Bioprocessing of Two Crop Residues for Animal Feeding into a High-Yield Lovastatin Feed Supplement.

This work aimed to evaluate the lovastatin (Lv) production by solid-state fermentation (SSF) from selected crop residues, considering the post-fermented residues as feed supplements for ruminants. The SSF was performed with two substrates (wheat bran and oat straw) and two strains (CDBB H-194 and CDBB H-1976). The Lv yield, proximate analysis, and organic compounds by GC-MS in the post-fermented residues were assessed.

Effect of sudden addition of PCE and bioreactor coupling to ZVI filters on performance of fluidized bed bioreactors operated in simultaneous electron acceptor modes.

The present work evaluated the effects of (i) feeding a water contaminated with 80 mg/L PCE to bioreactors seeded with inoculum not acclimated to PCE, (ii) coupling ZVI side filters to bioreactors, and (iii) working in different biological regimes, i.e., simultaneous methanogenic aeration and simultaneous methanogenic-denitrifying regimes, on fluidized bed bioreactor performance.

Cheese whey as substrate of batch hydrogen production: effect of temperature and addition of buffer.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of buffer addition and process temperature (ambient and 35°C) on H2 production in batch fermentation of cheese whey (CW). When the H2 production reached a plateau, the headspace of the reactors were flushed with N2 and reactors were re-incubated. Afterwards, only the reactors with phosphate buffer showed a second cycle of H2 production and 48% more H2 was obtained.

Biohydrogen, biomethane and bioelectricity as crucial components of biorefinery of organic wastes: a review.

Biohydrogen is a sustainable form of energy as it can be produced from organic waste through fermentation processes involving dark fermentation and photofermentation. Very often biohydrogen is included as a part of biorefinery approaches, which reclaim organic wastes that are abundant sources of renewable and low cost substrate that can be efficiently fermented by microorganisms. The aim of this work was to critically assess selected bioenergy alternatives from organic solid waste, such as biohydrogen and bioelectricity, to evaluate their relative advantages and disadvantages in the context of biorefineries, and finally to indicate the trends for future research and development.

The influence of total solids content and initial pH on batch biohydrogen production by solid substrate fermentation of agroindustrial wastes.

Hydrogen is a valuable clean energy source, and its production by biological processes is attractive and environmentally sound and friendly. In México 5 million tons/yr of agroindustrial wastes are generated; these residues are rich in fermentable organic matter that can be used for hydrogen production. On the other hand, batch, intermittently vented, solid substrate fermentation of organic waste has attracted interest in the last 10 years.

Influence of discontinuing feeding degradable cosubstrate on the performance of a fluidized bed bioreactor treating a mixture of trichlorophenol and phenol.

The purpose of our research was to evaluate the effect of eliminating supplementation of sucrose to the reactor influent on the performance of a lab scale partially-aerated methanogenic fluidized bed bioreactor (PAM-FBBR). Two operational stages were distinguished: in the first stage the influent contained a mixture of 120/30/1000 mg/L of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol/phenol/COD-sucrose (TCP/Phe/COD-sucrose); in the second stage only the xenobiotic concentrations were the same 120/30 mg/L of TCP/Phe whereas sucrose addition was discontinued. Removal efficiencies of TCP, Phe, and COD were very high and close for both stages; i.

Enzymes involved in the biodegradation of hexachlorocyclohexane: a mini review.

The scope of this paper encompasses the following subjects: (i) aerobic and anaerobic degradation pathways of γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH); (ii) important genes and enzymes involved in the metabolic pathways of γ-HCH degradation; (iii) the instrumental methods for identifying and quantifying intermediate metabolites, such as gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and other techniques. It can be concluded that typical anaerobic and aerobic pathways of γ-HCH are well known for a few selected microbial strains, although less is known for anaerobic consortia where the possibility of synergism, antagonism, and mutualism can lead to more particular routes and more effective degradation of γ-HCH. Conversion and removals in the range 39%-100% and 47%-100% have been reported for aerobic and anaerobic cultures, respectively.

Treatment of mezcal vinasses: a review.

Mexican distilleries produce near eight million liters of mezcal per year, and generate about 90 million liters of mezcal vinasses (MV). This acidic liquid waste is very aggressive to the environment because of its high content of toxic and recalcitrant organic matter. As a result, treatment is necessary before discharge to water bodies.

Re-fermentation of washed spent solids from batch hydrogenogenic fermentation for additional production of biohydrogen from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

In the first batch solid substrate anaerobic hydrogenogenic fermentation with intermittent venting (SSAHF-IV) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), a cumulative production of 16.6 mmol H(2)/reactor was obtained. Releases of hydrogen partial pressure first by intermittent venting and afterward by flushing headspace of reactors with inert gas N(2) allowed for further hydrogen production in a second to fourth incubation cycle, with no new inoculum nor substrate nor inhibitor added.

Hydrogen generation via anaerobic fermentation of paper mill wastes.

The objective of this work was to determine the hydrogen production from paper mill wastes using microbial consortia of solid substrate anaerobic digesters. Inocula from mesophilic, continuous solid substrate anaerobic digestion (SSAD) reactors were transferred to small lab scale, batch reactors. Milled paper (used as a surrogate paper waste) was added as substrate and acetylene or 2-bromoethanesulfonate (BES) was spiked for methanogenesis inhibition.

A side-by-side comparison of two systems of sequencing coupled reactors for anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

The objective of this work was to compare the performance of two laboratory-scale, mesophilic systems aiming at the anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSW). The first system consisted of two coupled reactors packed with OFMSW (PBR1.1-PBR1.

Slaughterhouse wastewater treatment in a full-scale system with constructed wetlands.

This work evaluated the performance of a full-scale system with wetlands for slaughterhouse (abattoir) effluent treatment in the State of Hidalgo, México. The treatment system consisted of a primary sedimentation tank, an anaerobic lagoon, and a constructed subsurface-flow wetland, in series. The wetland accounted for almost 30% of the removal of organic matter.

Integrated biological treatment of recalcitrant effluents from pulp mills.

This work aimed at determining the degree of depuration of a recalcitrant effluent (weak black liquor, WBL) achieved in a series treatment consisting of a first stage methanogenic fluidised bed reactor followed by a second stage aerobic, upflow reactor packed with "biocubes" of Trametes versicolor immobilised onto small cubes of holm oak wood. The mesophilic, lab scale methanogenic fluidised bed reactor contained a microbial consortium immobilised onto granular activated carbon 500 microm average size. The process removed decreasing amounts of organic matter at decreasing hydraulic retention times (HRT), eventually reaching an average of 50% at 0.