Enhanced Resistance and Resilience of Anaerobic Digestion Microbiome after Single and Dual Short-Term Disturbances

Abstract

Anaerobic digesters are operated at high solids retention times (SRTs) of 20 d or longer to mitigate accidental substrate overloading. However, the long-term effects of such disturbances on digester performance and microbiome remain unclear. This study investigates whether short-term pulse disturbances (temporary SRT reductions) can enhance microbial resilience and accelerate recovery from sustained overloading conditions. We explored the feasibility of anaerobic digestion at shorter SRTs by introducing one or two pulse SRT disturbances (SRT reduction from 15 to 5 d) in four mesophilic anaerobic digesters treating wastewater sludge, followed by sustained operation (press disturbance) 5 d SRT. Dual pulse disturbances showed faster process recovery compared to digesters receiving a single pulse disturbance (60 d vs 104 d) with reduced volatile fatty acids levels during the subsequent press disturbance periods. Microbial community redundancy and resilience, with shifts between the slow-growing, resource-efficient taxa (K-strategists) and fast-growing, opportunistic taxa (r-strategists), were crucial in ensuring minimal disruptions during disturbance and recovery periods. Overall, pulse disturbances may serve as a practical tool for enhancing microbiome resilience in anaerobic digestion, enabling stable performance under fluctuating substrate loading conditions. SYNOPSISControlled pulse disturbances enhance anaerobic digestion resilience by priming microbial communities, enabling stable performance at short solids retention times and high organic loading conditions.