Acidogenic fermentation of biowaste coupled with nitrogen recovery using selective membranes to produce a VFA-rich liquid with a high C/N ratio

This research focuses on the production of a liquid stream rich in volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and low ammoniacal nitrogen content (<0.1 g N/L) from biowaste. The liquid stream was obtained by combining (i) mixed culture acidogenic fermentation to maximise VFA production and (ii) gas-permeable membrane (GPM) contactor to recover ammoniacal nitrogen. Three batch fermentation tests of biowaste collected in a full-scale mechanical-biological treatment plant provided high and stable VFA concentrations (37-39 g CODVFA/L). VFAs represented 73-81% of the soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) concentration, with a predominance of acetic, propionic and butyric acids. A highly specialized microbial community was observed in all batch tests, with Bacteroidota and Firmicutes as predominant phyla (>90% of relative abundance). The GPM contactor recovered more than 99% of the ammoniacal nitrogen in the fermentation liquid without VFA losses. The suitability of the produced fermentation liquid with a high C/N ratio for downstream applications was evaluated using biomethane potential tests (BMP) at different total ammonium nitrogen (TAN) concentrations (0.76-3.15 g N/L) and circumneutral pH. Despite achieving similar ultimate methane yields (279-314 NmL CH4/g CODfeed), lower TAN concentrations in the biowaste fermentation liquid improved anaerobic biodegradation kinetics, enhancing its potential applicability for biomethane production.