title: Improvement of anaerobic digestion performance by continuous nitrogen removal with a membrane contactor treating a substrate rich in ammonia and sulfide.
abstract: The effect of reduced ammonia levels on anaerobic digestion was investigated. Two reactors were fed with slaughterhouse waste, one with a hollow fiber membrane contractor for ammonia removal and one without. Different organic loading rates (OLR) and free ammonia and sulfide concentrations were investigated. In the reactor with the membrane contactor, the NH4-N concentration was reduced threefold. At a moderate OLR (3.1 kg chemical oxygen demand - COD/m(3)/d), this reactor performed significantly better than the reference reactor. At high OLR (4.2 kg COD/m(3)/d), the reference reactor almost stopped producing methane (0.01 Nl/gCOD). The membrane reactor also showed a stable process with a methane yield of 0.23 Nl/g COD was achieved. Both reactors had predominantly a hydrogenotrophic microbial consortium, however in the membrane reactor the genus Methanosaeta (acetoclastic) was also detected. In general, all relevant parameters and the methanogenic consortium indicated improved anaerobic digestion of the reactor with the membrane.
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences-Vienna, Department of IFA-Tulln, Institute for Environmental Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430 Tulln, Austria. Electronic address: benjamin.lauterboeck@boku.ac.at.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lauterböck
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioenergy, UFZ-Helmholtz, Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nikolausz
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioenergy, UFZ-Helmholtz, Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences-Vienna, Department of IFA-Tulln, Institute for Environmental Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430 Tulln, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences-Vienna, Department of IFA-Tulln, Institute for Environmental Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430 Tulln, Austria.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liebhard
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences-Vienna, Department of IFA-Tulln, Institute for Environmental Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430 Tulln, Austria.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D019149:Bioreactors; D005285:Fermentation; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013440:Sulfides / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D013440:Sulfides; D000641:Ammonia; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Ammonia inhibition; Anaerobic digestion; Membrane contactor; Nitrogen removal; Sulfide inhibition