Phosphatase activity and specific methanogenic activity in an anaerobic reactor treating sludge from a brackish recirculation aquaculture system

Abstract

Anaerobic treatment of high salinity sludge from marine/brackish recirculation aquaculture systems is potentially limited by inhibition of enzymatic activities and cell lysis resulting from high osmotic pressures. To further address these limitations the following investigations were conducted: effect of salinity on phosphatase activity (PA), soluble microbial products (SMP) production, and presence of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS); effect of iron (III) chloride (FeCl3) on PA and specific methanogenic activity (SMA); effect of addition of the compatible solute glycine betaine (GB) and potassium on PA, as well as on SMP and EPS production, all under saline conditions. The results show that salinity has different effects on PA of anaerobes under starvation and feeding conditions. FeCl3 increased the SMA of the sludge by 22.5% at 100 mg FeCl3/L compared with a control group (0 mg FeCl3/L). Furthermore, results of analysis of variance tests show that betaine increased the polysaccharide content of EPS and polypeptide content of SMP. However, addition of 1 mM potassium chloride did not show a significant effect on EPS and SMP composition. In conclusion, anaerobic digestion of salty sludges from a brackish aquaculture recirculation system may not be negatively affected by FeCl3 addition to concentrate waste streams, whereas GB boosts the production of SMP and EPS.