title: Microbial community structure reveals how microaeration improves fermentation during anaerobic co-digestion of brown water and food waste.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of microaeration on the fermentation process during anaerobic co-digestion of brown water (BW) and food waste (FW). This was achieved by daily monitoring of reactor performance and the determination of its bacterial consortium towards the end of the study. Molecular cloning and sequencing results revealed that bacteria within phyla Firmicutes and Bacteriodetes represented the dominant phylogenetic group. As compared to anaerobic conditions, the fermentation of BW and FW under microaeration conditions gave rise to a significantly more diverse bacterial population and higher proportion of bacterial clones affiliated to the phylum Firmicutes. The acidogenic reactor was therefore able to metabolize a greater variety of substrates leading to higher hydrolysis rates as compared to the anaerobic reactor. Other than enhanced fermentation, microaeration also led to a shift in fermentation production pattern where acetic acid was metabolized for the synthesis of butyric acid.
authors.affiliation: Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, #06-08, Singapore 637141, Singapore; Division of Environmental and Water Resources, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore. Electronic address: jwlim3@e.ntu.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Jun Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental and Water Resources, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore. Electronic address: jachiam1@e.ntu.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Jun An
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Chiam
authors.affiliation: Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, #06-08, Singapore 637141, Singapore; Division of Environmental and Water Resources, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore. Electronic address: jywang@ntu.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Jing-Yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000388:Air; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D041963:Bacteroidetes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D044822:Biodiversity; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005285:Fermentation; D005502:Food; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014866:Waste Products
chemical_list: D014866:Waste Products
keywords: Bacterial community structure; Brown water; Food waste; Microaeration