title: Development of an enzymatic assay for the determination of cellulose bioavailability in municipal solid waste.
abstract: As there is a constant need to assess the biodegradation potential of refuse disposed of in landfills, we have developed a method to evaluate the biodegradability of cellulosic compounds (cellulose and hemicellulose) in municipal solid waste. This test is based on the quantification of monosaccharides released after the hydrolysis of solid waste samples with an optimised enzyme preparation containing commercially available cellulases and hemicellulases. We show that the amounts of monosaccharides could be related to the biodegradability of the cellulosic material contained in the samples. This enzymatic cellulose degradation test was assayed on 37 samples originating from three Belgian landfills and collected at different depths. As results correlated well with those obtained with a classical biochemical methane potential assay, this new and rapid test is sufficiently reliable to evaluate cellulose bioavailability in waste samples.
authors.affiliation: Walloon Center of Industrial Biology, Unit of Microbial Technology, University of Liège, Bd. du Rectorat, B40, B-4000 Sart-Tilman, Belgium. ch.rodriguez@ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hiligsmann
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ongena
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Charlier
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thonart
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001682:Biological Availability; D044602:Cellulases; D002482:Cellulose / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006868:Hydrolysis; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012037:Refuse Disposal
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides; C007916:hemicellulose; D002482:Cellulose; D044602:Cellulases