Anaerobic degradation of xenobiotics by organisms from municipal solid waste under landfilling conditions

The potential for biological transformation of 23 xenobiotic compounds by microorganisms in municipal solid waste (MSW) samples from a laboratory scale landfill reactor was studied. In addition the influence of these xenobiotic compounds on methanogenesis was investigated. All R11, 1,1 dichloroethylene, 2,4,6 trichlorophenol, dimethyl phthalate, phenol, benzoate and phthalic acid added were completely transformed during the period of incubation (> 100 days). Parts of the initially added perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, R12, R114, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate and benzylbutyl phthalate were transformed. Methanogenesis from acetate was completely inhibited in the presence of 2,5 dichlorophenol, whereas 2,4,6 trichlorophenol and R11 showed an initial inhibition, whenafter methane formation recovered. No transformation or effect on the anaerobic microflora occurred for R13, R22, R114, 3 chlorobenzoate, 2,4,6 trichlorobenzoate, bis(2 ethyl)hexyl phthalate, diisodecyl phthalate and dinonyl phthalate. The results indicate a limited potential for degradation, of the compounds tested, by microorganisms developing in a methanogenic landfill environment as compared with other anaerobic habitats such as sewage digestor sludge and sediments.Abbreviations BBP benzylbutylphthalate - DEHP bis(2 ethylhexyl) phthalate - 3 CB 3 chlorobenzoate - R22 chlorodifluoromethane - CFC chlorofluorocarbon - R13 chlorotrifluoromethane - cis1,2 DCE cis 1,2 dichloroethylene - DBP dibutyl phthalate - R12 dichlorodifluoromethane - 1,1 DCE 1,1 dichloroethylenel - R114 dichlorotetrafluoroethane - 2,5 DCP 2,5 dichlorophenol - DEP diethyl phthalate - DiDP diisodecyl phthalate - DMP Dimethyl phthalate - DNP dinonyl phthalate - MSW dunicipal solid waste - PCE perchloroethylene - PA phthalic acid - PAE phthalic acid esters - R11 trichlorofluoromethane - 2,4,6 TCB 2,4,6 trichlorobenzoate - 2,4,6 TCP 2,4,6 trichlorophenol - VC vinylchloride     

城市污泥中邻苯二甲酸酯(PAEs)的厌氧微生物降解

邻苯二甲酸酯(PAEs)是城市污泥中普遍存在的一类具有内分泌干扰性作用的有机污染物.研究污泥厌氧生物处理过程中PAEs的微生物降解对保障污泥农用的安全性十分必要.本文以污泥中两种主要的PAEs——邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(DBP)和邻苯二甲酸(2-乙基己)酯(DEHP)为研究对象,通过比较PAEs在污泥厌氧消化系统与发酵产氢系统中降解过程的差异及系统污泥特性的变化,分析不同污泥厌氧生物处理系统中影响PAEs降解的可能因素.结果表明: 在污泥厌氧发酵系统中,DBP在6 d内降解率达99.6%, DEHP在整个14 d的培养期间也降解了46.1%;在发酵产氢系统中,在14 d培养过程DBP的降解率仅为19.5%,DEHP则没有明显的降解.与厌氧消化系统相比,PAEs在发酵产氢系统中的降解受到明显抑制,这与发酵产氢过程中微生物量下降、革兰氏阳性菌/革兰氏阴性菌(G⁺/G^-)和真菌/细菌变小及挥发性脂肪酸(包括乙酸、丙酸及丁酸)浓度升高有关.     

电子垃圾拆解地区土壤和植物中邻苯二甲酸酯分布特征

近年来,电子垃圾不当拆解带来的环境问题引起国际社会的极大关注.本研究对浙江省台州市不同电子垃圾拆解地区土壤和植物样品中5种邻苯二甲酸酯类（PAEs）污染物进行了测定分析.结果表明：土壤（以干质量计）中PAEs类污染物的浓度为12.566~46.669 mg·kg^-1,其中邻苯二甲酸二异辛酯（DEHP）、邻苯二甲酸二丁酯（DBP）和邻苯二甲酸二乙酯（DEP）相对含量较高,约占PAEs总量的94%以上.拆解地区蚕豆（Vicia faba L.）中PAEs总量明显高于同地区其他植物,且土壤和所有植物体内PAEs浓度相关性均不显著(P>0.05).与美国国家环保局制定的土壤PAEs治理标准比较,台州电子垃圾拆解地区土壤PAEs污染较为严重.     

