Abstract
A laboratory-scale experiment was carried out to assess the influence of temperature fluctuation on thermophilic anaerobic digestion of municipal organic solid waste (MOSW). Heating failure was simulated by decreasing temperature suddenly from 55 °C to 20 °C suddenly; 2 h time is needed for temperature decrease and recovery. Under the conditions of 8.0 g/(L·d) and 15 d respectively for MOSW load and retention time, following results were noted: (1) biogas production almost stopped and VFA (volatile fatty acid) accumulated rapidly, accompanied by pH decrease; (2) with low temperature (20 °C) duration of 1, 5, 12 and 24 h, it took 3, 11, 56 and 72 h for the thermophilic anaerobic digestion system to reproduce methane after temperature fluctuation; (3) the longer the low temperature interval lasted, the more the methanogenic bacteria would decay; hydrolysis, acidification and methanogenesis were all influenced by temperature fluctuation; (4) the thermophilic microorganisms were highly resilient to temperature fluctuation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahn, J.H., Forster, C.F., 2002. The effect of temperature variations on the performance of mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic filters treating a simulated papermill wastewater. Process Biochemistry, 37(6):589–594. [doi:10.1016/S0032-9592(01)00245-X]
Ahring, B.K., Ibrahim, A.A., Mladenovska, Z., 2001. Effect of temperature increase from 55 °C to 65 °C on performance and microbial population dynamics of an anaerobic reactor treating cattle manure. Water Res., 35(10):2446–2452. [doi:10.1016/S0043-1354(00)00526-1]
Dohanyos, M., Kosova, B., Zabranska, J., 1985. Production and utilization of VFA’s in various types of anaerobic reactors. Water Sci. Technol., 17:191–205.
Duran, M., Speece, R.E., 1997. Temperature staged anaerobic processes. Environmental Technology, 18:747–754.
El-Mashad, H.M., Zeeman, G., van Loon, W.K.P., Gerard, P.A.B., Lettinga, G., 2004. Effect of temperature and temperature fluctuation on thermophilic anaerobic digestion of cattle manure. Bioresource Technology, 95(2):191–201. [doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2003.07.013]
Lau, I.W.C., Fang, H.P., 1997. Effect of temperature shock to thermophilic granules. Water Res., 31(10):2626–2632. [doi:10.1016/S0043-1354(97)00110-3]
Li, G.D., 2004. The Handbook of Environment Engineering for Treating Solid Waste. Higher Education Press, Beijing, p.64–94.
Mosey, F.E., 1982. Mathematical modelling of the anaerobic digestion: regulated mechanisms for the formation of short-chain volatile acids from glucose. Water Sci. Technol., 15:209–232.
Peck, M.W., Skilton, J.M., Hawkes, F.R., Hawkes, D.L., 1986. Effects of temperature shock treatments on the stability of anaerobic digesters operated on separated cattle slurry. Water Res., 20(4):453–462. [doi:10.1016/0043-1354(86)90193-4]
Sahlstrom, L., 2003. A review of survival of pathogenic bacteria in organic waste used in biogas plants. Bioresource Technology, 87(2):161–166. [doi:10.1016/S0960-8524(02)00168-2]
Speece, R.E., 2001. Anaerobic Biotechnology for Industrial Wastewaters. Architecture & Building Press, Beijing, p.198–202.
van Lier, J.B., Martin, J.L.S., Lettinga, G., 1996. Effect of temperature on the anaerobic thermophilic conversion of volatile fatty acids by dispersed and granular sludge. Water Res., 30(1):199–207. [doi:10.1016/0043-1354(95)00107-V]
Visser, A., Gao, Y., Lettinga, G., 1993. Effects of short-term temperature increases on the mesophilic anaerobic breakdown of sulfate containing synthetic wastewater. Water Res., 27(4):541–550. [doi:10.1016/0043-1354(93)90163-C]
Watanabe, H., Kitamura, T., Ochi, S., Ozaki, M., 1997. Inactivation of pathogenic bacteria under mesophilic and thermophilic condition. Water Sci. Technol., 36(6–7):25–32. [doi:10.1016/S0273-1223(97)00503-9]
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Project (No. 2002-548) supported by the National Development and Reform Commission of China
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wu, Mc., Sun, Kw. & Zhang, Y. Influence of temperature fluctuation on thermophilic anaerobic digestion of municipal organic solid waste. J. Zhejiang Univ. - Sci. B 7, 180–185 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.2006.B0180
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.2006.B0180
Key words
- Temperature fluctuation
- Low temperature duration
- Thermophilic anaerobic digestion
- Municipal organic solid waste