Product inhibition of the acidogenic population from an anaerobic wastewater treatment plant was studied in a carefully controlled fed-batch culture. Repeated feeding with a concentrated glucose solution allowed rapid determination of the critical product concentration at which metabolism ceased completely. From the course of the different products, butyrate could be identified as the main inhibitor. The critical concentration of 48 mmol/l butyric acid was in good agreement with extrapolated data from earlier continuous culture experiments. Since a good reproducibility was obtained as well, it seems that the experimental technique developed merits wider application for the identification of inhibitory products and the determination of kinetic parameters.
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