Molecular diversity of protists from bovine rumen fluid incubated with condensed tannins of Leucaena leucocephala hybrid-Rendang at 20 mg/500 mg dry matter (treatment) or without condensed tannins (control) was investigated using 18S rRNA gene library. Clones from the control library were distributed within nine genera, but clones from the condensed tannin treatment clone library were related to only six genera. Diversity estimators such as abundance-based coverage estimation and Chao1 showed significant differences between the two libraries, although no differences were found based on Shannon-Weaver index and Libshuff.
The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary fiber on methanogenic diversity and community composition in the hindgut of indigenous Chinese Lantang gilts to explain the unexpected findings reported earlier that Lantang gilts fed low-fiber diet (LFD) produced more methane than those fed high-fiber diet (HFD). In total, 12 Lantang gilts (58.7±0.37 kg) were randomly divided into two dietary groups (six replicates (pigs) per group) and fed either LFD (NDF=201.46 g/kg) or HFD (NDF=329.70 g/kg). Wheat bran was the main source of fiber for the LFD, whereas ground rice hull (mixture of rice hull and rice bran) was used for the HFD. Results showed that the methanogens in the hindgut of Lantang gilts belonged to four known species (Methanobrevibacter ruminantium, Methanobrevibacter wolinii, Methanosphaera stadtmanae and Methanobrevibacter smithii), with about 89% of the methanogens belonging to the genus Methanobrevibacter. The 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene copies of Methanobrevibacter were more than three times higher (P0.05) was observed in 16S rRNA gene copies of Fibrobacter succinogenes between the two dietary groups, and 18S rRNA gene copies of anaerobic fungi in gilts fed LFD were lower than (P<0.05) those fed HFD. To better explain the effect of different fiber source on the methanogen community, a follow-up in vitro fermentation using a factorial design comprised of two inocula (prepared from hindgut content of gilts fed two diets differing in their dietary fiber)×four substrates (LFD, HFD, wheat bran, ground rice hull) was conducted. Results of the in vitro fermentation confirmed that the predominant methanogens belonged to the genus of Methanobrevibacter, and about 23% methanogens was found to be distantly related (90%) to Thermogymnomonas acidicola. In vitro fermentation also seems to suggest that fiber source did change the methanogens community. Although the density of Methanobrevibacter species was positively correlated with CH4 production in both in vivo (P<0.01, r=0.737) and in vitro trials (P<0.05, r=0.854), which could partly explain the higher methane production from gilts fed LFD compared with those in the HFD group. Further investigation is needed to explain how the rice hull affected the methanogens and inhibited CH4 emission from gilts fed HFD.
A series of amorphous carbon nitride (a-CNx) thin films were deposited on silicon (111) substrates using a home-built
radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) system. The a-CNx thin films were deposited
from a mixture of a fixed flow-rate of ethane (C2
H6
, 20 sccm) and nitrogen (N2
, 47 sccm) gases with varying RF power. A
higher ratio of C to H (C to H ratio is 1:3) atoms in C2
H6
as compared to the ratio in methane (CH4
) gas (C to H ratio is
1:4) is expected to produce an interesting effect to the film properties as humidity sensor. The characterization techniques
used to determine the morphology and chemical bonding of the thin films are field emission scanning electron microscopy
(FESEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. The variation of morphology and the existence
of nitrile band in these samples are correlated with the electrical properties of a-CNx thin films. Using humidity sensing
system, the sensing performance of the samples was examined. It was found that the response of sensors towards the
percentage of relative humidity (% RH) change is good resistive responses and good repeatability. The sensitivity of the
prepared a-CNx thin films is significantly higher (up to 79%) as compared to previous studies using CH4
or acetylene as
precursor gas. Based on these results, the properties and the sensitivity of the a-CNx thin films towards humidity can be
tailored by using an appropriate precursor gases and deposition parameters.
Effects of antibiotic residues on methane production in anaerobic digestion are commonly studied using the following two antibiotic addition methods: (1) adding manure from animals that consume a diet containing antibiotics, and (2) adding antibiotic-free animal manure spiked with antibiotics. This study used chlortetracycline (CTC) as a model antibiotic to examine the effects of the antibiotic addition method on methane production in anaerobic digestion under two different swine wastewater concentrations (0.55 and 0.22mg CTC/g dry manure). The results showed that CTC degradation rate in which manure was directly added at 0.55mg CTC/g (HSPIKE treatment) was lower than the control values and the rest of the treatment groups. Methane production from the HSPIKE treatment was reduced (p<0.05) by 12% during the whole experimental period and 15% during the first 7days. The treatments had no significant effect on the pH and chemical oxygen demand value of the digesters, and the total nitrogen of the 0.55mg CTC/kg manure collected from mediated swine was significantly higher than the other values. Therefore, different methane production under different antibiotic addition methods might be explained by the microbial activity and the concentrations of antibiotic intermediate products and metabolites. Because the primary entry route of veterinary antibiotics into an anaerobic digester is by contaminated animal manure, the most appropriate method for studying antibiotic residue effects on methane production may be using manure from animals that are given a particular antibiotic, rather than adding the antibiotic directly to the anaerobic digester.
