Effect of propionate-cultured sludge augmentation on methane production from upflow anaerobic sludge blanket systems treating fresh landfill leachate

Khathapon Pinpatthanapong; Tunyaporn Puengpraput; Songkeart Phattarapattamawong; Chantaraporn Phalakornkule; Pornpan Panichnumsin; Nimaradee Boonapatcharoen; Phimchaya Paensiri; Kanokwan Malila; Nattapong Ponata; Thakrit Ngamcharoen; Rumpa Jutakanoke; Arnon Setsungnern; Yordkhuan Tachapermpon; Chairat Treesubsuntorn; Jarungwit Boonnorat

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163434

Effect of propionate-cultured sludge augmentation on methane production from upflow anaerobic sludge blanket systems treating fresh landfill leachate

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Jul 10:881:163434. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163434. Epub 2023 Apr 12.

Authors

Khathapon Pinpatthanapong¹, Tunyaporn Puengpraput², Songkeart Phattarapattamawong³, Chantaraporn Phalakornkule⁴, Pornpan Panichnumsin⁵, Nimaradee Boonapatcharoen², Phimchaya Paensiri¹, Kanokwan Malila¹, Nattapong Ponata¹, Thakrit Ngamcharoen¹, Rumpa Jutakanoke⁶, Arnon Setsungnern⁷, Yordkhuan Tachapermpon⁷, Chairat Treesubsuntorn⁸, Jarungwit Boonnorat⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT), Pathum Thani 12110, Thailand.
² Excellent Center of Waste Utilization and Management, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10150, Thailand.
³ Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10140, Thailand.
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), Bangkok 10800, Thailand; Research Center for Circular Products and Energy, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), Bangkok 10800, Thailand.
⁵ Excellent Center of Waste Utilization and Management, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10150, Thailand; National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
⁶ Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Mueang, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand.
⁷ Remediation Laboratory, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10150, Thailand.
⁸ Remediation Laboratory, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10150, Thailand; Division of Biotechnology, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10150, Thailand.
⁹ Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT), Pathum Thani 12110, Thailand. Electronic address: jarungwit_b@rmutt.ac.th.

PMID: 37059144
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163434

Abstract

This research investigates the effect of propionate-cultured sludge augmentation on methane (CH₄) production from upflow anaerobic sludge blanket systems (UASB) treating fresh landfill leachate. In the study, both UASB reactors (UASB 1 and UASB 2) contained acclimatized seed sludge, and UASB 2 was augmented with propionate-cultured sludge. The organic loading rate (OLR) was varied between 120.6, 84.4, 48.2, and 12.0 gCOD/L·d. The experimental results indicated that the optimal OLR of UASB 1 (non-augmentation) was 48.2 gCOD/L·d, achieving the CH₄ production of 4019 mL/d. Meanwhile, the optimal OLR of UASB 2 was 12.0 gCOD/L·d, achieving the CH₄ yield of 6299 mL/d. The dominant bacterial community in the propionate-cultured sludge included the genera Methanothrix, Methanosaeta, Methanoculleus, Syntrophobacter, Smithella, Pelotomamulum, which are the VFA-degrading bacteria and methanogens responsible for unblocking the CH₄ pathway bottleneck. Essentially, the novelty of this research lies in the use of propionate-cultured sludge to augment the UASB reactor in order to enhance CH₄ production from fresh landfill leachate.

Keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Biogas; Landfill leachate; VFA-degrading bacteria.

MeSH terms

Anaerobiosis
Bacteria / metabolism
Bioreactors
Methane / metabolism
Propionates
Sewage* / microbiology
Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods
Water Pollutants, Chemical*

Substances

Sewage
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Propionates
Methane