Anaerobic digestion: I. A common process ensuring energy flow and the circulation of matter in ecosystems. II. A tool for the production of gaseous biofuels.

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion, a process that ultimately generates methane and carbon dioxide, is common in natural anoxic ecosystems where concentrations of electron acceptors such as nitrate, the oxidized forms of metals and sulphate are low. It also occurs in landfill sites and wastewater treatment plants. The general scheme of anaerobic digestion is well known and comprises four major steps: (i) hydrolysis of complex organic polymers to monomers; (ii) acidogenesis that results in the formation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide as well as non-gaseous fermentation products that are further oxidized to hydrogen, carbon dioxide and acetate in (iii) acetogenesis based on syntrophic metabolism, and (iv) methanogenesis. Approaches to the analysis of methane-yielding microbial communities and data acquisition are described. There is currently great interest in the development of new technologies for the production of biogas (primarily methane) from anaerobic digestion as a source of renewable energy. This includes the modernization of landfill sites and wastewater treatment plants and the construction of biogas plants. Moreover, research effort is being devoted to the idea of separating hydrolysis and acidogenesis from acetogenesis and methanogenesis under controlled conditions in order to favour biohydrogen and biomethane production, respectively. These two stages occur under different conditions and are carried out in separate bioreactors.