Molecular weights (MWs) and their chemical structures are the primary factors determining the influence of condensed tannins (CTs) on animal nutrition and methane (CH4 ) production in ruminants. In this study the MWs of five CT fractions from Leucaena leucocephala hybrid-Rendang (LLR) were determined and the CT fractions were investigated for their effects on CH4 production and rumen fermentation.
This research was carried out to evaluate the effects of flavone, myricetin, naringin, catechin, rutin, quercetin, and kaempferol at the concentration of 4.5% of the substrate (dry matter basis) on the rumen microbial activity in vitro. Mixture of guinea grass and concentrate (60 : 40) was used as the substrate. The results showed that all the flavonoids except naringin and quercetin significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the dry matter degradability. The gas production significantly (P < 0.05) decreased by flavone, myricetin, and kaempferol, whereas naringin, rutin, and quercetin significantly (P < 0.05) increased the gas production. The flavonoids suppressed methane production significantly (P < 0.05). The total VFA concentration significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in the presence of flavone, myricetin, and kaempferol. All flavonoids except naringin and quercetin significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the carboxymethyl cellulase, filter paperase, xylanase, and β -glucosidase activities, purine content, and the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis. Flavone, myricetin, catechin, rutin, and kaempferol significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the population of rumen microbes. Total populations of protozoa and methanogens were significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed by naringin and quercetin. The results of this research demonstrated that naringin and quercetin at the concentration of 4.5% of the substrate (dry matter basis) were potential metabolites to suppress methane production without any negative effects on rumen microbial fermentation.
Stimulating direct interspecies electron transfer with conductive materials is a promising strategy to overcome the limitation of electron transfer efficiency in syntrophic methanogenesis of industrial wastewater. This paper assessed the impact of conductive foam nickel (FN) supplementation on syntrophic methanogenesis and found that addition of 2.45 g/L FN in anaerobic digestion increased the maximum methane production rate by 27.4 % (on day 3) while decreasing the peak production time by 33 % as compared to the control with no FN. Cumulative methane production from day 2 to 6 was 14.5 % higher with addition of 2.45 g/L FN than in the control. Levels of FN in excess of 2.45 g/L did not show benefits. Cyclic voltammetry results indicated that the biofilm formed on the FN could generate electrons. The dominant bacterial genera in suspended sludge were Dechlorobacter and Rikenellaceae DMER64, whereas that in the FN biofilm was Clostridium sensu stricto 11. The dominant archaea Methanosaeta in the FN biofilm was enriched by 14.1 % as compared to the control.
A series of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) thin films were deposited using home-built direct-current (DC) plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) system. In this present study, the a-C:H thin films were deposited using pure methane (CH4) gas diluted either with hydrogen (H) or helium (He). The effects of hydrogen and helium dilution on the photoluminescence (PL) properties and optical band gap (E04) were studied. The dependence of PL properties and optical energy gap on the film thickness has also been investigated. The characterization techniques used were optical transmission and photoluminescence spectroscopies. The sp2 cluster sizes were determined from Raman spectra are in the range of 5 to 7 nm. Hydrogen and helium dilution of methane strongly influences the PL efficiency of the a-C:H films. The PL efficiency are enhanced with increase in film thickness for a-C:H films prepared both from H and He diluted CH4. The optical energy gap of these films decreases with increase in H or He dilution and film thickness.
