@article{5822dca47edf45da8da945a1b54e9e24,
title = "Quantification of methane losses from the acclimatisation of anaerobic digestion to marine salt concentrations",
abstract = "The research assessed losses in methane production as a result of raising digester salt concentrations to marine values, and of increasing the feedstock sulphate concentration. Acclimatisation of inoculum from a municipal wastewater biosolids digester was begun by raising the concentration of chloride salts (Na, Mg, Ca and K) to 6–9 g L−1, as initial experiments showed higher concentrations caused severe inhibition. After stable operation for four retention times salt content in the reactors and the feed was increased by 1 g L−1 every 14 days, up to 31.1 g L−1. The digesters were fed daily in semi-continuous mode and monitored for performance and stability criteria including specific methane production (SMP). SMP was 6–7% less than in controls using the same feedstock without saline addition. After steady-state conditions were achieved at high chloride salinity, magnesium chloride was partially replaced by magnesium sulphate to give a range of sulphate concentrations. Higher sulphate concentrations caused initial instability, indicated by volatile fatty acid accumulation. This subsequently reduced and stable operation was achieved at marine sulphate concentrations, but with a ∼5% loss in SMP due to interspecies substrate competition. High sulphate also affected pH, leading to gaseous H2S production proportional to the applied sulphate load.",
keywords = "RCUK, EPSRC, EU FP7 ALL-GAS project (268208), EU FP7 ECOFUEL project (246772), EP/J500537/1",
author = "Keiron Roberts and Sonia Heaven and Banks, {Charles J.}",
year = "2016",
month = feb,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.renene.2015.08.045",
language = "English",
volume = "86",
pages = "497--506",
journal = "Renewable Energy",
issn = "0960-1481",
publisher = "Elsevier BV",
}