Intermittent energization improves microbial electrolysis cell-assisted thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and spent mushroom substance

Microbial electrolysis cell-assisted thermophilic anaerobic digestion (MEC-TAD) is a promising method to improve anaerobic co-digestion efficiency; however, its application is restricted by high energy consumption. To improve the energy use efficiency of MEC-TAD, this study investigated the effect of different intermittent energization strategies on thermophilic co-digestion performance. Results revealed that an 18 h-ON/6h-OFF energization schedule resulted in the fastest electron transfer rate and the highest methane yield (364.3 mL/g VS). Mechanistic analysis revealed that 18 h-ON/6h-OFF resulted in the enrichment of electroactive microorganisms and increased abundance of enzyme-coding genes associated with energy metabolism (ntp, nuo, atp), electron transfer (pilA, nfrA2, ssuE), and the hydrogenotrophic methanogenic pathway. Finally, energy balance analysis revealed that 18 h-ON/6h-OFF had the highest net energy benefit (2.52 kJ) and energy conversion efficiency (110.76 %). Therefore, intermittent energization of MEC-TAD using an 18 h-ON/6h-OFF schedule can provide improved performance and more energy savings.