This paper reports measurements of land-atmosphere fluxes of sensible and latent heat, momentum, CO(2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), NO, NO(2), N(2)O and O(3) over a 30 m high rainforest canopy and a 12 m high oil palm plantation in the same region of Sabah in Borneo between April and July 2008. The daytime maximum CO(2) flux to the two canopies differs by approximately a factor of 2, 1200 mg C m(-2) h(-1) for the oil palm and 700 mg C m(-2) h(-1) for the rainforest, with the oil palm plantation showing a substantially greater quantum efficiency. Total VOC emissions are also larger over the oil palm than over the rainforest by a factor of 3. Emissions of isoprene from the oil palm canopy represented 80 per cent of the VOC emissions and exceeded those over the rainforest in similar light and temperature conditions by on average a factor of 5. Substantial emissions of estragole (1-allyl-4-methoxybenzene) from the oil palm plantation were detected and no trace of this VOC was detected in or above the rainforest. Deposition velocities for O(3) to the rainforest were a factor of 2 larger than over oil palm. Emissions of nitrous oxide were larger from the soils of the oil palm plantation than from the soils of the rainforest by approximately 25 per cent. It is clear from the measurements that the large change in the species composition generated by replacing rainforest with oil palm leads to profound changes in the net exchange of most of the trace gases measured, and thus on the chemical composition of the boundary layer over these surfaces.
This study investigated the carcass characteristics, physico-chemical properties, storage stability and cholesterol content of meat from goats fed with different levels of naturally-produced lovastatin used to mitigate enteric methane production. Twenty intact Saanen male goats of 5-6 months old with initial live weight of 25.8 ± 4.0 kg were randomly allotted into four dietary treatments containing 0 (Control), 2 (Low), 4 (Medium) and 6 mg (High) per kg live weight (LW) of naturally-produced lovastatin for 12 consecutive weeks. No differences were found in all the parameters measured except for full LW, hot and cold carcass weight, shear force, color and cholesterol content among the treatment groups. Aging had significant effects on all the parameters measured in this study except a* (redness) of meat. Meat samples in the Medium and High treatments were of higher lightness and yellowness, more tender and lower cholesterol levels. We conclude that, in addition to mitigate enteric methane emissions, dietary supplementation of naturally-produced lovastatin at 4 mg/kg LW could be a feasible feeding strategy to produce tender meat containing lower cholesterol.
Twenty male Saanen goats were randomly assigned to four levels of lovastatin supplementation and used to determine the optimal dosage and sustainability of naturally produced lovastatin from fermentation of palm kernel cake (PKC) with Aspergillus terreus on enteric methane (CH4) mitigation. The effects on ruminal microbiota, rumen fermentation, feed digestibility and health of animal were determined over three measuring periods (4-, 8- and 12-weeks) and the accumulation of lovastatin in tissues was determined at the end of the experiment. The diets contained 50% rice straw, 22.8% concentrates and 27.2% of various proportions of untreated or treated PKC to achieve the target daily intake level of 0 (Control), 2, 4 or 6 mg lovastatin/kg body weight (BW). Enteric CH4 emissions per dry matter intake (DMI), decreased significantly (P<0.05) and equivalent to 11% and 20.4%, respectively, for the 2 and 4 mg/kg BW groups as compared to the Control. No further decrease in CH4 emission thereafter with higher lovastatin supplementation. Lovastatin had no effect on feed digestibility and minor effect on rumen microbiota, and specifically did not reduce the populations of total methanogens and Methanobacteriales (responsible for CH4 production). Similarly, lovastatin had little effect on rumen fermentation characteristics except that the proportion of propionate increased, which led to a decreasing trend (P<0.08) in acetic: propionate ratio with increasing dosage of lovastatin. This suggests a shift in rumen fermentation pathway to favor propionate production which serves as H+ sink, partly explaining the observed CH4 reduction. No adverse physiological effects were noted in the animals except that treated PKC (containing lovastatin) was less palatable at the highest inclusion level. Lovastatin residues were detected in tissues of goats fed 6 mg lovastatin/kg BW at between 0.01 to 0.03 μg/g, which are very low.
Successful activation of the pyranonigrin biosynthetic gene cluster and gene knockout in Aspergillus niger plus in vivo and in vitro assays led to isolation of six new products, including a spiro cyclobutane-containing dimeric compound, which served as the basis for the proposed comprehensive pyranonigrin biosynthetic pathway. Two redox enzymes are key to forming the characteristic fused γ-pyrone core, and a protease homologue performs the exo-methylene formation.
The present study intends to evaluate the potential of co-digestion for utilizing Organic fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) and sewage sludge (SS) for enhanced biogas production. Metagenomic analysis was performed to identify the dominant bacteria, archaea and fungi, changes in their communities with time and their functional roles during the course of anaerobic digestion (AD). The cumulative biogas yield of 586.2 mL biogas/gVS with the highest methane concentration of 69.5% was observed under an optimum ratio of OFMSW:SS (40:60 w/w). Bacteria and fungi were found to be majorly involved in hydrolysis and initial stages of AD. Probably, the most common archaea Methanosarsina sp. primarily followed the acetoclastic pathway. The hydrogenotrophic pathway was less followed as indicated by the reduction in abundance of syntrophic acetate oxidizers. An adequate understanding of microbial communities is important to manipulate and inoculate the specific microbial consortia to maximize CH4 production through AD.
