Slurry Treatment Research Articles

Dissolved organic carbon drives nutrient cycling via microbial community in paddy soil

Microbial mediated iron cycling drives the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus. However, the fate of the microbial community and the relative metabolic pathways in paddy soil after the addition of biogas slurry are poorly understood. In this study, the response of functional genes was investigated by growing one-season rice in paddy soils in a pot experiment. Seven treatments were prepared: 1) control (CK); 2) organic carbon (OC); 3) fertilizer (F); 4) 5% of biogas slurry (B05); 5) 10% of biogas slurry (B10); 6) 15% of biogas slurry (B15); 7) 20% of biogas slurry (B20). In the biogas slurry treatments, Geobacter increased more than in the other treatments during rice growth, which were structured by TOC. Particularly, in the B10 treatment, the relative abundance of Geobacter was 1.6 and 14.8 times higher than that of CK at the heading and mature stages, respectively. At the heading stage, the addition of biogas slurry and OC shifted the microbial phosphorus-transformation communities differently. There were no significant differences in the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur metabolic pathways between the two treatments. At the mature stage, the carbon: nitrogen: phosphorus balance was significantly influenced by the regulation of functional gene expression and metabolic activities. These findings provide insight into the key factors affecting carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and iron during rice growth after carbon inputs.

A perspective on the efficacy of green gas production via integration of technologies in novel cascading circular bio-systems

Presently more energy is sourced from the natural gas grid than the electricity grid in the EU and the US. Furthermore hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy-duty transport are not readily served by electricity. Decarbonised energy systems will require renewable fuels (such as biomethane) to reduce the reliance on fossil-based diesel and natural gas. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a technology which with other bio-based technologies can effect improved energy conversion and reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across sectors beyond energy. Here, an AD-centred cascading circular system with carbon capture and utilisation was proposed by incorporating power to gas (P2G), microbial electrolysis cell (MEC), and digestate valorisation for biochar production. The system as modelled converted CO2 to biomethane and digestate to biochar for CO2 sequestration. This was exemplified through cattle slurry with an annual production of 3.03 billion tons in three studied regions (the EU, China and the US), which was shown to produce a maximum of 2.29 EJ (equivalent to 1.64% of natural gas demand in 2018) of total energy in the form of advanced biofuels (biomethane, bio-oil and syngas) via the AD-MEC system, which was preferable to a conventional AD or an AD-P2G system. The treatment of cattle slurry with AD-MEC led to a combined 397.4 MtCO2e of GHG emission savings in the three regions. This could contribute to avoiding 2.0% of GHG emissions (total 20.1 GtCO2e) in the three regions. The sustainability of such a system was shown to be dependent on access to low-carbon and low-cost electricity systems.

Trace Metal Levels and Nutrient Characteristics of Crude Oil-Contaminated Soil Amended with Biochar–Humus Sediment Slurry

Biochar utilization for environmental remediation applications has become very popular. We investigated the trace metal levels and soil nutrient characteristics of a biochar–humus sediment slurry treatment of a simulated crude oil-contaminated soil in the present work. The results revealed that biochar prepared at moderate pyrolysis temperature (500 °C) could still retain a significantly higher nutrient content than those prepared at high temperatures (700 and 900 °C). Despite the suitability for soil treatment, one-pot treatment studies seem not to be very effective for monitoring trace metal sorption to biochar because trace metals do not biodegrade and remain in the system.

Processing of agricultural apple fruit waste into sugar rich feedstocks for the catalytic production of 5-HMF over a Sn Amberlyst-15 resin catalyst