Degradation of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate constituents under methanogenic conditions

The degradation of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and its intermediary hydrolysis products 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH) and mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) was investigated in a methanogenic phthalic acid ester-degrading enrichment culture at 37°C. 2-Ethylhexanoic acid (2-EHA), a plausible degradation product of 2-EH, was also studied. The culture readily degraded 2-EH via 2-EHA to methane which was formed in stoichiometric amounts assuming complete degradation of 2-EH to methane and carbon dioxide. MEHP was degraded to stoichiometric amounts of methane with phthalic acid as a transient intermediate. DEHP remained unaffected throughout the experimental period (330 days).Abbreviations 2-EH 2-ethylhexyl alcohol - 2-EHA 2-ethylhexanoic acid - BBP butylbenzyl phthalate - Be-CoA benzoyl Coenzyme A - CoA Coenzyme A - DEHP bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate - MEHP mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate - MSW municipal solid waste - PA phthalic acid - PAE phthalic acid ester - TMS trimethylsilyl derivative     

Anaerobic degradation of citrate under sulfate reducing and methanogenic conditions

Citrate is an important component of metal processing effluents such as chemical mechanical planarization wastewaters of the semiconductor industry. Citrate can serve as an electron donor for sulfate reduction applied to promote the removal of metals, and it can also potentially be used by methanogens that coexist in anaerobic biofilms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the degradation of citrate with sulfate-reducing and methanogenic biofilms. During batch bioassays, the citrate, acetate, methane and sulfide concentrations were monitored. The results indicate that independent of the biofilm or incubation conditions used, citrate was rapidly fermented with specific rates ranging from 566 to 720 mg chemical oxygen demand (COD) consumed per gram volatile suspended solids per day. Acetate was found to be the main fermentation product of citrate degradation, which was later degraded completely under either methanogenic or sulfate reducing conditions. However, if either sulfate reduction or methanogenesis was infeasible due to specific inhibitors (2-bromoethane sulfonate), absence of sulfate or lack of adequate microorganisms in the biofilm, acetate accumulated to levels accounting for 90–100% of the citrate-COD consumed. Based on carbon balances measured in phosphate buffered bioassays, acetate, CO₂ and hydrogen are the main products of citrate fermentation, with a molar ratio of 2:2:1 per mol of citrate, respectively. In bicarbonate buffered bioassays, acetogenesis of H₂ and CO₂ increased the yield of acetate. The results taken as a whole suggest that in anaerobic biofilm systems, citrate is metabolized via the formation of acetate as the main metabolic intermediate prior to methanogenesis or sulfate reduction. Sulfate reducing consortia must be enriched to utilize acetate as an electron donor in order to utilize the majority of the electron-equivalents in citrate.     

山东省花生主产区土壤和花生籽粒中邻苯二甲酸酯的分布特征

在山东省四大花生主产区采集耕层土壤(0～20 cm)和花生籽粒,应用气相色谱测定样品中美国国家环保署(EPA)优先控制的6种邻苯二甲酸酯(PAEs)化合物的含量.结果表明: 山东省花生主产区土壤中6种PAEs化合物累计(∑PAEs)含量范围为0.34～2.81 mg·kg^-1,平均含量为1.22 mg·kg^-1;四大花生主产区土壤∑PAEs含量为：鲁中南山区＞鲁西平原＞胶东半岛＞鲁北平原;与美国土壤PAEs控制标准相比,山东省四大花生主产区土壤中的邻苯二甲酸正二丁酯(DBP)超标严重.花生籽粒中∑PAEs含量范围为0.17～0.66 mg·kg^-1,平均含量为0.34 mg·kg^-1,低于美国和欧洲的建议指标,健康风险很小.邻苯二甲酸二(2-乙基己基)酯(DEHP)和DBP在土壤和花生籽粒中占∑PAEs的百分比、检出率均较高,是主要的污染物组分.覆膜种植模式下土壤和花生籽粒中的∑PAEs显著高于露地种植模式.花生籽粒和土壤中的∑PAEs、DBP及DEHP存在显著正相关性,Pearson相关系数分别为0.786、0.747和0.511.     

Anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste as a treatment prior to landfill

Anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste was conducted in pilot-scale reactor based on high-solid combined anaerobic digestion process. This study was performed in two runs. In Run 1 and Run 2, pre-stage flushing and micro-aeration were conducted to determine their effect in terms of enhancing hydrolysis and acidification in ambient condition. In Run 2, after pre-stage, the methane phase (methanogenesis) was started-up after pH adjustment and inoculum addition in mesophilic condition. Acidified leachate produced in pre-stage was used for percolation during active methane phase. At the end of methane phase, air flushing was conducted before unloading the digesters. Hydrolysis and acidification yield of 140 g C/kg TS and 180 g VFA/kg TS were achieved, respectively in pre-stage. Micro-aeration exhibited an equivocal result in terms of enhancing hydrolysis/acidification; however it showed a positive effect in methane phase performance and this needed further investigation. Leachate percolation during methane phase showed an enhanced methanization when compared to the reactors without leachate percolation. After 60 days, 260 l CH(4)/kg VS was obtained. Based on the waste methane potential, 75% biogas conversion and 61% VS degradation were achieved.     

Anaerobic biodegradability of phthalic acid isomers and related compounds

All three phthalic acid isomers ( ortho, meta and para benzene dicarboxylic acid) are produced in massive amounts, and used in the chemical industry as plasticizers or for the production of polyester. Wastestreams generated during the production of phthalate isomers generally contain high concentrations of aromatic acids. To study the potential biodegradability of these primarily anthropogenic compounds in anaerobic bioreactors, biodegradability studies were performed. Compounds tested were benzoate, ortho-phthalate, isophthalate, terephthalate, dimethyl phthalate, dimethyl terephthalate, para-toluate and para-xylene. Seed materials tested were two types of granular sludge and digested sewage sludge. It was found that all phthalate isomers and their corresponding dimethyl-esters, could be completely mineralized by all seed materials studied. Lag phases required for 50% degradation of these compounds, ranged from 17 to 156 days. The observed degradation curves could be explained by growth of an initially small amount of organisms in the inoculum with the specific ability to degrade one phthalate isomer. The observed order in the length of the lag phases for the phthalate isomers is: phthalate < terephthalate < isophthalate. This order appears to be related to the environmental abundancy of the different phthalate isomers. The initial step in the degradation pathway of both dimethyl phthalate esters was hydrolysis of the ester sidechain, resulting in the formation of the corresponding mono-methyl-phthalate isomer and phthalate isomer. The rate limiting step in mineralization of both dimethyl phthalate and dimethyl terephthalate was found to be fermentation of the phthalate isomer. Para-toluate was degraded only by digested sewage sludge after a lag phase of 425 days. The observed degradation rates of this compound were very low. No mineralization of para-xylene was observed. In general, the differences in the lag phases between different seed materials were relatively small. These results indicate that the time needed for the start-up of anaerobic bioreactors treating wastewaters containing phthalic acid isomers, depends little on the microbial composition of the seed material applied, but may take several months.     

Bio-pretreatment of municipal solid waste prior to landfilling and its kinetics

The conventional landfilling does not promote sustainable waste management due to uncontrolled emissions which potentially degrade the environment. Pretreatment of municipal solid waste prior to landfilling significantly enhances waste stabilization, reduces the emissions and provides many advantages. Therefore, pretreatment of municipal solid waste methods were investigated. The major objectives of biological pretreatment are to degrade most easily degradable organic matters of MSW in a short duration under controlled conditions so as to produce desired quality for landfill. To investigate the suitable pretreatment method prior to landfilling for developing countries four pretreatment simulators were developed in the laboratory: (i) anaerobic simulator (R₁), (ii) aerobic pretreatment simulator by natural convection of air (R₂), (iii) aerobic pretreatment simulator by natural convection of air with leachate recirculation (R₃) and (iv) forced aeration and leachate recirculation (R₄). During the pretreatment organic matter, elemental composition, i.e., carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and settlement were determined for bench scale experiments. A two-component kinetic model is proposed for the biodegradation of organic matter. Biodegradation kinetic constants were determined for readily and slowly degradable organic matter. The biodegradation of organic matter efficiency in terms of kinetic rate constants for the pretreatment simulators was observed as R₄ > R₃ > R₂ > R₁. Biodegradation rate constants for readily degradable matter in simulators R₄ and R₃ were 0.225 and 0.222 per day. R₃ and R₄ simulators were more effective in reducing methane emissions about 45% and 55%, respectively, as compared to anaerobic simulator R₁. Pretreatment of MSW, by natural convection of air with leachate recirculation R₃ is sustainable method to reduce the emissions and to stabilize the waste prior to landfilling.     

