AWI researchers employ Mass Spectrometry to analyse organic fraction in Anaerobic Digestion

Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), led by Boris Koch, Xianyu Kong and Jan Tebben, have employed mass spectrometry techniques to characterize the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter in selected samples.

Using a hyphenated UPLC-Orbitrap-mass spectrometry system (LC-HR-MS), the team obtained detailed insights into the dynamics of organic overload shock during anaerobic digestion. Significant changes were observed in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and chemodiversity (expressed total assigned intensities; TAI) during periods of high organic overload shock. The team’s findings, illustrated in time-series data from the anaerobic perturbation experiment 2, revealed a total of 6,009 molecular formulas detected by mass spectrometry. Notably, the significant negative correlations of methane production with chemodiversity and DOC concentration now triggers the search for formulas that reflect methane production and can predict the failure tipping points.

This research sheds light on the intricate relationships between organic matter composition and methane production, offering valuable insights for optimizing anaerobic digestion processes and enhancing biogas production efficiency.