Review on microaeration-based anaerobic digestion: State of the art, challenges, and prospectives

Microaeration (dosing small quantities of air or oxygen) is an effective approach to facilitate anaerobic digestion (AD) process and has gained increased attention in recent years. The underlying mechanisms of the facilitation effect of microaeration on AD process were reviewed in terms of accelerating hydrolysis, scavenging hydrogen sulfide, and affecting microbial diversity. Process parameters and control strategies were summarized to reveal considerable factors in implementing microaeration-based AD process. In addition, current applications, including lab-, pilot- and full-scale level cases, were summarized to provide guidance for further improvement in large-scale applications. The challenges and future perspectives were also highlighted to promote the development of AD process associated with microaeration.