广东省典型区域农业土壤中邻苯二甲酸酯含量的分布特征

采用气相色谱方法,对广东省典型区域农业表层土壤(0～20cm)样品中的6种邻苯二甲酸酯(PAEs)进行了测定.结果表明:6种PAEs化合物的总含量(∑PAEs)为nd(未检出)～25.99mg.kg-1,其中92.8%的样品分布在≤1mg.kg-1的范围;各种土地利用类型中∑PAEs的顺序依次为水田>香蕉地>菜地>甘蔗地>果园地;不同地区土壤中∑PAEs的顺序依次为东莞市>汕头市>佛山市顺德区>湛江市>中山市>珠海市>惠州市.邻苯二甲酸二(2-乙基已基)酯(DEHP)的检出率最高(85.1%),邻苯二甲酸二正丁酯(DnBP)含量最高(nd～17.51mg.kg-1).与美国土壤PAEs控制标准相比,除邻苯二甲酸二正辛酯(DnOP)外,其余5种PAEs化合物均有不同程度的超标,其中DnBP、邻苯二甲酸二甲酯(DMP)和邻苯二甲酸二乙酯(DEP)3种化合物超标率较高.广东省典型区域农业土壤受到不同程度的PAEs污染.     

5-Chloropicolinic acid is produced by specific degradation of 4-chlorobenzoic acid by Sphingomonas paucimobilis BPSI-3

We have previously shown that the bacterium Sphingomonas paucimobilis BPSI-3, isolated from PCB-contaminated soil, can degrade halogenated biphenyls, naphthalenes, catechols and benzoic acids. However, before such an organism can be used in bioremediation, it is important to characterise the degradation products and determine the degradation pathways to ensure that compounds more toxic or mobile than the original contaminants are not produced. In the degradation of 4-chlorobiphenyl, S. paucimobilis BPSI-3 produces a novel chlorinated picolinic acid. In this paper, we show that 4-chlorobenzoate is an intermediate in this degradation and, through ¹⁵N-labelling, that 5-chloropicolinate is the only nitrogenous metabolite isolated under the extraction conditions used. The position of the chlorine indicates that degradation of 4-chlorocatechol occurs exclusively via a 2,3-extradiol cleavage. These data allow us to postulate a more definitive catabolic pathway for the biodegradation of 4-chlorobiphenyl to 5-chloro-2-hydroxymuconic acid semialdehyde via 4-chlorobenzoate in S. paucimobilis BPSI-3. Received 19 April 1999/ Accepted in revised form 23 July 1999     

Anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste and agricultural waste and the effect of co-digestion with dairy cow manure

Anaerobic digestion of dairy cow manure (CM), the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), and cotton gin waste (CGW) was investigated with a two-phase pilot-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) system. The OFMSW and CM were digested as single wastes and as combined wastes. The single waste digestion of CM resulted in 62m(3) methane/ton of CM on dry weight basis. The single waste digestion of OFMSW produced 37m(3) methane/ton of dry waste. Co-digestion of OFMSW and CM resulted in 172m(3) methane/ton of dry waste. Co-digestion of CGW and CM produced 87m(3) methane/ton of dry waste. Comparing the single waste digestions with co-digestion of combined wastes, it was shown that co-digestion resulted in higher methane gas yields. In addition, co-digestion of OFMSW and CM promotes synergistic effects resulting in higher mass conversion and lower weight and volume of digested residual.     