This study aimed at investigating the biohydrogen and biomethane potential of co-digestion from palm oil mill effluent (POME) and concentrated latex wastewater (CLW) in a two-stage anaerobic digestion (AD) process under thermophilic (55 ± 3 °C) and at an ambient temperature (30 ± 3 °C) conditions, respectively. The batch experiments of POME:CLW mixing ratios of 100:0, 70:30, 50:50, 30:70, and 0:100 was investigated with the initial loadings at 10 g-VS/L. The highest hydrogen yield of 115.57 mLH2/g-VS was obtained from the POME: CLW mixing ratio of 100:0 with 29.0 of C/N ratio. While, the highest subsequent methane production yield of 558.01 mLCH4/g-VS was achieved from hydrogen effluent from POME:CLW mixing ratio of 70:30 0 with 21.8 of C/N ratio. This mixing ratio revealed the highest synergisms of about 9.21% and received maximum total energy of 19.70 kJ/g-VS. Additionally, continuous hydrogen and methane production were subsequently performed in a series of continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) to treat the co-substate. The results indicated that the highest hydrogen yield of POME:CLW mixing ratio at 70:30 of 95.45 mL-H2/g-VS was generated at 7-day HRT, while methane production was obtained from HRT 15 days with a yield of 204.52 mL-CH4/g-VS. Thus, the study indicated that biogas production yield of CLW could be enhanced by co-digesting with POME. In addition, the two-stage AD model under anaerobic digestion model no. 1 (ADM-1) framework was established, 9.10% and 2.43% of error fitting of hydrogen and methane gas between model simulation data and experimental data were found. Hence, this research work presents a novel approach for optimization and feasibility for co-digestion of POME with CLW to generate mixed gaseous biofuel potentially.
Oil and grease, carbohydrate, protein, and lignin are the main constituents of high strength wastewaters such as dairy wastewater, cheese whey wastewater, distillery wastewater, pulp and paper mill wastewater, and slaughterhouse wastewaters. These constituents have contributed to various operational problems faced by the high-rate anaerobic bioreactor (HRAB). During the hydrolysis stage of anaerobic digestion (AD), these constituents can be hydrolyzed. Since hydrolysis is known to be the rate-limiting step of AD, the overall AD can be enhanced by improving the hydrolysis stage. This can be done by introducing pretreatment that targets the degradation of these constituents. This review mainly focuses on the biological pretreatment on various high-strength wastewaters by using different types of enzymes namely lipase, amylase, protease, and ligninolytic enzymes which are responsible for catalyzing the degradation of oil and grease, carbohydrate, protein, and lignin respectively. This review provides a summary of enzymatic systems involved in enhancing the hydrolysis stage and consequently improve biogas production. The results show that the use of enzymes improves the biogas production in the range of 7 to 76%. Though these improvements are highly dependent on the operating conditions of pretreatment and the types of substrates. Therefore, the critical parameters that would affect the effectiveness of pretreatment are also discussed. This review paper will serve as a useful piece of information to those industries that face difficulties in treating their high-strength wastewaters for the appropriate process, equipment selection, and design of an anaerobic enzymatic system. However, more intensive studies on the optimum operating conditions of pretreatment in a larger-scale and synergistic effects between enzymes are necessary to make the enzymatic pretreatment economically feasible.
As the population increases, energy demands continue to rise rapidly. In order to satisfy this increasing energy demand, biogas offers a potential alternative. Biogas is economically viable to be produced through anaerobic digestion (AD) from various biomass feedstocks that are readily available in Malaysia, such as food waste (FW), palm oil mill effluent (POME), garden waste (GW), landfill, sewage sludge (SS) and animal manure. This paper aims to determine the potential feedstocks for biogas production via AD based on their characteristics, methane yield, kinetic studies and economic analysis. POME and FW show the highest methane yield with biogas yields up to 0.50 L/g VS while the lowest is 0.12 L/g VS by landfill leachate. Kinetic study shows that modified Gompertz model fits most of the feedstock with R 2 up to 1 indicating that this model can be used for estimating treatment efficiencies of full-scale reactors and performing scale-up analysis. The economic analysis shows that POME has the shortest payback period (PBP), highest internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV). However, it has already been well explored, with 93% of biogas plants in Malaysia using POME as feedstock. The FW generation rate in Malaysia is approximately 15,000 tonnes per day, at the same time FW as the second place shows potential to have a PBP of 5.4 years and 13.3% IRR, which is close to the results achieved with POME. This makes FW suitable to be used as the feedstock for biogas production.
