Title:
Syntrophic Microorganisms as Biomarkers for Controlling Waste Fermentation Plants
Author(s):
Weber, S.N., Engler, N., Krause, U., Peters, S., Dröge, S., Sema, J.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
Anaerobic digestion process monitoring is commonly based on physico-chemical parameters such as the concentration of volatile fatty acids, which often indicate disturbances only after process instability has already developed. This study evaluates the ASG-Biomarker, a syntrophic microbial group, as a potential early warning indicator for process disturbances in biogas plants. Lab-scale trials were conducted under varying substrate compositions and organic loading rates. In addition, six full-scale biogas plants were monitored. In the lab-scale trials, elevated organic loading rates caused to major process disturbances with increased VFA/TAC ratios, reduced methane yields and shifts in the methanogenic community composition. During both events, declining ASG-biomarker concentrations were detected earlier than VFA/TAC, indication an earlier microbial response to process stress. Full-scale monitoring confirmed the applicability of the biomarker under practical conditions. Fluctuations in ASG concentrations correlated with unstable operating phases and substrate variability. Significant negative correlations were observed between ASG concentrations and propionic acid as well as isobutyric acid. Overall, the results demonstrate that the ASG-biomarker provides biologically relevant information on process stability and represents a promising tool for early disturbance detection in anaerobic digestion processes.
Keywords:
anaerobic digestion, process control, biogas technology, microbial monitoring
Topic:
Biomass Conversion for Bioenergy
Subtopic:
Anaerobic digestion for biogas and biomethane production
Event:
34th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
4CO.12.2
Pages:
566 - 571
ISBN:
978-88-89407-27-1
Paper DOI:
10.5071/34thEUBCE2026-4CO.12.2
Price:
FREE
