title: Enhanced anaerobic digestion performance via combined solids- and leachate-based hydrolysis reactor inoculation.
abstract: Suboptimal conditions in anaerobic digesters (e.g., presence of common inhibitors ammonia and salinity) limit waste hydrolysis and lead to unstable performance and process failures. Application of inhibitor-tolerant inocula improves hydrolysis, but approaches are needed to establish and maintain these desired waste-hydrolyzing bacteria in high-solids reactors. Herein, performance was compared for leach bed reactors (LBRs) seeded with unacclimated or acclimated inoculum (0-60% by mass) at start-up and over long-term operation. High quantities of inoculum (∼60%) increase waste hydrolysis and are beneficial at start-up or when inhibitors are increasing. After start-up (∼112days) with high inoculum quantities, leachate recirculation leads to accumulation of inhibitor-tolerant hydrolyzing bacteria in leachate. During long-term operation, low inoculum quantities (∼10%) effectively increase waste hydrolysis relative to without solids-derived inoculum. Molecular analyses indicated that combining digested solids with leachate-based inoculum doubles quantities of Bacteria contacting waste over a batch and supplies additional desirable phylotypes Bacteriodes and Clostridia.
authors: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, 1301 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
authors: L Paige
authors: LP
authors: Wilson
authors: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, 1301 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
authors: Sybil E
authors: SE
authors: Sharvelle
authors: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, 1301 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Electronic address: susan.de_long@colostate.edu.
authors: Susan K
authors: SK
authors: De Long
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000378:metabolism*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D054712:Salinity; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D000641:Ammonia
keywords: Acclimation; Ammonia; Anaerobic digestion; Inoculation; Leachate; Multi-stage; Salinity