Methanol conversion in high-rate anaerobic reactors

An overview on methanol conversion in high-rate anaerobic reactors is prese nted, with the focus on technological as well as microbiological aspects. T he simple C1-compound methanol can be degraded anaerobically in a complex w ay, in which methanogens, sulfate reducing bacteria and homoacetogens inter act cooperatively or competitively at substrate level. This interaction has large technological implications as it determines the final product of met hanol mineralization, methane or carbon dioxide. The degradation route of m ethanol may be entirely different when environmental conditions change. Dir ect methanogenesis from methanol seems the predominant mineralization route under mesophilic conditions both in the absence and the presence of sulfat e. Under thermophilic conditions methanol oxidation to carbon dioxide and h ydrogen appears to play an important role. The UASB technology for mesophil ic digestion of methanolic waste has presently reached full-scale maturity. The potential of methanol as feedstock for anaerobic processes is discusse d.