Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) accumulation and microbial community structure of excess sludge (ES) at different pHs

Weiguang Jie; Yongzhen Peng; Nanqi Ren; Baikun Li

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2013.11.011

Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) accumulation and microbial community structure of excess sludge (ES) at different pHs

Bioresour Technol. 2014:152:124-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.11.011. Epub 2013 Nov 14.

Authors

Weiguang Jie¹, Yongzhen Peng², Nanqi Ren³, Baikun Li⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; Department of Food and Environment Engineering, East University of Heilongjiang, Harbin 150086, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; Key Laboratory of Beijing for Water Quality Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China. Electronic address: pyz@bjut.edu.cn.
³ State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Beijing for Water Quality Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China.

PMID: 24291313
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.11.011

Abstract

This study aimed at exploring the potential of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) produced from excess sludge (ES) as a new cost-effective internal carbon source in wastewater treatment processes. The optimal condition for VFA accumulation and the bacterial community structure in the bio-production of VFAs from ES were investigated at different pH conditions. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was performed to characterize the bacterial community structure of ES. The results showed that the optimal pH was 10.0 for VFA production, and acetic and propionic acids were the dominant acid species. Pseudomonas sp. was identified as the major bacteria capable of utilizing organic carbon at all pHs. Uncultured bacterium (AB658278) adapted well at high pH. Uncultured bacteria (KC633537 and JN596370) were mainly responsible for anaerobic degradation of ES. The study demonstrated the variation of bacterial community structures at pHs and the close correlation with the VFA accumulation.

Keywords: Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE); Excess sludge (ES); Microbial community structure; Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) accumulation; pH.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Bacteria / metabolism*
Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis
Fatty Acids, Volatile / biosynthesis
Fatty Acids, Volatile / metabolism*
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Hydrolysis
Phylogeny
Sewage / microbiology*

Substances

Fatty Acids, Volatile
Sewage