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Novel anaerobic gas‐lift reactor (AGLR) with retention of biomass: Start‐up routine and establishment of hold up
Author(s) -
Beeftink H. H.,
van den Heuvel J. C.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260300213
Subject(s) - effluent , chemistry , propionate , dilution , bioreactor , biomass (ecology) , pulp and paper industry , anaerobic exercise , butyrate , gas lift , chemical engineering , chromatography , food science , fermentation , biochemistry , environmental science , environmental engineering , biology , ecology , organic chemistry , thermodynamics , physiology , physics , engineering
A start‐up routine for a novel type of anaerobic gas‐lift reactor using sand as support particles for Bacterial adhesion and involving a dilution rate shift‐up is shown to result in rapid formation of mixed‐culture aggregates from freely suspended cells. Formation of aggregates changed the general metabolism from acetate–butyrate production to acetate–propionate production. This change is attributed to a selection by washout, favoring propionate‐producing bacteria with superior adhesive properties. Sand is shown to be essential in establishing, but not in sustaining, elevated holdup ratios. The importance of maintenance processes and cellular lysis in deeper parts of aggregates are manifest from a reduced effluent biomass concentration and a pronounced production of valeric acid.