title: Effects of pH on the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic wastes and volatile fatty acids accumulation: the contribution of biotic and abiotic factors.
abstract: In this study, a combination of micro-scale structure and extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) analysis was successfully used to explore the effect of pH (from 6.0 to 12.0) on wetland plant litter (WPL) hydrolysis and VFAs accumulation. During 30days of fermentation, the maximum VFAs production and abiotic release of carbohydrate, combined with the minimum EEAs were observed at pH 12.0, suggesting that abiotic factors were most important for hydrolysis and VFAs accumulation at pH 12.0. As the pH decreased, the factors most important to carbohydrate hydrolysis shifted from abiotic factors to biotic factors with the maximum bio-release of carbohydrate occurring at pH 9.0. Further investigation showed that pH 9.0 could significantly enhance the bio-release of carbohydrate through the increase in the mesoporous surface area, surface cellulose accessibility and cellulase activity. Alkaline fermentation at ambient temperature can be considered as a sustainable technology for VFAs recovery and WPL management.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Junwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D005285:Fermentation; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry*; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; C036909:lignocellulose; D008031:Lignin