In this study we considered processes of treatment of agricultural apple waste which is normally discarded. We show the effect of various pre-treatment procedures on the final catalytic performance to produce 5-HMF from this real world biomass waste. Our study of the various potential pre-treatment steps, and their effect on the catalytic performance, provides valuable new insights which can be used for the development of new processes for the localised small scale valorization of agricultural fruit waste. The apple waste is aimed to be converted into a sugar rich feedstock stream for the catalytic conversion to 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) at low temperatures (∼120°C). Filters with varying pore sizes were studied for the filtration of apple pomace after milling the rotten apples in order to reduce the solids content. The tested filters varied in pore sizes of 0.2μm, 2μm and 54μm. The effect of heating, acid or base treatment of the apple slurry was evaluated for increasing the speed of filtration. The highest flow rate was obtained for the filter with 54μm pores. The sugar rich filtrates were investigated in the catalytic conversion to 5-HMF over an easy-to-manufacture Sn exchanged resin (Amberlyst-15) catalyst. Results showed that filtrates obtained over a 2μm filter lead to the highest 5-HMF yields (18 %) without extra additives. Adjustment of the reaction mixtures to pH 7 resulted in a lower catalytic activity. 5-HMF is proposed to be extracted from the aqueous layer by using an organic liquid layer (methyl isobutyl ketone, MIBK). In order to increase the diffusion of 5-HMF to the MIBK layer the addition of salts to the reaction mixture was investigated. This leads to lower catalytic activity, possibly due to catalyst deactivation. Our results showed that a relatively wide pore filter (54μm) provides the fastest apple processing method and a filtrate reacting to the highest 5-HMF yield in catalytic conversion of the sugar rich product stream obtained from agricultural waste apples.

Effect of slurry used with soil conditioners and fertilizers on structural, non‐structural carbohydrate and lignin content

AbstractThe aim of the studies was to determine the effect of slurry supplemented with UGmax and Humus Active soil conditioners and with NPK fertilizers on the content of structural and non‐structural carbohydrates and lignin in a forage grass species of Sulino variety [Festulolium braunii (K. Richt. A. Camus]. The 2‐yr field experiment with three replicates and a completely randomized design was established on the experimental facilities of the University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce, Poland. Cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, total protein, crude ash, and crude fat in plant material were determined by near‐infrared reflection spectroscopy (NIRS). The amount of non‐structural carbohydrates was calculated by deducting the weight of other components from 1,000 g of dry matter. The applied fertilizer significantly affected the content of structural and non‐structural carbohydrates, but not lignin. The highest amounts of cellulose (283.0 g kg–1) and hemicelluloses (220.2 g kg–1) were recorded in plants treated with both slurry and Humus Active and UGmax, while the highest content of non‐structural carbohydrates (220.2 g kg–1) was found in Festulolium braunii treated with slurry only. Cellulose and hemicellulose content significantly varied across growing seasons, while the amounts of cellulose, lignin, and non‐structural carbohydrates varied across harvests. The interaction of slurry with soil conditioners, unlike only slurry treatment affected the formation of hemicellulose and non‐structural carbohydrates. The combined use of Humus Active and slurry increased hemicellulose content by approximately 23%, while the content of non‐structural carbohydrates decreased by about 35% in comparison to plants treated with slurry only.

Biochar production using biogas residue and their adsorption of ammonium nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand in wastewater

Modified biochars prepared from straw, pig manure, and chicken manure biogas residues were used to adsorb and remove ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in wastewater. The results showed that at 400–600°C, the adsorption performance of the biogas residue biochars increased with pyrolysis temperature, reaching the maximum at 550°C. Biochar from chicken manure biogas residue exhibited strong NH4+-N (20.3%) and COD (28.1%) adsorption capacity. Through FeCl3 modification, the Fe content on the surface of the biochar increased, and the adsorption data of the modified biochar conformed well to the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir model, and the reaction was dominated by chemical adsorption. The fitting calculation revealed that the FeCl3-modified biochar from chicken manure biogas residue showed maximum NH4+-N (55.29 mg/g) and COD (186.24 mg/g) absorption capacity. These results indicated that modified biochar from biogas residue could have potential application for the treatment and recycling of biogas slurry.

PENINGKATAN PERTUMBUHAN DAN HASIL BAWANG MERAH (Allium ascalonicum, L) DENGAN APLIKASI PERBEDAAN KONSENTRASI BIO SLURRY DAN PEMOTONGAN UMBI BIBIT

