Fate and effect of quaternary ammonium compounds on a mixed methanogenic culture

The potential inhibitory effect of four quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and Vigilquat, a commercial sanitizer which is a mixture of the four QACs, was investigated at concentrations up to 100 mg/L using a mixed, mesophilic (35 degrees C) methanogenic culture. Dextrin and peptone were used as the carbon and energy sources. A batch assay conducted at a range of QAC concentrations showed that QACs were inhibitory to methanogens at and above 25 mg/L. Methanogenesis was more susceptible to QAC inhibition than acidogenesis. Adsorption of QACs on biomass was successfully simulated with the Freundlich isotherm equation. The inhibitory effect of Vigilquat on the mixed methanogenic culture was also investigated in a batch reactor fed with dextrin and peptone. Methanogens were inhibited when the total QAC concentration reached 30 mg/L and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) accumulated. However, methane production recovered in 57 days of incubation, and all VFAs were consumed, suggesting that a prolonged incubation period is necessary for the methanogens to overcome the transient inhibition at a relatively low QAC concentration. None of the QACs tested in this study was biodegraded under methanogenic conditions.