Understanding the acidification risk of cheese whey anaerobic digestion under psychrophilic and mesophilic conditions.

Anaerobic digestion is a suitable technology to treat cheese whey (CW), a high-strength wastewater from cheesemaking. However, CW anaerobic digestion is limited by its high biodegradability, acidic pH, and lack of alkalinity. This publication evaluated the acidification risk of CW anaerobic digestion under psychrophilic and mesophilic conditions, aiming to improve digester design, operation, and decision-making when facing instability periods.