Metagenomic analysis of ethylene glycol contamination in anaerobic digestion

Gabrielle R Joslin; Daniel G Barber; Lindsay Aston; Ping Liu; Olukayode Kuloyo; Kangsa Oentoro; Jiayi Liu; Ashley V Baugh; Jeffrey R Fedenko; Ioannis Melas; Phillip G Hamilton; Damian J Allen; Richard K Tennant

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129683

Metagenomic analysis of ethylene glycol contamination in anaerobic digestion

Bioresour Technol. 2023 Nov:387:129683. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129683. Epub 2023 Aug 18.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Geography, University of Exeter, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter, Devon EX4 4RJ, UK. Electronic address: G.Joslin@exeter.ac.uk.
² Geography, University of Exeter, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter, Devon EX4 4RJ, UK. Electronic address: db692@exeter.ac.uk.
³ Shell International Exploration and Production, 3333 Highway 6 South, Houston, TX 77082, USA. Electronic address: Lindsay.Aston@shell.com.
⁴ Shell International Exploration and Production, 3333 Highway 6 South, Houston, TX 77082, USA. Electronic address: Ping.Liu@shell.com.
⁵ Shell International Exploration and Production, 3333 Highway 6 South, Houston, TX 77082, USA. Electronic address: Olukayode.Kuloyo@shell.com.
⁶ Shell International Exploration and Production, 3333 Highway 6 South, Houston, TX 77082, USA. Electronic address: Kangsa.Oentoro@shell.com.
⁷ Shell International Exploration and Production, 3333 Highway 6 South, Houston, TX 77082, USA. Electronic address: Jiayi.J.Liu@shell.com.
⁸ Shell International Exploration and Production, 3333 Highway 6 South, Houston, TX 77082, USA. Electronic address: Ashley.Baugh@shell.com.
⁹ Equilon Enterprises LLC, 150 N Dairy Ashford Road, Houston, TX 77079, USA. Electronic address: Jeffrey.Fedenko@shell.com.
¹⁰ Shell Research Limited, Shell Centre, London SE1 7PB, UK. Electronic address: Ioannis.Melas@shell.com.
¹¹ Shell International Exploration and Production, 3333 Highway 6 South, Houston, TX 77082, USA. Electronic address: P.G.Hamilton@shell.com.
¹² Shell International Exploration and Production, 3333 Highway 6 South, Houston, TX 77082, USA. Electronic address: Damian.Allen@shell.com.
¹³ Geography, University of Exeter, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter, Devon EX4 4RJ, UK. Electronic address: R.K.Tennant@exeter.ac.uk.

PMID: 37597572
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129683

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion is an established method for the biological conversion of waste feedstocks to biogas and biomethane. While anaerobic digestion is an excellent waste management technique, it can be susceptible to toxins and pollutants from contaminated feedstocks, which may have a detrimental impact on a digester's efficiency and productivity. Ethylene glycol (EG) is readily used in the heat-transfer loops of anaerobic digestion facilities to maintain reactor temperature. Failure of the structural integrity of these heat transfer loops can cause EG to leak into the digester, potentially causing a decrease in the resultant gas yields. Batch fermentations were incubated with 0, 10, 100 and 500 ppm (parts per million) of EG, and analysis showed that the EG was completely metabolised by the digester microbiome. The concentrations of EG tested showed significant increases in gas yields, however there were no significant changes to the digester microbiome.

Keywords: Batch fermentation; Biogas; Ethylene glycol; Microbiome; RNG.

MeSH terms

Anaerobiosis
Biofuels
Ethylene Glycols
Metagenome*
Microbiota*

Substances

Biofuels
Ethylene Glycols