Culture scale-up and immobilisation of a mixed methanotrophic consortium for methane remediation in pilot-scale bio-filters.
Robust methanotrophic consortia for methane (CH4) remediation and by-product development are presently not readily available for industrial use. In this study, a mixed methanotrophic consortium (MMC), sequentially enriched from a marine sediment, was assessed for CH4removal efficiency and potential biomass-generated by-product development. Suitable packing material for bio-filters to support MMC biofilm establishment and growth was also evaluated. The enriched MMC removed ∼7-13% CH4under a very high gas flow rate (2.5 L min-1; 20-25% CH4) in continuous-stirred tank reactors (∼10 L working volume) and the biomass contained long-chain fatty acids (i.e. C16and C18). Cultivation of the MMC on plastic bio-balls abated ∼95-97% CH4in pilot-scale non-sterile outdoor-operated bio-filters (0.1 L min-1; 1% CH4). Contamination by cyanobacteria had beneficial effects on treating low-level CH4, by providing additional oxygen for methane oxidation by MMC, suggesting that the co-cultivation of MMC with cyanobacterial mats does not interfere with and may actually be beneficial for remediation of CH4and CO2at industrial scale.
a College of Science and Engineering , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.|b Comparative Genomics Centre , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.|c Department of Biology, Sino-Forest Applied Research Centre for Pearl River Delta Environment , Hong Kong Baptist University , Kowloon Tong , Hong Kong.
Obulisamy Parthiba
OP
Karthikeyan
a College of Science and Engineering , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.
Nadarajan
N
Saravanan
a College of Science and Engineering , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.|b Comparative Genomics Centre , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.|e Departamento de Biología , Universidad Autónoma de Madrid , Madrid , Spain.
Samuel
S
Cirés
a College of Science and Engineering , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.
Carlos
C
Alvarez-Roa
a College of Science and Engineering , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.
Ali
A
Razaghi
a College of Science and Engineering , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.
Karthigeyan
K
Chidambarampadmavathy
a College of Science and Engineering , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.
Chinnathambi
C
Velu
a College of Science and Engineering , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.
Gobalakrishnan
G
Subashchandrabose
a College of Science and Engineering , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.|b Comparative Genomics Centre , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.|d Centre for Bio-discovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics , James Cook University , Townsville , Queensland , Australia.
Kirsten
K
Heimann
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000378:metabolism*; D003032:Coal Mining; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D005374:Filtration; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D058086:Microalgae / Q000378:metabolism; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000502:physiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D008697:Methane
Methane; bio-ball; bio-filter; continuous-stirred tank reactor; marine sediment; methanotrophs