Effects of nonmethane volatile organic compounds on microbial community of methanotrophic biofilter

Effects of nonmethane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) on methanotrophic biofilter were investigated. Laboratory-scale biofilters packed with pumice and granular-activated carbon (10:1, w/w) were operated with CH4 and NMVOCs including dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and benzene/toluene (B/T). DMS alone exhibited a positive effect on the methanotrophic performance; however, the coexistence of B/T removed this effect. B/T alone exerted no effect on the performance. Pyrosequencing and quantitative PCR revealed that the NMVOCs strongly influenced the bacterial and methanotrophic communities but not the population density of methanotrophs. DMS alone diversified and changed both bacterial and methantrophic communities, but its effects were nullified by the presence of B/T. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed significant correlations between the NMVOCs and community composition and significant interaction between DMS and B/T. DMS did not affect the distribution of types I/II methanotrophs (60/40), while B/T increased the abundance of type I to 82 %. DMS and B/T favored the growth of the methanotrophic bacteria Methylosarcina and Methylomonas, respectively. These results suggest that NMVOCs can be a significant abiotic factor influencing methane biofiltration.