1
|
Isipato M, Dessì P, Sánchez C, Mills S, Ijaz UZ, Asunis F, Spiga D, De Gioannis G, Mascia M, Collins G, Muntoni A, Lens PNL. Propionate Production by Bioelectrochemically-Assisted Lactate Fermentation and Simultaneous CO 2 Recycling. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:599438. [PMID: 33384675 PMCID: PMC7769879 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.599438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), fundamental building blocks for the chemical industry, depends on fossil fuels but organic waste is an emerging alternative substrate. Lactate produced from sugar-containing waste streams can be further processed to VFAs. In this study, electrofermentation (EF) in a two-chamber cell is proposed to enhance propionate production via lactate fermentation. At an initial pH of 5, an applied potential of −1 V vs. Ag/AgCl favored propionate production over butyrate from 20 mM lactate (with respect to non-electrochemical control incubations), due to the pH buffering effect of the cathode electrode, with production rates up to 5.9 mM d–1 (0.44 g L–1 d–1). Microbial community analysis confirmed the enrichment of propionate-producing microorganisms, such as Tyzzerella sp. and Propionibacterium sp. Organisms commonly found in microbial electrosynthesis reactors, such as Desulfovibrio sp. and Acetobacterium sp., were also abundant at the cathode, indicating their involvement in recycling CO2 produced by lactate fermentation into acetate, as confirmed by stoichiometric calculations. Propionate was the main product of lactate fermentation at substrate concentrations up to 150 mM, with a highest production rate of 12.9 mM d–1 (0.96 g L–1 d–1) and a yield of 0.48 mol mol–1 lactate consumed. Furthermore, as high as 81% of the lactate consumed (in terms of carbon) was recovered as soluble product, highlighting the potential for EF application with high-carbon waste streams, such as cheese whey or other food wastes. In summary, EF can be applied to control lactate fermentation toward propionate production and to recycle the resulting CO2 into acetate, increasing the VFA yield and avoiding carbon emissions and addition of chemicals for pH control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Isipato
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Paolo Dessì
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Carlos Sánchez
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Simon Mills
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Umer Z Ijaz
- Infrastructure and Environment Research Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Fabiano Asunis
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Daniela Spiga
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giorgia De Gioannis
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,IGAG-CNR, Environmental Geology and Geoengineering Institute of the National Research Council-Piazza D'Armi 1, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Michele Mascia
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Chimica, e dei Materiali, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Gavin Collins
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Aldo Muntoni
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,IGAG-CNR, Environmental Geology and Geoengineering Institute of the National Research Council-Piazza D'Armi 1, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Piet N L Lens
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Asunis F, De Gioannis G, Dessì P, Isipato M, Lens PNL, Muntoni A, Polettini A, Pomi R, Rossi A, Spiga D. The dairy biorefinery: Integrating treatment processes for cheese whey valorisation. J Environ Manage 2020; 276:111240. [PMID: 32866754 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
With an estimated worldwide production of 190 billion kg per year, and due to its high organic load, cheese whey represents a huge opportunity for bioenergy and biochemicals production. Several physical, chemical and biological processes have been proposed to valorise cheese whey by producing biofuels (methane, hydrogen, and ethanol), electric energy, and/or chemical commodities (carboxylic acids, proteins, and biopolymers). A biorefinery concept, in which several value-added products are obtained from cheese whey through a cascade of biotechnological processes, is an opportunity for increasing the product spectrum of dairy industries while allowing for sustainable management of the residual streams and reducing disposal costs for the final residues. This review critically analyses the different treatment options available for energy and materials recovery from cheese whey, their combinations and perspectives for implementation. Thus, instead of focusing on a specific valorisation platform, in the present review the most relevant aspects of each strategy are analysed to support the integration of different routes, in order to identify the most appropriate treatment train.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabiano Asunis
- DICAAR - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza D'Armi 1, 09123, Cagliari, Italy; Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Giorgia De Gioannis
- DICAAR - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza D'Armi 1, 09123, Cagliari, Italy; IGAG-CNR, Environmental Geology and Geoengineering Institute of the National Research Council - Piazza D'Armi 1, 09123, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Paolo Dessì
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland.
