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Microbiota adaptation after an alkaline pH perturbation in a full-scale UASB anaerobic reactor treating dairy wastewater

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand how the microbial community adapted to changes, including a pH perturbation, occurring during the start-up and operation processes in a full-scale methanogenic UASB reactor designed to treat dairy wastewater. The reactor performance, prokaryotic community, and lipid degradation capacity were monitored over a 9-month period. The methanogenic community was studied by mcrA/mrtA gene copy-number quantification and methanogenic activity tests. A diverse prokaryotic community characterized the seeding sludge as assessed by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. As the feeding began, the bacterial community was dominated by Firmicutes, Synergistetes, and Proteobacteria phyla. After an accidental pH increase that affected the microbial community structure, a sharp increase in the relative abundance of Clostridia and a decrease in the mcrA/mrtA gene copy number and methanogenic activity were observed. After a recovery period, the microbial population regained diversity and methanogenic activity. Alkaline shocks are likely to happen in dairy wastewater treatment because of the caustic soda usage. In this work, the plasticity of the prokaryotic community was key to surviving changes to the external environment and supporting biogas production in the reactor.

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Abbreviations

AD:

Anaerobic digestion

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

EGSB:

Expanded granular sludge bed

FOG:

Fat, oil and grease

HRT:

Hydraulic retention time

LCFA:

Long-chain fatty acid

OLR:

Organic loading rate

OUT:

Operational taxonomic unit

SFDA:

Specific fatty-acid degradation activity

SLR:

Specific loading rate

SMA:

Specific methanogenic activity

SRT:

Sludge retention time

UASB:

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket

VSS:

Volatile suspended solids

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the project grant ANII FSE 17. Cecilia Callejas was funded by ANII (PhD thesis grant).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. BIOPROA, Faculty of Engineering, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de La República, Herrera y Reissig 565, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Cecilia Callejas, Alfonsina Fernández, Mauricio Passeggi & Liliana Borzacconi

  2. Microbial Ecology Laboratory, BioGem Department, Biological Research Institute Clemente Estable, Ministry of Education, Av. Italia, 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Jorge Wenzel, Patricia Bovio & Claudia Etchebehere

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  1. Cecilia Callejas
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  2. Alfonsina Fernández
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Callejas, C., Fernández, A., Passeggi, M. et al. Microbiota adaptation after an alkaline pH perturbation in a full-scale UASB anaerobic reactor treating dairy wastewater. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 42, 2035–2046 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-019-02198-3

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