title: Increasing concentrations of phenol progressively affect anaerobic digestion of cellulose and associated microbial communities.
abstract: Performance stability is a key issue when managing anaerobic digesters. However it can be affected by external disturbances caused by micropollutants. In this study the influence of phenol on the methanization of cellulose was evaluated through batch toxicity assays. Special attention was given to the dynamics of microbial communities by means of automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis. We observed that, as phenol concentrations increased, the different steps of anaerobic cellulose digestion were unevenly and progressively affected, methanogenesis being the most sensitive: specific methanogenic activity was half-inhibited at 1.40 g/L of phenol, whereas hydrolysis of cellulose and its fermentation to VFA were observed at up to 2.00 g/L. Depending on the level of phenol, microbial communities resisted either through physiological or structural adaptation. Thus, performances at 0.50 g/L were maintained in spite of the microbial community's shift. However, the communities' ability to adapt was limited and performances decreased drastically beyond 2.00 g/L of phenol.
authors.affiliation: Hydrosystems and Bioprocesses Research Unit, Irstea, 1 rue Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, CS 10030, 92761, Antony Cedex, France. olivier.chapleur@irstea.fr.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9460-921X
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Chapleur
authors.affiliation: Hydrosystems and Bioprocesses Research Unit, Irstea, 1 rue Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, CS 10030, 92761, Antony Cedex, France. celine.madigou@irstea.fr.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Madigou
authors.affiliation: Hydrosystems and Bioprocesses Research Unit, Irstea, 1 rue Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, CS 10030, 92761, Antony Cedex, France. raphael.civade@irstea.fr.
authors.forename: Raphaël
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Civade
authors.affiliation: Hydrosystems and Bioprocesses Research Unit, Irstea, 1 rue Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, CS 10030, 92761, Antony Cedex, France. yohan.rodolphe@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yohan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rodolphe
authors.affiliation: Hydrosystems and Bioprocesses Research Unit, Irstea, 1 rue Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, CS 10030, 92761, Antony Cedex, France. laurent.mazeas@irstea.fr.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mazéas
authors.affiliation: Hydrosystems and Bioprocesses Research Unit, Irstea, 1 rue Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, CS 10030, 92761, Antony Cedex, France. theodore.bouchez@irstea.fr.
authors.forename: Théodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bouchez
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001105:Archaea / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005285:Fermentation; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000235:genetics; D012722:Sewage; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D010636:Phenols; D012722:Sewage; D002482:Cellulose; D008697:Methane
keywords: ARISA; EC50; Inhibition; Micropollutants; Phenol degradation