almost completely degraded in the two full-scale anaerobic treatment plants sampled. This was con®rmed by anaerobic activity tests performed with both acclimated and unacclimated anaerobic sludge. The results obtained suggest the possible involvement of a multistep degradation process, with the likelihood of a nitrogen-containing intermediate. Finally, although not totally discountable, betaine degradation does not appear to be coupled to sulfate reduction during treatment of high-sulfate wastewaters.

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“…The overpressure can be measured using a common differential manometer or a more sophisticated pressure transducer [31].…”

Section: Bmp Tests Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Bio-Methane Potential Tests To Measure The Biogas Production From The Digestion and Co-Digestion of Complex Organic Substrates

Esposito¹,

Frunzo²,

Liotta³

et al. 2012

TOENVIEJ

197

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Bio-methane potential (BMP) tests are widely used in studies concerning the anaerobic digestion of organic solids. Although they are often criticized to be time consumer, with an average length longer than 30 days, such tests are doubtless easy to be conducted, relatively inexpensive and repeatable. Moreover, BMP tests give significant information about the bio-methanation of specific substrates and provide experimental results essential to calibrate and validate mathematical models. These last two aspects have been handled in this work where the following elements have been described in detail: i) the methods used to conduct the BMP tests; ii) the cumulative bio-methane curves obtained from three BMP tests, concerning respectively two pure organic substrates (swine manure-SM and greengrocery waste-GW) and an organic substrate obtained by mixing buffalo manure (BM) and maize silage (MS); iii) the procedure used to calibrate a mathematical model proposed by the authors to simulate the anaerobic digestion process; iv) the results of the calibration process. This paper shows that BMP tests are extremely helpful to determine the amount of bio-methane obtainable from different organic solids and under different operational conditions as well as the biodegradability of the investigated substrate, the relative specific rate of bio-methanation and the synergic effect of multiple co-digested substrates. Furthermore BMP tests represent an interesting tool for the technical and economical optimization of bio-methane producing plants.

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Automated measurements of the specific methanogenic activity of anaerobic digestion biomass

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Methods of assessing microbial activity and inhibition under anaerobic conditions: a literature review

Methods of assessing microbial activity and inhibition under anaerobic conditions: a literature review

Large-scale anaerobic degradation of betaine

Bio-Methane Potential Tests To Measure The Biogas Production From The Digestion and Co-Digestion of Complex Organic Substrates

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