Unveiling methane oxidation dynamics, microbial community, and function of Fe(III)-driven anaerobic methane oxidation inside landfill

Trivalent iron (Fe3+) could participate in methane (CH4) oxidation as an electron acceptor under anaerobic conditions, but the kinetic process remains unknown in landfills, and the understanding of metabolic pathway of Fe3+-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (Fe-DAMO) is still limited. In this study, the dual-substrate (CH4-Fe3+) kinetic model of CH4 oxidation is obtained with Vmax (7.35 ± 0.4184)μmol/(kg d), half-saturation constant Km,CH4 (16.6699 ± 2.3940)ppmv, and Km,Fe3+ (0.00107 ± 0.0002g/g). Microbial community analysis shows that Methanobacteriales and Clostridia are dominant microorganisms of Fe-DAMO. PICRUSt analysis confirms that the metabolic pathway of AMO is the reverse CH4 production pathway. The results provide a new perspective for CH4 biodegradation in landfills and offer a better understanding of Fe-DAMO process. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024.