Efficiency and mechanism of enhanced anaerobic digestion of food waste by synergistic adsorption and electron transfer of acid-modified red mud

LIU Liang; KANG Xiangjing; QING Mengxia; ZHANG Xinrui

doi:10.13205/j.hjgc.202607011

Volume 44 Issue 7

Jul. 2026

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LIU Liang, KANG Xiangjing, QING Mengxia, ZHANG Xinrui. Efficiency and mechanism of enhanced anaerobic digestion of food waste by synergistic adsorption and electron transfer of acid-modified red mud[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(7): 97-105. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607011

Citation:

LIU Liang, KANG Xiangjing, QING Mengxia, ZHANG Xinrui. Efficiency and mechanism of enhanced anaerobic digestion of food waste by synergistic adsorption and electron transfer of acid-modified red mud[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(7): 97-105. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607011

Citation:

LIU Liang, KANG Xiangjing, QING Mengxia, ZHANG Xinrui. Efficiency and mechanism of enhanced anaerobic digestion of food waste by synergistic adsorption and electron transfer of acid-modified red mud[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(7): 97-105. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607011

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Efficiency and mechanism of enhanced anaerobic digestion of food waste by synergistic adsorption and electron transfer of acid-modified red mud

doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607011

School of Energy and Power Engineering, Changsha University of Technology, Changsha 410114, China

Received Date: 2026-02-07
Available Online: 2026-09-01

Abstract

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion is a common method to recover energy from food waste by turning it into methane. However， this process often becomes unstable due to the buildup of volatile fatty acids （VFAs）， which can cause the system to become too acidic. In this study， red mud （RM） was modified using hydrochloric acid to adjust its alkalinity and improve its physical and chemical properties. The modified material， referred to as AMRM， was then tested as an additive in the anaerobic digestion of food waste to evaluate its effectiveness and explore how it works.The results showed that adding 3% AMRM significantly improved the buffering capacity of the digestion system and helped control VFA accumulation. This was mainly because AMRM has a much more developed pore structure. Its specific surface area was 347% higher than that of unmodified RM， which allowed it to quickly adsorb VFAs， especially propionic acid. In addition， AMRM contained a higher amount of hematite （Fe₂O₃）. This increased the activity of the electron transport system （ETS） and the level of coenzyme F₄₂₀. The findings suggest that AMRM may act as an electron carrier， promoting direct interspecies electron transfer （DIET） between syntrophic bacteria and methanogens.As a result of these combined effects， methane production reached 633.9 mL/g VS. This was 175.1% higher than the control group and 55.2% higher than the group treated with unmodified RM.
- acid-modified red mud,
- food waste,
- anaerobic digestion,
- propionate,
- direct interspecies electron transfer（DIET）,
- adsorption

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References(33)

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