Spatial separation of metabolic stages in a tube anaerobic baffled reactor: reactor performance and microbial community dynamics.

Spatial separation of metabolic stages in anaerobic digesters can increase the methane content of biogas, as realized in a tube anaerobic baffled reactor. Here, we investigated the performance and microbial community dynamics of a laboratory-scale mesophilic anaerobic baffled reactor with four compartments treating an artificial substrate. Due to the activity of fermentative bacteria, organic acids mostly accumulated in the initial compartments.