This paper review is aiming to comprehensively identify and appraise the current available knowledge on microbial composition and microbial dynamics in anaerobic digestion with focus on the interconnections between operational parameters and microbial community. We systematically searched Scopus, Web of Science, pubmed and Embase (up to August 2019) with relative keywords to identify English-language studies published in peer-reviewed journals. The data and information on anaerobic reactor configurations, operational parameters such as pretreatment methods, temperature, trace elements, ammonia, organic loading rate, and feedstock composition and their association with the microbial community and microbial dynamics were extracted from eligible articles. Of 306 potential articles, 112 studies met the present review objectives and inclusion criteria. The results indicated that both aceticlastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis are dominant in anaerobic digesters and their relative composition is depending on environmental conditions. However, hydrogenotrophic methanogens are more often observed in extreme conditions due to their higher robustness compared to aceticlastic methangoens. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla are most common fermentative bacteria of the acidogenic phase. These bacteria secrete lytic enzymes to degrade organic matters and are able to survive in extreme conditions and environments due to their spores. In addition, among archaea Methanosaeta, Methanobacterium, and Methanosarcinaceae are found at high relative abundance in anaerobic digesters operated with different operational parameters. Overall, understanding the shifts in microbial composition and diversity as results of operational parameters variation in anaerobic digestion process would improve the stability and process performance.
Keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Microbial community; Microbial diversity; Microbiology; Molecular techniques; Operational parameter.
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