Effect of temperature decrease on the microbial population and process performance of a mesophilic anaerobic bioreactor
The effect of a temperature decrease from 33 degrees C to 12 degrees C was investigated for anaerobic digestion of crop residues. A laboratory-scale reactor (R,) was inoculated with mesophilic sludge and operated as continuously stirred fed-batch system at temperatures of 12 degrees C, 18 degrees C and 33 degrees C. Changes in the microbial populations of the sludge were followed by means of fluor