Monensin Degradation and Methane Production from Sugarcane Vinasse in Two-Phase Thermophilic Anaerobic Fixed Bed and Sludge Blanket Bioreactors

Sugarcane vinasse, a byproduct of ethanol production, presents environmental challenges due to its high organic content and occasional contamination with antibiotics such as monensin. This study successfully evaluated thermophilic two-phase anaerobic digestion for simultaneous monensin degradation and biogas production. The system, consisting of an acidogenic anaerobic structured-bed bioreactor (ASTBR) operating at with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 7.5 h followed by a methanogenic reactor at HRT = 24 h, with two options of the methanogenic phase, an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) and an ASTBR, operated continuously for 254 days with incremental monensin concentrations (0-2000 ng/mL). The acidogenic reactor consistently removed over 70% of monensin across all phases, demonstrating its effectiveness as a pretreatment step. At realistic residual concentrations (20–100 ng/mL), monensin not only failed to inhibit biogas production but enhanced methane yield by up to 100% through selective pressure on the microbial community. This study demonstrated that anaerobic digestion can effectively degrade monensin while increasing the value of vinasse, providing a scalable solution for mitigating antibiotic contamination and enhancing bioenergy recovery in the sugarcane-ethanol industry.