Recycled paper mill effluent (RPME) consists of various organic and inorganic compounds. In this study, modified anaerobic hybrid baffled (MAHB) bioreactor has been successfully used to anaerobically digest RPME. The anaerobic digestion was investigated in relation to methane production rate, lignin removal, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, with respect to organic loading rate (OLR) and hydraulic retention time (HRT). The analysis using kinetic study was carried out under mesophilic conditions (37 ± 2 °C) and influent COD concentrations (1000-4000 mg L-1), to prove its practicability towards RPME treatment. First-order kinetic model was used to clarify the behavior of RPME anaerobic digestion under different OLRs (0.14-4.00 g COD L-1 d-1) and HRT (1-7 d). The result shows that the highest COD removal efficiency and methane production rate were recorded to be 98.07% and 2.2223 L CH4 d-1, respectively. This result was further validated by evaluating the biokinetic coefficients (reaction rate constant (k) and maximum biogas production (ym)), which gave values of k = 0.57 d-1 and ym = 0.331 L d-1. This kinetic data concludes that MAHB presented satisfactory performance towards COD removal with relatively high methane production, which can be further utilized as on-site energy supply.
To understand the variations in the decomposability of tropical peat soil following deforestation for an oil palm plantation, a field incubation experiment was conducted in Sarawak, Malaysia. Peat soils collected from three types of primary forest, namely Mixed Peat Swamp (MPS; Gonystylus-Dactylocladus-Neoscrotechinia association), Alan Batu (ABt; Shorea albida-Gonstylus-Strenonurus association), and Alan Bunga (ABg; Shorea albida association), were packed in polyvinyl chloride pipes and installed in an oil palm plantation. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes from soil were monthly measured for 3years. Environmental variables including soil temperature, soil moisture content, and groundwater table were also monitored. The pH, loss on ignition, and total carbon (C) content were similar among the three soils, while total N content was larger in the MPS than in the ABg soils. Based on13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, C composition of the MPS and ABg soils was characterized by the largest proportion of C present as alkyl C and O-alkyl C, respectively. The C composition of the ABt soil was intermediate between the MPS and ABg soils. The CO2fluxes from the three soils ranged from 78 to 625mgCm-2h-1with a negative correlation to groundwater level. The CH4fluxes ranged from -67 to 653μgCm-2h-1. Both total CO2and CH4fluxes were larger in the order ABg>ABt>MPS (P<0.05). Annual rate of peat decomposition as was estimated from cumulative C loss differed up to 2 times, and the rate constant in exponential decay model was 0.033y-1for the MPS soil and 0.066y-1for the ABg soil. The field incubation results of the three forest peat soils seem to reflect the difference in the labile organic matter content, represented by polysaccharides.
The chlorine radical is a potent atmospheric oxidant, capable of perturbing tropospheric oxidative cycles normally controlled by the hydroxyl radical. Significantly faster reaction rates allow chlorine radicals to expedite oxidation of hydrocarbons, including methane, and in polluted environments, to enhance ozone production. Here we present evidence, from the CARIBIC airborne dataset, for extensive chlorine radical chemistry associated with Asian pollution outflow, from airborne observations made over the Malaysian Peninsula in winter. This region is known for persistent convection that regularly delivers surface air to higher altitudes and serves as a major transport pathway into the stratosphere. Oxidant ratios inferred from hydrocarbon relationships show that chlorine radicals were regionally more important than hydroxyl radicals for alkane oxidation and were also important for methane and alkene oxidation (>10%). Our observations reveal pollution-related chlorine chemistry that is both widespread and recurrent, and has implications for tropospheric oxidizing capacity, stratospheric composition and ozone chemistry.
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), contribute significantly to global warming, and they have increased substantially over the years. Reforestation is considered as an important forestry application for carbon sequestration and GHGs emission reduction, however, it remains unknown whether reforestation may instead produce too much CO2 and N2O contibuting to GHGs pollution. This study was performed to characterize and examine the CO2 and N2O emissions and their controlling factors in different species and types of pure and mixture forest used for reforestation. Five soil layers from pure forest Platycladus orientalis (PO), Robinia pseudoacacia (RP), and their mixed forest P-R in the Taihang mountains of central China were sampled and incubated aerobically for 11 days. The P-R soil showed lower CO2 and N2O production potentials than those of the PO soils (P