ABSTRACT
 
 This study aims to determine the effect of bio slurry and cutting of seed tubers on the growth and yield of shallot plants in the Dukuh Kepoh Food and Horticultural Garden, Tohudan Village, Colomadu District, Karanganyar Regency with a height of ± 105 m above sea level, from April until June 2020.
 This study used a factorial method with a complete randomized block design (RAKL), consisting of two treatment factors, while the two treatment factors with 12 treatment combinations, each treatment was repeated (3) times. The first treatment, the concentration of bio slurry (S) which consists of 4 levels, namely (S1: Bio slurry 0 ml / l, S2: Bio slurry 50 ml / l, S3: Bio slurry 100 ml / l, S4: Bio slurry 150 ml / l). The second treatment was cutting the seed tubers (P), which consisted of three levels (P1: Cutting 1/4 part of seed tubers, P2: Cutting 1/3 parts of seed tubers, P3: Cutting 1/2 parts of seed tubers).
 The results showed that the treatment with bio slurry (S) had no significant effect on all observed parameters. Treatment by cutting seed tubers (P) had a very significant effect on plant height, weight of fresh tubers per plant, weight of fresh tubers per plot and had a significant effect on the number of fresh tubers per plant, but had no significant effect on the number of tubers per plot and weight of fresh stems. The combination between the treatment of bio slurry and cutting of seed tubers (SxP) did not significantly affect all observed parameters, The highest yield of fresh tubers per plot was obtained in treatment (S2P2) with a yield of 800.00 g, while the lowest tuber weight per plot was obtained in treatment ( S1P3) with a yield of 433.33 g.
 
 Keywords: shallot, bio-slurry, seed tuber cutting
 

Co-culture of bacteria and microalgae for treatment of high concentration biogas slurry

The co-culture of microalgae and specific bacteria is conducive for improving wastewater treatment efficiency. In this study, native bacterial strains isolated from pig biogas slurry were screened for effective biogas slurry treatment when co-cultured with different microalgae. Scenedesmus obliquus and Bacillus megaterium (So-B) co-culture was found more efficient in treating high concentration biogas slurry compared with the pure microalgae culture. When the C/N/P ratio in biogas slurry was 106/16/1 and the initial microalgae-bacteria inoculation ratio was 9:1, the co-culture attained the maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (TP) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) removal rates of 85.98 %, 81.03 % and 65.48 %, respectively. High C/N ratio was favorable for NH4+-N removal by the co-culture. In addition, co-culture with bacteria markedly increased the ratio of saturated/unsaturated fatty acids in microalgae. These results suggest that the co-culture could efficiently reduce various nutrients in biogas slurry and simultaneously accumulate biomass with higher biofuel characteristics.

Benefit Evaluation of Energy-Saving and Emission Reduction in Construction Industry Based on Rough Set Theory

Abstract Achieving energy conservation and emission reduction in the industry is an inevitable way to promote harmony between society and nature and achieve sustainable human development. China’s infrastructure construction industry is developing rapidly. Still, there is a lack of a well-established industry standard for evaluating the potential and level of energy reduction in infrastructure construction. A severe lack of quantitative research on energy-saving and CO2 outflow decreases the benefits of green development advances. This study takes the energy conservation and outflow decrease of construction waste slurry treatment in Guangdong Province, China, as the background, establishes an evaluation system with three rule levels: social, economic, and environmental, and adopts rough set theory to determine the weights of each index to ensure the objectivity of each index. According to the recommendations of the carbon emission calculation guidelines, select the relevant data to evaluate the energy-saving and emission reduction benefits of the new green construction technology of grouted piles in a road project in Guangdong Province. The results show that the development level and potential of energy saving and emission reduction technology in the construction sector in Guangdong Province are increasing year by year. It’s potential changes with the increase or decrease of highway mileage, and it is an urgent need to increase investment in pollution control. The research results can evaluate the benefits of energy-saving and carbon dioxide emission reduction in the construction industry, also be used as a reference to assess energy-saving and emission reduction in the construction industry in other countries.

