Acclimation to extremely high ammonia levels in continuous biomethanation process and the associated microbial community dynamics

•Successful acclimation of methanogenic culture to extreme ammonia levels in CSTR.•Efficient utilization of a 3rd generation biomass as biomethanation substrate.•The most abundant bacterium (Shinella spp.) was not affected by the ammonia levels.•C. ultunense increased significantly its abundance during the acclimation process.•Methanosarcina spp. was the most abundant methanogen at the highest ammonia levels.

Acclimatized anaerobic communities to high ammonia levels can offer a solution to the ammonia toxicity problem in biogas reactors. In the current study, a stepwise acclimation strategy up to 10 g NH4+-N L−1, was performed in mesophilic (37 ± 1 °C) continuously stirred tank reactors. The reactors were co-digesting (20/80 based on volatile solid) cattle slurry and microalgae, a protein-rich, 3rd generation biomass. Throughout the acclimation period, methane production was stable with more than 95% of the uninhibited yield. Next generation 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed a dramatic microbiome change throughout the ammonia acclimation process. Clostridium ultunense, a syntrophic acetate oxidizing bacteria, increased significantly alongside with hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanoculleus spp., indicating strong hydrogenotrophic methanogenic activity at extreme ammonia levels (>7 g NH4+-N L−1). Overall, this study demonstrated for the first time that acclimation of methanogenic communities to extreme ammonia levels in continuous AD process is possible, by developing a specialised acclimation AD microbiome.

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