Pyrosequencing reveals highly diverse microbial communities in microbial electrolysis cells involved in enhanced H2 production from waste activated sludge

Renewable H2 production from a plentiful biomass, waste activated sludge (WAS), can be achieved by fermentation, but the yields are low. The use of a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) can increase the H2 production yields to several times that of fermentation. We have proved that the enhancement of H2 production was due to the ability of MECs to use a wider range of organic matter in WAS than in fermentation. To support this result strongly, we here investigated the microbial community structures of WAS and anode biofilms in WAS-fed MECs. A pyrosequencing analysis based on the bacterial 16S rRNA gene showed that dominant populations in MECs were more diverse than those in WAS (inoculum and substrate) after enrichment, and there was a clear distinction between MECs and WAS in microbial community structure. Diverse acid-producing bacteria and exoelectrogens (predominance of Geobacter) were detected in MECs but they were only rarely found in WAS. It has been reported that these acid-producing bacteria can ferment various sugars and amines with acetate, propionate, and butyrate as their major by-products. This was consistent with our chemical analyses. Detected exoelectrogens are known to use these organic acids (mainly acetate) and certain sugars to directly produce current for H2 generation at the cathodes in the MECs. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we demonstrated that a consistent feed of alkaline-pretreated WAS containing large amounts of acetate led to a predominance of acetoclastic methanogens, while hydrogenotrophic methanogens were abundant in MECs fed both raw and alkaline-pretreated WAS. Syntrophic interactions between phylogenetically diverse microbial populations in anodophilic biofilms were found to drive the efficient cascade utilization of organic matter in WAS. [Display omitted] ► Pyrosequencing reveals microbial communities in MECs fed waste activated sludge. ► Microbial populations in MECs are more diverse than those in waste activated sludge. ► Syntrophic interactions drive MEC cascade utilization of various organic materials. ► QPCR is used to quantify bacteria, Archaea, and methanogens in the microbial community. ► Predominance of hydrogenotrophic or acetoclastic methanogens depends on substrate.