Design and Performance of an Innovative Hybrid Constructed Wetland for Sustainable Pig Slurry Treatment in Small Farms

Simple and suitable treatment of swine slurry from small farms is paramount especially in sensitive areas. This paper evaluates the viability of an innovative nature-based technology hybrid system (a Vertical Flow Constructed Wetland followed by a Horizontal Flow Constructed Wetland both planted with reeds – Phragmites australis) to treat swine slurry for further land application or discharge in water bodies with reduced nitrogen impact. Physicochemical parameters, bacterial indicators, surface deposits and biomass inside the filters were monitored. The hybrid configuration offered a dual function for simultaneous solid-liquid separation and biological treatment. Removal of organic matter and suspended solids was very high (>80% for SS and >75% for COD and BOD5) while the overall nitrogen load removal was 65%, due to the combined nitrification/denitrification processes, thus effectively reducing swine slurry nitrogen content. The influence of temperature and design and operational parameters on the treatment efficiency and the hydraulic behavior were also studied. The vertical constructed wetland achieved good hydraulic performance with no clogging problems, despite high pollutant loads. Some of the pollutants were retained and mineralized in the surface deposit layer, increasing around 20 cm each year. This organic biosolid layer improved filtration efficiency. The high ammonia contents interfered with the growth of Phragmites australis, while the high concentration of suspended solids and organic matter determine the operation and design to be implemented.

Chemical mechanical polishing for sapphire wafers using a developed slurry

At present, corrosive ingredients are widely employed in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of sapphire, bringing a potential threat to both people and environment. This results in high cost and long processing time on the treatment of CMP slurry of sapphire. It is a challenge to develop a novel green CMP for sapphire to meet the stringent requirements of high performance products. In this study, a novel green CMP is proposed for sapphire, consisting of silica nanoparticles of 50 nm, triethanolamine (TEA), sodium metasilicate nonahydrate, and deionized water. After green CMP, surface roughness Ra, root mean square (rms), and peak-to-valley (PV) are 0.11, 0.139, and 1.65 nm, respectively. Material removal rate is 3.31 μm/h during green CMP. To the best of our knowledge, surface roughness Ra and rms after green CMP developed are the lowest on a sapphire wafer, compared with those reported previously. The CMP mechanism is elucidated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and infrared (IR) spectra. Sapphire formed Al(OH) 4 − ions in an alkaline environment, which was chelated by TEA, and removed from the surface of sapphire. These findings provide new insights to fabricate high performance devices of sapphire for the use in semiconductor and microelectronic industries.

Embedding ruthenium nanoparticles in the shell layer of titanium zirconium oxide hollow spheres to catalyze the degradation of alkali lignin under mild condition

To catalyze the degradation of lignin in refractory wastewater efficiently, a new nanocomposite with Ru nanoparticles embedded on the surface of TiZrO4 hollow spheres was fabricated with three method a “sol-gel + calcination + vacuum-impregnation” template method, and the unique binary composition of TiZrO4/Ru prevented the aggregation of Ru and keep its high activity. During 3-h catalytic-oxidation at 160 °C and 2.0 MPa O2, 98% alkali lignin was degraded and 70% organic carbon was mineralized with the catalysis of TiZrO4/Ru, while the values were only 50% and 25% without analysts. The catalyst increased the catalytic-oxidation rate constant k1 (h−1) of alkali lignin from 0.282 h−1 to 1.175 h−1 because of high-efficiency hydroxyl radical production, as determined by EPR. LC-OCD showed that the catalyst decomposed alkali lignin with molecular weight 1–2 kDa to small molecules. Butyl acetate was the main intermediate product, which should be derived from the auto synthesis of butanol and acetic acid. In addition to high conversion efficiency, the catalyst had good stability with 95% capability after five cycles. In real biogas slurry treatment, an increase of biochemical to COD ratio from 0.28 to 0.51, with obvious decoloration, indicated TiZrO4/Ru enhanced the biodegradability of the refractory wastewater significantly.

Microstructure characteristics and strengthening mechanism of semisolid CuSn10P1 alloys

