A degradação da metilamina foi investigada por meio da avaliação da velocidade específica máxima de produção de metano (VEM CH4) e da comunidade microbiana relacionada aos Domínios Bacteria e Archaea. Para isso, foram realizados dois ensaios com reatores anaeróbios em batelada inoculados com lodo granulado oriundo de reator UASB usado no tratamento de água residuária de abatedouro de aves. Em todos os ensaios, os reatores controle, que não receberam adição de metilamina, apresentaram VEM CH4 de 0,04 mmol/L g STV dia. O primeiro ensaio avaliou a degradação da metilamina em diferentes concentrações de inóculo (2,5, 5,0 e 10,0 g STV/L) e substrato (1.550 e 3.100 mg metilamina/L). A concentração de 'CH IND.4' esperada estequiometricamente foi atingida em todos os reatores (37,50 e 75,00 mmol 'CH IND.4'/L, para concentrações de 1.550 e 3.100 mg metilamina/L, respectivamente), exceto para aquele com 2,5 g STV/L e 3.100 mg metilamina/L, que produziu somente 2,04 mmol 'CH IND.4'/L. A maior velocidade específica máxima de produção de 'CH IND.4' foi 4,42 mmol/L g STV dia, obtida nos reatores com 2,5 g STV/L e 1.550 mg metilamina/L. Os reatores inoculados com 5,0 g STV/L tiveram VEM CH4 de 2,31 e 2,34 para 1.550 e 3.100 mg metilamina/L, respectivamente. Os reatores com 1.550 mg metilamina/L e 10,0 g STV/L apresentaram VEM CH4 de 1,28 mmol/L g STV dia. A concentração de 'N'-'NH IND.4'POT.+' excedeu em 12,9%, 0,7% e 18,3% o valor esperado (698 mg/L) para os reatores com 1.550 mg metilamina/L e 2,5, 5,0 e 10,0 g STV/L, respectivamente. Nos reatores com 3.100 mg metilamina/L, as concentrações finais de 'N'-'NH IND.4'POT.+' foram 122 e 1.726 mg/L para concentrações de inóculo de 2,5 e 5,0 g STV/L, respectivamente. O segundo ensaio comparou diferentes relações metilamina/sulfato (0,71, 1,26 e 2,18) em reatores inoculados com 5,0 g STV/L contendo 1.550 mg metilamina/L. As concentrações de 'CH IND.4' esperadas estequiometricamente foram atingidas em todos os reatores. As velocidades específicas máximas de formação de 'CH IND.4' foram de 2,54, 2,31 e 3,14 mmol/L g STV dia para as relações metilamina/sulfato 0,71, 1,26 e 2,18, respectivamente. Em todos os reatores, a concentração de 'N'-'NH IND.4'POT.+' atingiu média final de 1200 mg/L. Os reatores controle consumiram 71,9% do sulfato adicionado. Os reatores com relação metilamina/sulfato 0,71, 1,26 e 2,18 consumiram 49,6%, 61,6% e 83,2% de todo o sulfato adicionado, respectivamente. Nos dois ensaios, os exames microscópicos revelaram a presença de cocos, bacilos, filamentos, cocos e sarcinas fluorescentes. Nos reatores alimentados apenas com metilamina, o seqüenciamento de fragmentos da região 16S do RNAr detectou cinco Filos do Domínio Bacteria (Acidobacteria 4%, Firmicutes 11%, Proteobacteria 14%, Spirochaetes 13% e Synergistes 47%). Nos reatores com metilamina e sulfato, sete Filos foram detectados (Firmicutes 45%, Proteobacteria 7%, Spirochaetes 2%, Synergistes 16%, Chloroflexi 4%, Thermotogae 8% e Planctomycetes 1%). Nos dois ensaios, o Domínio Archaea foi predominantemente representado pelas Famílias Methanomicrobiaceae, Methanosaetaceae e Methanosarcinaceae, com presença de Methanomethylovorans hollandica, uma espécie de arquéia metanogênica com metabolismo especializado na degradação de metilamina.

The degradation of methylamine was investigated assessing the maximum specific methane production rate (MSR CH4) and the microbial community related to Bacteria e Archaea Domains. For this, two tests were performed in anaerobic batch reactors inoculated with granular sludge from an UASB reactor used in the treatment of poultry wastes. In all experiments, the control reactors, without methylamine addition, showed MSR CH4 of 0.04 mmol/L g TVS day. The first experiment evaluated the degradation of methylamine at different inoculum concentrations (2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 g TVS/L) and substrate concentrations (1,550 and 3,100 mg methylamine/L). The stoichiometrically expected 'CH IND.4' concentration was reached in all reactors (37.50 and 75.00 mmol 'CH IND.4'/L, for methylamine concentrations of 1,550 and 3,100 mg methylamine/L, respectively), except for the reactor with 2.5 g TVS/L and 3,100 mg methylamine/L, that produced only 2.04 mmol 'CH IND.4'/L. The highest maximum specific methane production rate was 4.42 mmol/L g TVS day, reached in the reactors with 2.5 g TVS/L and 1,550 mg methylamine/L. The reactors inoculated with 5.0 g TVS/L had MSR CH4 of 2.31 and 2.34 for 1,550 and 3,100 mg methylamine/L, respectively. The reactors with 1,550 mg methylamine/L and 10.0 g TVS/L had MSR CH4 of 1.28 mmol/L g TVS day. The 'N'-'NH IND.4'POT.-' concentrations exceeded 12.9%, 0.7% and 18.3% the expected value (698 mg/L) for the reactors with 1,550 mg methylamine/L and 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 g TVS/L, respectively. In the reactors with 3,100 mg methylamine/L, the final concentrations of 'NH IND.4'POT.+'-'N' were 122 and 1,726 mg/L for inoculum concentrations of 2.5 and 5.0 g TVS/L, respectively. The second experiment compared different methylamine/sulfate ratios (0.71, 1.26 and 2.18) on reactors inoculated with 5.0 g TVS/L containing 1,550 mg methylamine/L. The stoichiometrically expected 'CH IND.4' concentration was reached in all reactors. The maximum specific methane production rates were 2.54, 2.31 and 3.14 mmol/L g TVS day for methylamine/sulfate ratios of 0.71, 1.26 and 2.18, respectively. In all reactors, the average 'NH IND.4'POT.+'-'N' final concentration was 1,200 mg/L. The control reactors consumed 71.9% of the added substrate. The reactors with methylamine/sulfate ratios of 0.71, 1.26 and 2.18 consumed 49.6%, 61.6% and 83.2% of all the added sulfate, respectively. In both experiments, the microscopic analysis revealed cocci, rods, filaments, fluorescent cocci and sarcinas. In the reactors fed with methylamine only, the sequencing of 16S rRNA fragments detected five Phyla of the Bacteria Domain (Acidobacteria 4%, Firmicutes 11%, Proteobacteria 14%, Spirochaetes 13% and Synergistes 47%). In the reactors with methylamine and sulfate, seven Phyla were detected (Firmicutes 45%, Proteobacteria 7%, Spirochaetes 2%, Synergistes 16%, Chloroflexi 4%, Thermotogae 8% e Planctomycetes 1%). In both experiments, Archaea Domain was mainly represented by Methanomicrobiaceae, Methanosaetaceae and Methanosarcinaceae Families, with the presence of Methanomethylovorans hollandica, a methanogenic archaea specie with specific metabolism for methylamine degradation.