城市污泥和化肥对水稻土种植的通菜中邻苯二甲酸酯（PAEs）的影响

对水稻土施用城市污泥和化肥盆栽通菜,应用GC／MS联机检测技术对通菜中6种邻苯二甲酸酯化合物(PAEs)进行分析,探讨施肥对通菜中PAEs含量的影响,结果表明,各处理通菜中6种PAEs化合物的总含量(∑PAEs)在2．129～7.111mg·kg^-1之间,依次为广州污泥+化肥(7．111mg·kg^-1)>广州污泥(4．767mg·kg^-1)>佛山污泥(3;569mg·kg^-1)>佛山污泥+化肥(3．305mg·kg^-1)>化肥(2．638mg·kg^-1)>空白对照(2．129mg·kg^-1)。显示了施肥造成通菜中∑PAEs不同程度的提高,各处理通菜中的PAEs均以个别化合物为主,其中空白对照、化肥、佛山污泥和广州污泥处理的通菜中邻苯二甲酸丁基苄基酯(BBP)占∑PAEs的40％～81％。佛山污泥+化肥处理的通菜中邻苯二甲酸正二丁酯(DnBP)占∑PAEs的56％,而广州污泥+化肥处理的通菜中邻苯二甲酸丁基苄基酯(BBP)、邻苯二甲酸正二辛酯(DnOP)和邻苯二甲酸(2-乙基己基)酯(DEHP)各占∑PAEs的30％左右,通菜中∑PAEs和多数化合物的含量不同程度地大于其在根系中的含量。     

Cellulolytic activity in leachate during leach-bed anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste

The degradation of municipal solid waste (MSW) under mesophilic conditions can be enhanced by exchanging leachate between fresh waste and stabilised waste. The optimum point in time when leachate from an anaerobically digesting waste bed can be used to initiate degradation of another waste bed might occur when the leachate of the digesting waste bed is highly active with cellulolytic and methanogenic bacteria. In this study, the cellulolytic activity of the leachate was measured using the cellulose-azure assay. As products of hydrolysis are soluble compounds, the rate of generation of these compounds was estimated based on a soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) balance around the fresh waste bed. It was found that once the readily soluble material present in MSW was washed out there was very little generation of SCOD without the production of methane, indicating that flushing leachate from a stabilised waste bed resulted in a balanced inoculation of the fresh waste bed. With the onset of sustained methanogenesis, the rate of SCOD generation equalled the SCOD released from the digester as methane. The experimental findings also showed that cellulolytic activities of the leachate samples closely followed the trend of SCOD generation.     

Development of an enzymatic assay for the determination of cellulose bioavailability in municipal solid waste

As there is a constant need to assess the biodegradation potential of refuse disposed of in landfills, we have developed a method to evaluate the biodegradability of cellulosic compounds (cellulose and hemicellulose) in municipal solid waste. This test is based on the quantification of monosaccharides released after the hydrolysis of solid waste samples with an optimised enzyme preparation containing commercially available cellulases and hemicellulases. We show that the amounts of monosaccharides could be related to the biodegradability of the cellulosic material contained in the samples. This enzymatic cellulose degradation test was assayed on 37 samples originating from three Belgian landfills and collected at different depths. As results correlated well with those obtained with a classical biochemical methane potential assay, this new and rapid test is sufficiently reliable to evaluate cellulose bioavailability in waste samples.     

农业土壤中邻苯二甲酸酯污染研究进展

由邻苯二甲酸酯(PAEs)引起的环境污染和食品安全问题已经引起全球性关注.我国既是邻苯二甲酸酯生产大国,又是消费大国,其环境污染问题不容忽视.本文综述了美国国家环保署所列出的6种优先控制PAEs污染物在我国农田土壤中的污染现状,分析了其来源,重点阐述了不同类型农作物对PAEs化合物的吸收累积特征及PAEs类污染物的生物毒害效应.我国多数地区农业土壤中PAEs的含量显著高于美国和欧洲等国家.大气沉降、农用薄膜、施用污泥和污水灌溉是我国农业土壤中PAEs的主要来源.不同作物对PAEs的吸收、累积和分配特征具有显著的差异性.PAEs不但影响土壤质量、作物生长和生理生化性质,而且具有生物累积效应.最后指出了当前研究中的不足及对今后研究的展望,建议扩大PAEs污染调查范围,深入揭示PAEs对农作物的毒害机理,重点研发PAEs污染土壤的原位修复技术.     

