Effect of aeration/micro-aeration on lignocellulosic decomposition, maturity and seedling phytotoxicity during full-scale biogas residues composting.

With the accelerated construction of biogas plants, the amount of biogas residues are expanding. Composting has been widely implemented to deal with biogas residues. Aeration regulation is the main factor affecting the post-composting treatment of biogas residues as high-quality fertilizer or soil amendment. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of different aeration regulations on full-scale biogas residues compost maturity by controlling oxygen concentration under micro-aeration and aeration conditions. Results showed that micro-aerobic extended the thermophilic stage of 17 days at above 55 ℃ and facilitated the mineralization process of organic nitrogen into nitrate nitrogen to retain higher N nutrition levels compared to aerobic treatment. For biogas residues with high moisture, aeration should be regulated at different full-scale composting stages. Total organic carbon (TOC), NH4+-N, NO3--N, total potassium (TK), total phosphorus (TP) and the germination index (GI) could be used to evaluate stabilization, fertilizer efficiency and phytotoxicity of compost with frequent monitoring times. However, seedling growth trials were still necessary in full-scale composting plants when changing of composting process or biogas residues feedstock.

Effect of temperature and storage methods on liquid digestate: Focusing on the stability, phytotoxicity, and microbial community.

Identifying the stability and phytotoxicity of liquid digestate (LD) is necessary for safe agricultural utilization. Storage temperature, method, and time are critical factors that affect the stability and phytotoxicity of LD. This study therefore aimed to explore the dynamics of stability, phytotoxicity, and microbial community of LD in cattle farms under different storage conditions. The results showed that the contents of solids, organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorous decreased during storage and exhibited temperature dependency. Conversely, the seed germination index increased, which was negatively correlated with dissolved organic carbon and ammonium nitrogen and positively correlated with certain bacteria (Thermovirga and Fastidiosipila). Open storage and/or higher temperature were found to contribute to the stabilization efficiency and phytotoxicity disappearance of LD. Open storage of LD at 30 °C for 60 days and 20 °C for 90 days was safe for its agricultural utilization, while hermetic storage of LD at 30 °C for 120 days and 20 °C for 150 days was safe. However, for storage at 10 °C for 180 days, additional post-treatment is required.

Effect of Substrate to Inoculum Ratio on Biogas Production and Microbial Community During Hemi-Solid-State Batch Anaerobic Co-digestion of Rape Straw and Dairy Manure.

The substrate to inoculum (S/I) ratio is crucial for the rapid start-up of solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) systems. In this study, the performance of methane production and microbial community structure were evaluated during co-digestion of rape straw (RS) and dairy manure (DM) at different S/I ratios (2:3, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1) in batch hemi-solid-state anaerobic digestion (HSS-AD) tests. The highest methane yield of 209.1 mL/g VSadded and highest volumetric methane production of 0.4 L/(L·d) were achieved at S/I ratios of 2:3 and 2:1, respectively. Lower S/I ratios (1:2, 1:1, and 2:1) steadily produced biogas throughout the AD period, while higher S/I ratios (3:1 and 4:1) failed to produce biogas during the initial stage of AD because of excess accumulation of volatile fatty acids and low pH. The predominant bacteria and archaea in stable digesters were Firmicutes and acetoclastic Methanosaeta, respectively, while Bacteroidetes predominated and the relative abundance of hydrogenotrophic Methanobacterium increased significantly in acidic digesters. Amounts of bacteria and archaea were inhibited in acidic digesters. Our results provide useful information for enhancing efficient methane production and advancing the understanding of the microbiome in HSS-AD of RS and DM at different S/I ratios.

Investigations in enhancement biodesulfurization of model compounds by ultrasound pre-oxidation.

In this study, complicated model sulfur compounds in crude oil were biodesulfurized in a batch process by microbial consortium enriched from oil contaminated soil. Dibenzothiophene (DBT) was selected as model sulfur compounds. Ultrasonic radiation was used to pre-oxidize the model sulfur compounds before the biodesulfurization (BDS) process. The enhancement mechanism of ultrasound pre-oxidation (UPO) on the biodesulfurization of DBT was investigated. The effects of initial conditions on the biodesulfurization of DBT in UPO/BDS system such as solution initial pH, DBT initial concentration, sulfur source, biocatalyst initial concentration, and incubation temperature were discussed. The results show that the application of UPO before BDS procedure significantly improved the efficiency of the biodesulfurization and allowed sulfur removal in shorter time through oxidizing DBT to DBT sulfone, resulting in shortening the "4S" pathway for biodesulfurization from 4 steps to 2 steps, enhancement in reaction velocity and enzyme-substrate affinity as well as reduction in substrate inhibition. The concentration of 2-HBP increased fast with the use of ultrasound pre-oxidation, which was dependent on solution initial pH, DBT initial concentration, sulfur source, biocatalyst initial concentration, and incubation temperature.

Effect of different struvite crystallization methods on gaseous emission and the comprehensive comparison during the composting.

