title: Anaerobic treatment of crude glycerol from biodiesel production.
abstract: In this study, we evaluated the use of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor to treat crude glycerol obtained from cottonseed biodiesel production. The laboratory-scale UASB reactor (7.0 L) was operated at ambient temperature of 26.5°C with chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations between 0.5 and 8.0 g/L. The volatile fatty acid contents, pH, inorganic salt contents and biogas production were monitored during a 280-day experimental period. Molecular biology techniques were used to assess the microbial diversity in the bioreactor. The reactor achieved COD removal efficiencies of up to 92% except during one phase when the efficiency decreased to 81%. Biogas production remained stable throughout the experimental period, when the fraction converted to methane reached values as high as 68%. The profile of the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) bands suggested slight changes in the microbial community during reactor operation. The overall results indicated that the crude glycerol from biodiesel production can serve as a suitable substrate for anaerobic degradation with a stable reactor performance and biogas production as long as the applied organic loads are up to 8.06 kg COD/m3·d.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Saneamento Ambiental, Departamento de Engenharia Civil, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Av. Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n. Cidade Universitária. CEP: 50740-530 Recife - PE, Brazil E-mail: flor@ufpe.br.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Saneamento, Campus Afogados da Ingazeira, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Pernambuco. Sítio Campinhos, s/n. CEP: 56800-000 Afogados da Ingazeira - PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: W R S
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Silva Júnior
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Saneamento Ambiental, Departamento de Engenharia Civil, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Av. Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n. Cidade Universitária. CEP: 50740-530 Recife - PE, Brazil E-mail: flor@ufpe.br.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Saneamento Ambiental, Departamento de Engenharia Civil, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Av. Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n. Cidade Universitária. CEP: 50740-530 Recife - PE, Brazil E-mail: flor@ufpe.br.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gavazza
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Saneamento Ambiental, Departamento de Engenharia Civil, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Av. Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n. Cidade Universitária. CEP: 50740-530 Recife - PE, Brazil E-mail: flor@ufpe.br.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Florencio
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D056804:Biofuels; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D005990:Glycerol / Q000378:metabolism*; D003368:Gossypium; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D007220:Industrial Waste; D012722:Sewage; D008697:Methane; D005990:Glycerol