Boron induced multiple quorum-sensing circuits in parallel to assist in anaerobic digestion recovery from volatile fatty acids accumulation.

Exogenous quorum sensing (QS) molecular can regulate the activity and granulation process of anaerobic sludge in anaerobic digestion process, but would be impractical as a standalone operation. Here we demonstrated that application of 1 mg L boric acid assisted in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor recovery from volatile fatty acids (VFAs) accumulation. After VFAs accumulation, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal suddenly reduced from 78.98% to 55.86%. The relative abundance of acetoclastic methanogens decreased from 55.79% to 68.28%-23.14%∼25.41%, and lead to the acetate accumulate as high as 1317.03 mg L. Granular sludge disintegrated and the average size of sludge decreased to 586.38 ± 42.45 μm. Application of 1 mg L boric acid activated the interspecies QS signal (AI-2) and then induced the secretion of intraspecies QS signal (N-acyl-homoserine lactones, AHLs). AHLs were then stimulated the growth of syntrophic acetate oxidizing bacteria and hydrogenotrophic methanogen. Moreover, the concentration of acetate decreased to 224.50 mg‧L, and the COD removal increased to 75.10% after application of 1 mg L boric acid. The activated AI-2 may induce multiple quorum-sensing circuits enhance the level of AI-2 and AHLs in parallel, and in turn assisted in anaerobic digestion recovery from VFAs accumulation.