Deciphering anaerobic ethanol metabolic pathways shaped by operational modes

Efficient anaerobic digestion requires the syntrophic cooperation among diverse microorganisms with various metabolic pathways. In this study, two operational modes, i.e., the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and the continuous-flow reactor (CFR), were adopted in ethanol-fed systems with or without the supplement of powdered activated carbon (PAC) to examine their effects on ethanol metabolic pathways. Notably, the operational mode of SBR and the presence of CO₂ facilitated ethanol metabolism towards propionate production. This was further evidenced by the dominance of Desulfobulbus, and the increased relative abundances of enzymes (EC: 1.2.7.1 and 1.2.7.11) involved in CO₂ metabolism in SBRs. Moreover, SBRs exhibited superior biomass-based rates of ethanol degradation and methanogenesis, surpassing those in CFRs by 53.1% and 22.3%, respectively. Remarkably, CFRs with the extended solids retention time enriched high relative abundances of Geobacter of 71.7% and 70.4% under conditions with and without the addition of PAC, respectively. Although both long-term and short-term PAC additions led to the increased sludge conductivity and a reduced methanogenic lag phase, only the long-term PAC addition resulted in enhanced rates of ethanol degradation and propionate production/degradation. The strategies by adjusting operational mode and PAC addition could be adopted for modulating the anaerobic ethanol metabolic pathway and enriching Geobacter.