Perspectives of optical colourimetric sensors for anaerobic digestion

International audienceThere is currently an increasing requirement for renewable fuel alternatives to replace fossil-based fuels as an energy source. Although biogas is not a new approach to producing renewable fuel, it could further be developed to improve its potential as an alternative energy source. To achieve this, vast improvements in the efficiency and cost of biogas production are essential. These enhancements require detailed systematic monitoring to attain a near-optimal biogas production process. To date, there is a striking imbalance between the inherent biological complexity of anaerobic digestion, and the minimal information currently measured on-line. Improvements in availability and cost of sensor technology used for determining the key compounds and their dynamics within the biogas processing plant will facilitate the further understanding of the biogas production process, preventing the biological process failure. The objective of this review is to assess colourimetric assays for variable detection in anaerobic digestion. Colourimetric assays (sensor assays based on coloured dyes) provide a stable, multivariate system for the detection of Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs), but also provide a much deeper insight into the process by assessing other parameters, which, to date have never bee