Novel strategies for the removal of volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS) from solid waste used to produce biogas are highly desirable.  The use of biogas generated by sludge treatment in sewage plants for energy generation is impeded by the contamination of the sludge with VMS, like octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane. A possible route to the decontamination of VMS from sludge intended for biogas generation is chemical hydrolysis to dimethylsilanediol (DMSD) followed by microbial degradation. We hypothesize that DMSD is oxidatively demethylated through a cometabolic process of the microorganism Arthrobacter methylotrophus. Data obtained in our lab show that A. methylotrophus degrades DMSD when grown in the presence of dimethylsulfone as the carbon source, as evidenced by the formation of methylsilantriol in the aqueous culture.

Towards the mitigation of volatile methyl siloxanes in biogas:  Biologically mediated oxidative demethylation of dimethylsilandiol

245th National Meeting (2013)

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