Mesophilic Acidogenesis of Food Waste-Recycling Wastewater: Effects of Hydraulic Retention Time, pH, and Temperature

Abstract

The effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT), pH, and operating temperature (TOP) on the degradation of food waste-recycling wastewater (FRW) were investigated in laboratory-scale hydrolysis/acidogenesis reactors. Response surface analysis was used to approximate the production of volatile organic acids and degradation of volatile suspended solids (VSS), carbohydrate, protein, and lipid with regard to the independent variables (1 ≤ HRT ≤ 3 days, 4 ≤ pH ≤ 6, 25 ≤ TOP ≤ 45 °C). Partial cubic models adequately approximated the corresponding response surfaces at α < 5 %. The physiological conditions for maximum acidification (0.4 g TVFA + EtOH/g VSadded) and the maximal degradation of VSS (47.5 %), carbohydrate (92.0 %), protein (17.7 %), and lipid (73.7 %) were different. Analysis of variance suggested that pH had a great effect on the responses in most cases, while TOP and HRT, and their interaction, were significant in some cases. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that Sporanaerobacter acetigenes, Lactobacillus sp., and Eubacterium pyruvivorans-like microorganisms might be main contributors to the hydrolysis and acidogenesis of FRW. Biochemical methane potential test confirmed higher methane yield (538.2 mL CH4/g VSadded) from an acidogenic effluent than from raw FRW.