Enhancement of acetate production by a novel coupled syntrophic acetogenesis with homoacetogenesis process

A novel process was developed and demonstrated that a coupled syntrophic acetogenesis with homoacetogenesis reaction was able to enhance acetate production from high strength synthetic wastewater containing glucose by mixed cultures. A coupling system was constructed with two bioreactors which were connected via a silicon rubber pipe. The first reactor (bioreactor A) was for syntrophic acetogenesis, in which glucose was converted to volatile fatty acids consisting primarily of acetate. The second (bioreactor H) was for homoacetogenesis in which CO2 and H2 from bioreactor A were converted to acetate. Acetate yield in the coupling system was 87% higher than that in control 1, in which the homoacetogenesis did not occur. Also, acetate yield in the coupling system was 52% higher than that in control 2, which consisted of only bioreactor A and the gas in the headspace was released manually once a day. Enhancement of acetate production was contributed principally to relieve of the products (H2 and CO2) inhibition to syntrophic acetogenesis in bioreactor A, in which the degradation of glucose and the conversion of ethanol were enhanced. This coupling process provides a strategy for increasing acetate production and the degradation rate of the substrate.