This study compared 4 different struvite crystallization process (SCP) during the composting of pig feces. Four combinations of magnesium and phosphate salts (H3PO4+MgO (PMO), KH2PO4+MgSO4 (KPM), Ca(H2PO4)2+MgSO4 (CaPM), H3PO4+MgSO4 (PMS)) were assessed and were also compared to a control group (CK) without additives. The magnesium and phosphate salts were all supplemented at a level equivalent to 15% of the initial nitrogen content on a molar basis. The SCP significantly reduced NH3 emission by 50.7-81.8%, but not the N2O. Although PMS group had the lowest NH3 emission rate, the PMO treatment had the highest struvite content in the end product. The addition of sulphate decreased CH4 emission by 60.8-74.6%. The CaPM treatment significantly decreased NH3 (59.2%) and CH4 (64.9%) emission and yielded compost that was completely matured. Due to its effective performance and low cost, the CaPM was suggested to be used in practice.

Combined use of nitrification inhibitor and struvite crystallization to reduce the NH3 and N2O emissions during composting.

Struvite crystallization (SCP) is combined with a nitrification inhibitor (dicyandiamide, DCD) to mitigate the NH3 and N2O emission during composting. The MgO and H3PO4 were added at a rate of 15% (mole/mole) of initial nitrogen, and the DCD was added at rates of 0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5% and 10% (w/w) of initial nitrogen respectively. Results showed that the combination use of SCP and DCD was phytotoxin free. The SCP could significantly reduce NH3 losses by 45-53%, but not the DCD. The DCD significantly inhibits nitrification when the content was higher than 50mgkg(-1), and that could reduce the N2O emission by 76.1-77.6%. The DCD degraded fast during the thermophilic phase, as the nitrification will be inhibited by the high temperature and high free ammonia content in this stage, the DCD was suggested to be applied in the maturing periods by 2.5% of initial nitrogen.

Effects of aeration method and aeration rate on greenhouse gas emissions during composting of pig feces in pilot scale.

The aim of this study was to uncover ways to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduce energy consumption during the composting process. We assessed the effects of different aeration rates (0, 0.18, 0.36, and 0.54 L/(kg dry matter (dm)·min)) and methods (continuous and intermittent) on GHG emissions. Pig feces and corn stalks were mixed at a ratio of 7:1. The composting process lasted for 10 weeks, and the compost was turned approximately every 2 weeks. Results showed that both aeration rate and method significantly affected GHG emissions. Higher aeration rates increased NH3 and N2O losses, but reduced CH4 emissions. The exception is that the CH4 emission of the passive aeration treatment was lower than that of the low aeration rate treatment. Without forced aeration, the CH4 diffusion rates in the center of the piles were very low and part of the CH4 was oxidized in the surface layer. Intermittent aeration reduced NH3 and CH4 losses, but significantly increased N2O production during the maturing periods. Intermittent aeration increased the nitrification/denitrification alternation and thus enhanced the N2O production. Forced aeration treatments had higher GHG emission rates than the passive aeration treatment. Forced aeration accelerated the maturing process, but could not improve the quality of the end product. Compared with continuous aeration, intermittent aeration could increase the O2 supply efficiency and reduced the total GHG emission by 17.8%, and this reduction increased to 47.4% when composting was ended after 36 days.

Performance and microbial community dynamics in a two-phase anaerobic co-digestion system using cassava dregs and pig manure.

The two-phase anaerobic co-digestion of cassava dregs (CD) with pig manure (PM) was evaluated using four sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) and a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The effect of seven different PM to CD volatile solid ratios (10:0, 8:2, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6, 2:8 and 0:10) on the acidification phase was investigated. Results indicated the concentrations of soluble chemical oxygen demand, NH4-N and volatile fatty acids increased substantially at seven ratios. Co-acidification of PM and CD performed well. Methanogenic fermentation of the acidification products at seven ratios was steady in CSTR. The highest methane yield and VS removal of 0.352m(3)/kg VSadded and 68.5% were achieved at PM:CD (4:6). The microbial population in CSTR was analyzed using molecular methods. Findings revealed that bacteria such as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, archaea such as Methanobacteriales and Methanomicrobiales were advantageous populations. Co-digestion of PM and CD supported higher quantity and diversity of methanogens.

Enhancing the anaerobic digestion of lignocellulose of municipal solid waste using a microbial pretreatment method.

The use of biological pretreatment in anaerobic digestion systems has some potential; however, to date, these methods have not been able to effectively increase methane production of lignocellulose of municipal solid waste (LMSW). In this study a thermophilic microbial consortium (MC1) was used as a pretreatment method in order to enhance biogas and methane production yields. The results indicated that sCOD concentration increased significantly in the early stages of pretreatment. Ethanol, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid were the predominant volatile organic products in the MC1 hydrolysate. Biogas and methane production yields of LMSW significantly increased following MC1 pretreatment. In addition, the methane production rate of the treated LMSW was greater than that observed from the untreated sample.