Comparison of methanogenic community structure and anaerobic process performance treating swine wastewater between pilot and optimized lab scale bioreactors

To investigate methanogenic community structure and process performance of anaerobic digestion treating swine wastewater at different scale, a pilot plant with 20 m3 of effective working volume and lab scale methanogenic digester with 6 L working volume were operated for 71 days and 6 turnover periods, respectively. During the steady state of anaerobic digestion, COD and VS removal efficiency in pilot plant were 65.3 ± 3.2, 51.6 ± 4.3%, respectively, which was similar to those in lab scale. However, calculated VFAs removal efficiency and methane yield were lower in pilot plant than in lab scale digester. Also, organics removal efficiencies, which consist of total carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, were different between pilot and lab scale. These results were thought to be due to the ratio of carbohydrates to proteins in the raw swine wastewater. As a result of qualitative microbial analysis, Methanoculleus receptaculii, and Methanoculleus bourgensis, were commonly concerned with methane production.

► We have operated anaerobic digesters in pilot and lab scale.
► Organics composition of substrates was different each other.
► Removal efficiencies of COD and VS in pilot scale were similar to the ones in lab scale.
► VFAs profile and methane yield in pilot scale was different from in lab scale.
► Only two methanogenic species were commonly detected in both of them.