Author(s):
Braga, Cátia Sofia Neves ; Martins, Gilberto ; Duarte, Maria Salomé Lira ; Soares, O. Salomé G. P. ; Pereira, M. Fernando R. ; Pereira, Inês A. C. ; Alves, M. M. ; Pereira, Luciana ; Salvador, Andreia Filipa Ferreira
Date: 2025
Persistent ID: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/94333
Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Project/scholarship:
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB%2F04469%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB%2F50020%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDP%2F50020%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/3599-PPCDT/PTDC%2FBTA-BTA%2F2249%2F2021/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/POR_NORTE/SFRH%2FBD%2F132003%2F2017/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/POR_NORTE/COVID%2FBD%2F152431%2F2022/PT;
Subject(s): Methane production; Inoculum activity; Activated carbon; Magnetite; Zeolite
Description
Available online 7 January 2025
The conversion of organic matter to methane through anaerobic digestion (AD) process can be enhanced by different materials. However, literature reports show inconsistent results on the effect of materials in different AD systems. In this study, we evaluated the influence of the inoculum's activity on methane production (MP) efficiency in the presence of different materials (activated carbon (AC), magnetite (Mag), and zeolite (Zeo)). The inocula included pure cultures of methanogens, syntrophic cocultures, and complex microbial communities, and the kinetic parameters assessed were the lag phase duration and methane production rates (MPR). The results showed that the microbial activity of the inocula is an important factor determining materials' effect on MP kinetics. AC, Mag, and Zeo significantly enhanced the MP profiles of less active microbial communities or low-active microorganisms by decreasing lag phases duration up to 85 %, consequently increasing MPR up to 15 times. Contrarily, these materials did not affect highly active microbial communities or pure cultures, as MP profiles tend to be similar with and without materials. These results indicate that from an applied point of view, the addition of materials to anaerobic bioreactors should be considered only when the methanogenic activity of the sludge is low or compromised.
This work was supported by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/ 04469/2020 unit, with DOI 10.54499/UIDB/04469/2020, and by LSRELCM, UIDB/50020/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/50020/2020) and UIDP/50020/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDP/50020/2020); and ALiCE, LA/P/0045/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/LA/P/0045/2020). BioEcoNorte project (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000070) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte, and CM4Methane project (Ref: PTDC/ BTA-BTA/2249/2021, DOI 10.54499/PTDC/BTA-BTA/2249/2021) financed by national funds through FCT, I.P., also supported this study. FCT and the European Union, through the Portuguese State Budget and the European Social Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte, also funded the SFRH/BD/132003/ 2017 and COVID/BD/152431/2022 grants held by Catia ´ S. N. Braga. M. Salom´e Duarte acknowledge FCT for the Junior Research contract obtained under the scope of the Scientific Stimulus Employment 2022 with the reference 2022.06569.CEECIND/CP1718/CT0004 (doi:10 .54499/2022.06569.CEECIND/CP1718/CT0004).
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion