New perspectives in anaerobic digestion

TLDR

Anaerobic digestion, an over‑100‑year‑old technology, remains under development and is supported by the long‑standing IWA AD working group. This paper reviews recent advances in anaerobic digestion and proposes directions for future development. The authors compile a state‑of‑the‑art review of anaerobic digestion, drawing on the expertise of the AD management committee. Recent decades have seen high‑rate reactors and deeper microbiological insights, expanding anaerobic digestion’s application potential.

Abstract

The IWA specialised group on anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the oldest working groups of the former IAWQ organisation. Despite the fact that anaerobic technology dates back more than 100 years, the technology is still under development, adapting novel treatment systems to the modern requirements. In fact, most advances were achieved during the last three decades, when high-rate reactor systems were developed and a profound insight was obtained in the microbiology of the anaerobic communities. This insight led to a better understanding of anaerobic treatment and, subsequently, to a broader application potential. The present "state-of-the-art" paper, which has been written by members of the AD management committee, reflects the latest achievements and sets future lines for further development.