Temporal dynamics and metabolic correlation between lactate-producing and hydrogen-producing bacteria in sugarcane vinasse dark fermentation: The key role of lactate.

This study aimed to better understand the role of different microbial groups and the determining fermentation pathways in a biohydrogen (bioH2)-producing reactor fed with sugarcane vinasse by using next-generation sequencing and principal component analysis (PCA). Both microbial structure and dynamics were characterized. The highest bioH2 production levels were associated with the Thermoanaerobacterium genus, whilst lactate-producing bacteria comprised the dominant genera (e.g. Lactobacillus and Leuconostoc) within the reactor at both stable and unstable bioH2-producing periods. PCA further revealed that the fermentation of lactate played a dual role in the reactor, as both bioH2-producing (acetate+lactate→butyrate+bioH2) and non-bioH2-producing (lactate→propionate+acetate) routes could be observed. Overall, the results suggested that lactate is the primary alternative carbon source in vinasse-fed systems subjected to carbohydrate-shortage conditions.

454-Pyrosequencing analysis of highly adapted azo dye-degrading microbial communities in a two-stage anaerobic-aerobic bioreactor treating textile effluent.

Azo dyes, which are widely used in the textile industry, exhibit significant toxic characteristics for the environment and the human population. Sequential anaerobic-aerobic reactor systems are efficient for the degradation of dyes and the mineralization of intermediate compounds; however, little is known about the composition of the microbial communities responsible for dye degradation in these systems. 454-Pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was employed to assess the bacterial biodiversity and composition of a two-stage (anaerobic-aerobic) pilot-scale reactor that treats effluent from a denim factory. The anaerobic reactor was inoculated with anaerobic sludge from a domestic sewage treatment plant. Due to the selective composition of the textile wastewater, after 210 days of operation, the anaerobic reactor was dominated by the single genus Clostridium, affiliated with the Firmicutes phylum. The aerobic biofilter harbored a diverse bacterial community. The most abundant phylum in the aerobic biofilter was Proteobacteria, which was primarily represented by the Gamma, Delta and Epsilon classes followed by Firmicutes and other phyla. Several bacterial genera were identified that most likely played an essential role in azo dye degradation in the investigated system.

Impact of organic loading rate on biohydrogen production in an up-flow anaerobic packed bed reactor (UAnPBR).

This study assesses the impact of organic loading rate on biohydrogen production from glucose in an up-flow anaerobic packed bed reactor (UAnPBR). Two mesophilic UAPBRs (UAnPBR1 and 2) were tested at organic loading rates (OLRs) ranging from 6.5 to 51.4 g COD L(-1)d(-1). To overcome biomass washout, design modifications were made in the UAnPBR2 to include a settling zone to capture the detached biomass. The design modifications in UAnPBR2 increased the average hydrogen yield from 0.98 to 2.0 mol-H2 mol(-1)-glucose at an OLR of 25.7 g COD L(-1)d(-1). Although, a maximum hydrogen production rate of 23.4 ± 0.9 L H2 L(-1)d(-1) was achieved in the UAnPBR2 at an OLR of 51.4 g COD L(-1)d(-1), the hydrogen yield dropped by 50% to around 1 mol-H2 mol(-1)-glucose. The microbiological analysis (PCR/DGGE) showed that the biohydrogen production was due to the presence of the hydrogen and volatile acid producers such as Clostridium beijerinckii, Clostridium butyricum, Megasphaera elsdenii and Propionispira arboris.