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Microplastic-Intervened Anaerobic Fermentation: Discrepancies in Hydrolysis and Acidification of Acidic/Alkaline Treatment

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Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Daojing Zeng, Guorun Zhou, Xiaowei Wu Daojing Zeng, Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Guorun Zhou, Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiao Huang, Xiao Huang, Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Mengsha Ma, Mengsha Ma, Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Guorun Zhou, Guorun Zhou, Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Hongyang Wang, Xiaowei Wu Guorun Zhou, Guorun Zhou, Hongyang Wang, Guorun Zhou, Guorun Zhou, Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Xiaowei Wu Guorun Zhou, Guorun Zhou, Xiaowei Wu

Summary

Researchers investigated how PET microplastics differentially affect hydrolysis and acidification stages of acidic versus alkaline anaerobic fermentation of waste-activated sludge, finding that acidic fermentation hydrolysis was more inhibited while alkaline fermentation acidification was more suppressed. Microbial analysis revealed that PET reduced acidification-associated gene expression (pta, aceE, aceF) only under alkaline conditions, while glycolysis genes were suppressed predominantly under acidic conditions.

Microplastics (MPs) are widely present in waste-activated sludge (WAS), and their effects on different stages of WAS acidic/alkaline anaerobic fermentation (AF) remain unclear. To fill this knowledge gap, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), a representative MP, was selected to evaluate the influence of MPs on the WAS AF performance. By analyzing the release patterns of organics and the formation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), it was determined that acidic AF hydrolysis was inhibited more than alkaline one, while alkaline AF acidification was inhibited more than the acidic one. An in-depth investigation of the microbial mechanism further confirmed these ideas. After adding PET, the abundance of Soehngenia and genes pta, aceE, and aceF associated with acidification was reduced only in an alkaline environment, while genes involved in glycolysis, such as pgk, eno, and TPI, were almost suppressed in an acidic environment. This research is expected to provide a theoretical foundation for comprehending and unveiling the mechanisms by which the PET influences pH-regulated AF.

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