Studies on the rheoforming of high melting point alloys are scarce due to the difficulties in preparing semisolid slurries. This work applied a novel enclosed cooling slope channel (ECSC) to prepare a semisolid slurry and squeeze cast a CuSn10P1 (weight percent) alloy. The microstructure and phase formation of the semisolid slurry, properties of liquid squeeze casting, rheo-squeeze casting with or without isothermal treatment of the semisolid slurry were investigated through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, nanoindentation, and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the microstructure is transformed from coarse dendrites of as-cast to equiaxed grains of semisolid. The high cooling rate of the ECSC process and the semisolid slurry isothermal treatment suppressed tin diffusion to induce the formation of the metastable phase β′-Cu13.7Sn. The average values of the modulus and micro-hardness of the rheo-squeeze part after soaking for 20 s were 121.99 ± 14.03 GPa and 2.01 ± 0.94 GPa, which was lower than that without isothermal and liquid squeeze casting, indicating that it has good deformability. The tensile strength and elongation of the rheo-squeeze part after 20 s of soaking treatment are 417 MPa and 12.6%, which increase by 26.3% and three times, respectively, compared to those without isothermal and liquid squeezing, which is likely attributed to solution strengthening, fine grain strengthening, and microstructure homogenization. In addition, the fracture mechanism was transformed from the brittle fracture of liquid squeeze and rheo-squeeze casting without isothermal treatment to a combination of cleavage fracture and ductile fracture of rheo-squeeze casting with 20 s of soaking treatment.

Environmental implications of stored cattle slurry treatment with sulphuric acid and biochar: A life cycle assessment approach

With the increase of animal slurry produced from livestock production, the monitoring and mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia (NH3) emissions represent a major issue. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used to evaluate the long-term environmental effects of applied strategies and technologies on cattle slurry management for mitigation of environmental harmful gases. This study was carried on two main aims: first, the effect of the addition of sulphuric acid (SA), biochar (SBi) or A + Bi to liquid cattle-slurry (treated systems) on gas emissions during storage compared to the untreated system (S) was investigated in a laboratory-controlled experiment; second, the environmental implications of each treated or untreated system were assessed through a LCA approach according to ISO 14040/44. Five CML 2001 impact categories were used: eutrophication potential (EP), acidification potential (AP), global warming potential (GWP), human toxicity potential (HTP) and Ozone Layer Depletion Potential (ODP). Comparisons were based on 1 ton fresh dairy cattle slurry. The environmental profile of untreated system showed lower efficiency in mitigation of total GHG and NH3 emissions (0.0312 and 0.0001 kg CO2-eq respectively), during storage period and greater impact on GWP and HTP categories. The electricity consumption in mechanical separation dominated the environmental impacts. From the three proposed treated systems, SA showed the highest efficiency on mitigation of gas emissions compared to the other treatments, reducing NH3, CH4 and CO2 emissions respectively in 61%, 98% and 15%, when compared to the SBi system. In all categories, acidified slurry also showed the lowest environmental impact relative to other treated systems and the benefit was more evident when the impacts were expressed per kilogram of nitrogen in the slurry. Therefore, LCA methodology was of great importance to assess the environmental implications of the treatments and acidification can be considered as an effective technique on the mitigation of environmental implications of livestock production and cattle-effluent valorization. Optimization and uniformity of performed studies are essential to validate new strategies to improve the sustainability of this sector in the management of animal wastewater.

Measurement of the coordination effect of polyphenols used in oil field by colorimetric method

Polyphenols are widely used in drilling fluid, cement slurry and water treatment in oil fields. The paper is based on the characteristics of the abundant phenolic hydroxyl groups in plant polyphenol compounds that can form stable complexes with iron ions, and the characteristics of phenolic compounds forming blueviolet to brown complexes with iron salts, and the color of iron salts itself for light yellow, a color method is designed to evaluate the quality of polyphenols, which provides a simple and reliable method for the quality analysis of industrial polyphenols.

Coproduction of hydrogen and volatile fatty acids via integrated two-step fermentation of sweet sorghum stalks by alkaline and enzymatic treatment

Coproduction of H2 and volatile fatty acids from sweet sorghum stalks was successfully developed via two-step fermentation process involving alkaline and enzymatic treatment of the residual slurry obtained from the first step fermentation of the raw material. The optimum treatment conditions to obtain the highest yield of the end products included 2% (w/v) alkali at 120 °C for the residual slurry and 32 FPU cellulase per gram of the alkali-treated materials. The two-step fermentation using Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum increased the end product yields of H2 (6.37 mmol/g-substrate) by 95%, acetic acid (2.33 g/L) by 97% and butyric acid (2.36 g/L) by 143% compared with those obtained in the single step fermentation without any treatment. As a result, the H2 energy recovery efficiency of the two-step fermentation process with commercially attractive butyric acid as a coproduct reached 10.54%. These results provide a promising approach for sweet sorghum biorefining.