Effect of enzyme additions on methane production and lignin degradation of landfilled sample of municipal solid waste

Operation of waste cells as landfill bioreactors with leachate recirculation is known to accelerate waste degradation and landfill gas generation. However, waste degradation rates in landfill bioreactors decrease with time, with the accumulation of difficult to degrade materials, such as lignin-rich waste. Although, potential exists to modify the leachate quality to promote further degradation of such waste, very little information is available in literature. The objective of this study was to determine the viability of augmenting leachate with enzymes to increase the rate of degradation of lignin-rich waste materials. Among the enzymes evaluated MnP enzyme showed the best performance in terms of methane yield and substrate (lignin) utilization. Methane production of 200 mL CH₄/g VS was observed for the MnP amended reactor as compared to 5.7 mL CH₄/g VS for the control reactor. The lignin reduction in the MnP amended reactor and control reactor was 68.4% and 6.2%, respectively.     

Biodegradation of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in soil bioaugmented with acclimated activated sludge

The degradation characteristics of four phthalic acid esters (PAEs), i.e. di-methyl phthalate (DMP), di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP) in the soil augmented with acclimated sludge was investigated in order to assess the efficacy of bioaugmentation as a strategy for remediating PAEs-contaminated soil and correlate the degradation rate of PAEs with their alkyl chain length. The results demonstrated that PAEs with shorter alkyl chain, that is, DMP and DEP could be degraded more quickly than DBP and DOP. The degradation of four PAEs in the soil conformed to a first-order reaction kinetic equation. The half-lives of PAEs degradation decreased significantly with increasing carbon number of the alcohol moiety. Half-lives decreased from 2.29 days for DMP to 28.4 days for DOP when the carbon number of alkyl chain increased from one for DMP to eight for DOP. The degradation rate of PAEs and the corresponding half-lives could correlate with the alkyl chain length and their octanol–water partition coefficients (K_ow) quite well for the four PAEs tested in this study.     

Anaerobic solubilisation of nitrogen from municipal solid waste (MSW)

This paper reviews anaerobic solubilisation of nitrogen municipal solid waste (MSW) and the effect of current waste management practises on nitrogen release. The production and use of synthetically fixed nitrogen fertiliser in food production has more than doubled the flow of excessive nitrogenous material into the community and hence into the waste disposal system. This imbalance in the global nitrogen cycle has led to uncontrolled nitrogen emissions into the atmosphere and water systems. The nitrogen content of MSW is up to4.0% of total solids (TS) and the proteins in MSW have a lower rate of degradation than cellulose. The proteins are hydrolysed through multiple stages into amino acids that are further fermented into volatile fatty acids, carbon dioxides, hydrogen gas, ammonium and reduced sulphur. Anaerobic digestion of MSW putrescibles could solubilise around 50% of the nitrogen. Thus, the anaerobic digestion of putrescibles may become an important method of increasing the rate of nitrogen recycling back to the ecosystem. A large proportion of the nitrogen in MSW continues to end up inland fills; for example, in the EU countries around 2 million tonnes of nitrogen is disposed of annually this way. Nitrogen concentration in the leachates of existing landfills are likely to remain at a high level for decades to come. Under present waste management practices with a relatively low level of efficiency in the source segregation or mechanical sorting of putrescibles from grey waste and with a low level of control over landfill operating procedures, nitrogen solubilisation from landfilled waste will take at least a century. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Anaerobic digestion of solid slaughterhouse waste (SHW) at laboratory scale: Influence of co-digestion with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW)

Mesophilic anaerobic digestion of slaughterhouse waste (SHW) and its co-digestion with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) have been evaluated. These processes were carried out in a laboratory plant semi-continuously operated and two set-ups were run. The first set-up, with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 25 days and organic loading rate (OLR) of 1.70 kg VS m⁻³ day⁻¹ for digestion, and 3.70 kg VS m⁻³ day⁻¹ for co-digestion, was not successful. The second set-up was initiated with an HRT of 50 days and an OLR of 0.9 kg VS m⁻³ day⁻¹ for digestion and 1.85 kg VS m⁻³ day⁻¹ for co-digestion. Under these conditions, once the sludge had been acclimated to a medium with a high fat and ammonia content, it was possible to decrease the HRT while progressively increasing the OLR to the values used in the first set-up until an HRT of 25 days and OLRs of 1.70 and 3.70 kg VS m⁻³ day⁻¹, for digestion and co-digestion, respectively (the same conditions of the digesters failures previously). These digesters showed a highly stable performance, volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were not detected and long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) were undetected or only trace levels were measured in the analyzed effluent. Fat removal reached values of up to 83%. Anaerobic digestion was thus found to be a suitable technology for efficiently treating lipid and protein waste.