Analysis of a bio-electrochemical reactor containing carbon fiber textiles for the anaerobic digestion of tomato plant residues

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 249; pp. 809 - 817
• Main Authors: Hirano, Shin-ichi, Matsumoto, Norio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2018
• Subjects: Anaerobic digestion; Anaerobiosis; Bacteria, Anaerobic; Bioreactors; Carbon; Electrochemical fermentation; Hydrogenotrophic methanogen; Lycopersicon esculentum; Methane; Textiles; Tomato residues; SS; EF; Hydrogenotrophic methanogen; Tomato residues; HRT; ORP; Anaerobic digestion; BER; CFT; VFA; BES; CSTR; OLR; TPR; Electrochemical fermentation; qPCR; DGGE
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.09.206

•We expanded the application of bioelectrochemical systems to tomato plant residues.•Methanogenic reactors with and without carbon fiber textiles (CFT) were examined.•CFT promoted methane fermentation and methanogen growth.•Electrochemical regulation influenced methanogen diversity and interactions.•These results demonstrate the efficient decomposition of TPR to methane. [Display omitted] A bio-electrochemical system packed with supporting material can promote anaerobic digestion for several types of organic waste. To expand the target organic matters of a BES, tomato plant residues (TPRs), generated year-round as agricultural and cellulosic waste, were treated using three methanogenic reactors: a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), a carbon fiber textile (CFT) reactor, and a bio-electrochemical reactor (BER) including CFT with electrochemical regulation (BER + CFT). CFT had positive effects on methane fermentation and methanogen abundance. The microbial population stimulated by electrochemical regulation, including hydrogenotrophic methanogens, cellulose-degrading bacteria, and acetate-degrading bacteria, suppressed acetate accumulation, as evidenced by the low acetate concentration in the suspended fraction in the BER + CFT. These results indicated that the microbial community in the BER + CFT facilitated the efficient decomposition of TPR and its intermediates such as acetate to methane.