Exploring the Effect of Specific Bacterial Strains on the Degradation and Production of Volatile Fatty Acids from Food Waste Leachate

Abstract

Waste stream has well known as a best option for biorefinery process as it effectively mitigates the organic amount to produces biogas as a renewable and an alterative energy. Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs) are huge valuable sources for the chemical industry as the precursors of reduced chemicals and derivatives. On the other hand, they have well known as the substrates for bio-fuel production like methane and hydrogen. Thus, the aim of this study is to isolate a pure specific bacterial strains from a variety of sources such as soil, wastewater and food waste leachate that play a crucial role in VFAs degradation and production. In this study, twenty bacterial strains isolated from soil and waste samples were tested in presence of VFAs components concluding acetic acid, butyric acid and propionic acid at 35 °C in four periods: 1-day, 5-day, 10-day and 15-day incubations. Consequently, eight strains illustrated strong growth in the mineral salt media containing VFAs components after 15 days. Four strains out of eight have been found as producing VFAs bacterial candidates. These strains later were tested back in the Food Waste Leachate as a substrate for carbon and energy sources at the same operational conditions. Moreover, there are other four strains which have been explored from the other group chosen for an examination of VFA degradation. After determining potential VFAs consuming and producing candidates, a consortium has been screening for accelerating and optimizing the gas production in the next study at variety of operation conditions.