| | - Marco Isipato
- DICAAR - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza D'Armi 1, 09123, Cagliari, Italy; Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Piet N L Lens
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Aldo Muntoni
- DICAAR - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza D'Armi 1, 09123, Cagliari, Italy; IGAG-CNR, Environmental Geology and Geoengineering Institute of the National Research Council - Piazza D'Armi 1, 09123, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alessandra Polettini
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Via Eudossiana 18, 00184, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaella Pomi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Via Eudossiana 18, 00184, Rome, Italy
| | - Andreina Rossi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Via Eudossiana 18, 00184, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Spiga
- DICAAR - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza D'Armi 1, 09123, Cagliari, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dessì P, Sánchez C, Mills S, Cocco FG, Isipato M, Ijaz UZ, Collins G, Lens PNL. Carboxylic acids production and electrosynthetic microbial community evolution under different CO 2 feeding regimens. Bioelectrochemistry 2020; 137:107686. [PMID: 33142136 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2020.107686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a potential technology for CO2 recycling, but insufficient information is available on the microbial interactions underpinning electrochemically-assisted reactions. In this study, a MES reactor was operated for 225 days alternately with bicarbonate or CO2 as carbon source, under batch or continuous feeding regimens, to evaluate the response of the microbial communities, and their productivity, to dynamic operating conditions. A stable acetic acid production rate of 9.68 g m-2 d-1, and coulombic efficiency up to 40%, was achieved with continuous CO2 sparging, higher than the rates obtained with bicarbonate (0.94 g m-2 d-1) and CO2 under fed-batch conditions (2.54 g m-2 d-1). However, the highest butyric acid production rate (0.39 g m-2 d-1) was achieved with intermittent CO2 sparging. The microbial community analyses focused on differential amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), allowing detection of ASVs significantly different across consecutive samples. This analysis, combined with co-occurence network analysis, and cyclic voltammetry, indicated that hydrogen-mediated acetogenesis was carried out by Clostridium, Eubacterium and Acetobacterium, whereas Oscillibacter and Caproiciproducens were involved in butyric acid production. The cathodic community was spatially inhomogeneous, with potential electrotrophs, such as Sulfurospirillum and Desulfovibrio, most prevalent near the current collector. The abundance of Sulfurospirillum positively correlated with that of Acetobacterium, supporting the syntrophic metabolism of both organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Dessì
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland.
| | - Carlos Sánchez
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Simon Mills
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Francesco Giuseppe Cocco
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza d'Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marco Isipato
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza d'Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Umer Z Ijaz
- Infrastructure and Environment Research Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow G12 8LT, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin Collins
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Piet N L Lens
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Asunis F, De Gioannis G, Isipato M, Muntoni A, Polettini A, Pomi R, Rossi A, Spiga D. Control of fermentation duration and pH to orient biochemicals and biofuels production from cheese whey. Bioresour Technol 2019; 289:121722. [PMID: 31323727 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Batch dark fermentation tests were performed on sheep cheese whey without inoculum addition at different operating pHs, relating the type and production yields of the observed gaseous and liquid by-products to the evolution of fermentation. Cheese whey fermentation evolved over time in two steps, involving an initial conversion of carbohydrates to lactic acid, followed by the degradation of this to soluble and gaseous products including short-chain fatty acids (mainly acetic, butyric and propionic acids) and hydrogen. The operating pH affected the production kinetics and yields, as well as the fermentation pathways. By varying the duration of the fermentation process, different cheese whey exploitation strategies may be applied and oriented to the main production of lactic acid, hydrogen or other organic acids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Asunis
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza d'Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy.
| | - G De Gioannis
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza d'Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy; IGAG - CNR, Environmental Geology and Geoengineering Institute of the National Research Council, Piazza d'Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - M Isipato
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza d'Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - A Muntoni
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza d'Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy; IGAG - CNR, Environmental Geology and Geoengineering Institute of the National Research Council, Piazza d'Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - A Polettini
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy
| | - R Pomi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy
| | - A Rossi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy
| | - D Spiga
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza d'Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| |
Collapse
|