Two-stage separation and acidification of pig slurry – Nutrient separation efficiency and agronomical implications

Separation of slurries can facilitate the nutrient management on farms through nutrient partitioning between the liquid and the solid fraction. The distribution of nutrients in the slurry fractions depends largely on the type of separator used. The current study assessed the separation efficiency of a two-step separation treatment of pig slurry including in-series a screw press and a centrifuge followed by acidification (to pH 5.9) of the final liquid effluent. The system concentrated 73.8% of the slurry's Phosphorus (P) content, 52.6% of Total solids (TS) and 14.4% of total Nitrogen to the solid fraction. The apparent N recovery from ryegrass fertilized with the raw slurry and non-acidified liquid fractions was not decreased by the separation treatment. The acidified liquid fraction showed 28% and 9% higher apparent N recovery compared to the raw slurry and the non-acidified liquid effluent from the centrifuge respectively. The biochemical methane production potential (Bo) of the acidified liquid fraction was reduced by 50% and 25%, compared to the non-acidified counterpart and the raw slurry, respectively. The results highlight the potential of a double separation system coupled with acidification of the liquid fraction, to extract P into a solid fraction which can be transported outside the farm, and to increase N utilization from the liquid fraction when this is used as organic fertiliser on or nearby the farm. The study further highlights the potential to reduce CH4 emissions from slurry storage after mechanical separation and acidification of the liquid slurry fraction.

A mechanical non-enzymatic method for isolation of mouse embryonic fibroblasts.

Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) accessibility coupled with their simple generation make them as a typical embryonic cell model and feeder layer for in vitro expansion of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). In this study, a mechanical isolation technique was adopted to isolate MEFs and the efficiency of this technique was compared with enzymatic digestion method.The suspended MEFs were prepared either by mechanical method or 0.25% trypsin enzymatic digestion. The effect of tissue processing on cell apoptosis/necrosis, morphology, viable cell yield, population doubling time, surface marker expression, and the capacity to support PSCs were determined. The mechanical method yielded a significantly higher number of viable cells. However, it showed similar morphology and proliferation characteristics as compared to enzymatic digestion. The mechanical method induced slight apoptosis in MEFs; however, it did not exert the necrotic effect of trypsinization. Treatment of tissue slurry with trypsin solution caused cell lysis and subsequently cell clump formation. Mechanically isolated cells exhibited a higher expression of the MEF surface antigens Sca1, CD106, and CD105. The PSCs on mechanically isolated MEFs displayed a higher expression of pluripotency genes, and formed more compact colonies with a stronger tendency to crowding compared with those cultured on cells isolated by enzymatic digestion.The mechanical method based on tissue inter-syringe processing is relatively a rapid and simple method for MEF isolation. Compared to the enzymatic digestion, the cells obtained from this method show higher expression of embryonic fibroblasts markers and a more functional capacity in supporting PSCs culture.

Physical modeling study on treatment of waste slurry with vacuum preloading at bottom combined with upper surcharge loading

Physical modeling study on treatment of waste slurry with vacuum preloading at bottom combined with upper surcharge loading

Effects of Sulfamethoxazole on the Microbial Community Dynamics During the Anaerobic Digestion Process.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) treatment of cattle manure and slurry makes it possible to produce biogas, a renewable and storable biofuel, as well as digestate, a residual organic matter that can be used to replace chemical fertilizers. On the other hand, the intense use of antibiotics (e.g., sulfamethoxazole) in animal husbandry practices is showing increasing negative impacts resulting from the release of still metabolically active molecules into agroecosystems. In the present study, cattle manure collected from an AD plant-feeding tank was used as feedstock for AD experiments in which some batches were spiked with 5 mg L–1 of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). Adding the antibiotic affected the microbial community dynamic; in particular, the efficiency of the acidogenic and acetogenic phases of the process corresponded to higher CH4 and H2 production than in the control. SMX was also degraded, and at the end of the experiment (69 days), just 20% of its initial concentration was found. The relative abundance (ARG/16S) of resistance genes sul1, sul2, and the proxy intI1 initially found in the ingestate decreased during the AD in both the spiked and control batches, suggesting that this process lowers the likelihood of antibiotic resistance genes spreading.