K. Hanaki et al., SELECTIVE USE OF MICROORGANISMS IN ANAEROBIC TREATMENT PROCESSES BY APPLICATION OF IMMOBILIZATION, Water research, 28(4), 1994, pp. 993-996
The cell immobilization technique using polyvinyl alcohol and boric ac
id was applied to the anaerobic process. Immobilized cells of Clostrid
ium butyricum were used to enhance butyrate production in a continuous
reactor under a mixed culture condition. There was a tendency that mo
re butyrate was produced in the immobilized cell system than in the no
n-immobilized cell system at (1) a dilution rate lower than 0.14 h(-1)
at pH 6 and (2) a pH higher than 5.5 with a dilution rate of 0.036 h(
-1). The enrichment culture of the propionate-utilizing consortium was
immobilized and used in a mixed culture condition with suspended biom
ass which could convert glucose to methane. Batch experiments using th
is mixture of biomass and those using non-immobilized cells alone were
carried out. Methane production from acetate, propionate or glucose p
roceeded much more rapidly, and accumulation of propionate during gluc
ose degradation was much shorter when the immobilized cells were used.