Degradation of furfural (2-furaldehyde) to methane and carbon dioxide by an anaerobic consortium

Furfural, a byproduct formed during the thermal/chemical pretreatment of hemicellulosic biomass, was degraded to methane and carbon dioxide under anaerobic conditions. The consortium of anaerobic microbes responsible for the degradation was enriched using small continuously stirred tank reactor (CST...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied biochemistry and biotechnology 1991, Vol.28 (1), p.285-295
Main Authors: Rivard, C.J. (Solar Energy Research Institute, Golden, CO), Grohmann, K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetates - metabolism
ANAEROBIOSE
ANAEROBIOSIS
Bioconversions. Hemisynthesis
Biodegradation, Environmental
Biological and medical sciences
Biotechnology
Carbon Dioxide - metabolism
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Euryarchaeota - metabolism
FERMENTACION
FERMENTACION METANICA
FERMENTATION
FERMENTATION METHANIQUE
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Furaldehyde - metabolism
FURFURAL
Hydrolysis
Kinetics
Methane - metabolism
METHANE FERMENTATION
Methods. Procedures. Technologies
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Summary:Furfural, a byproduct formed during the thermal/chemical pretreatment of hemicellulosic biomass, was degraded to methane and carbon dioxide under anaerobic conditions. The consortium of anaerobic microbes responsible for the degradation was enriched using small continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) systems with daily batch feeding of biomass pretreatment liquor and continuous addition of furfural. Although the continuous infusion of furfural was initially inhibitory to the anaerobic CSTR system, adaptation of the consortium occurred rapidly with high rates of furfural addition. Addition rates of 7.35 mg furfural/700-mL reactor/d resulted in biogas productions of 375%, of that produced in control CSTR systems, fed the biomass pretreatment liquor only. The anaerobic CSTR system fed high levels of furfural was stable, with a sludge pH of 7.1 and methane gas composition of 69%, compared to the control CSTR, which had a pH of 7.2 and 77% methane. CSTR systems in which furfural was continuously added resulted in 80% of the theoretically expected biogas. Intermediates in the anaerobic biodegradation of furfural were determined by spike additions in serum-bottle assays using the enriched consortium from the CSTR systems. Furfural was converted to several intermediates, including furfuryl alcohol, furoic acid, and acetic acid, before final conversion to methane and carbon dioxide.
ISSN:0273-2289
1559-0291
DOI:10.1007/BF02922608