Abstract
Understanding the microbial communities in anaerobic digesters, especially bacteria and archaea, is key to its better operation and regulation. Microbial communities in the anaerobic digesters of the Gulf region where climatic conditions and other factors may impact the incoming feed are not documented. Therefore, Archaeal and Bacterial communities of three full-scale anaerobic digesters, namely AD1, AD3, and AD5 of the Jebel Ali Sewage water Treatment Plant (JASTP) were analyzed by Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Among bacteria, the most abundant genus was fermentative bacteria Acetobacteroides (Blvii28). Other predominant bacterial genera in the digesters included thermophilic bacteria (Fervidobacterium and Coprothermobacter) and halophilic bacteria like Haloterrigena and Sediminibacter. This can be correlated with the climatic condition in Dubai, where the bacteria in the incoming feed may be thermophilic or halophilic as much of the water used in the country is desalinated seawater. The predominant Archaea include mainly the members of the phyla Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota belonging to the genus Methanocorpusculum, Metallosphaera, Methanocella, and Methanococcus. The highest population of Methanocorpusculum (more than 50% of total Archaea), and other hydrogenotrophic archaea, is in agreement with the high population of bacterial genera Acetobacteroides (Blvii28) and Fervidobacterium, capable of fermenting organic substrates into acetate and H2. Coprothermobacter, which is known to improve protein degradation by establishing syntrophy with hydrogenotrophic archaea, is also one of the digesters' dominant genera. The results suggest that the microbial community in three full-scale anaerobic digesters is different. To best of our knowledge this is the first detailed report from the UAE.
Highlights
The process of anaerobic digestion is a multistep microbial process that includes the microbes mediated breakdown of organic matter to produce CO2, CH4, and H2O by a complex microbial community including archaea and bacteria
The results suggest that the microbial community in three full-scale anaerobic digesters is different
One of the reasons is the complexity of the microbial community involved in the process, making it difficult to understand the specific roles of different bacteria and their maintenance as consortia [8, 9]
Summary
The process of anaerobic digestion is a multistep microbial process that includes the microbes mediated breakdown of organic matter to produce CO2, CH4, and H2O by a complex microbial community including archaea and bacteria. These products can be used as biogas, which can be further processed to generate electricity or fuel for transportation [1, 2]. The energy obtained from anaerobic digesters can be used for the operation of the wastewater treatment plant itself [3] Due to these possible applications of the gases and the rising cost of conventional fossil fuels, the anaerobic digestion process is emerging as one of the most sustainable methods for the management of organic waste [4]. It is important to understand the roles of various microorganisms in the process of anaerobic digestion
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