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Anaerobic co-digestion of municipal solid organic waste with melon residues to enhance biodegradability and biogas production

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Abstract

Management of solid organic waste has become a major challenge in developing countries. Raw solid organic waste can be converted into biogas through anaerobic digestion; however, the efficiency of the process is influenced by various factors including the composition of the substrate. The present study was designed with the objective of enhancing the biodegradability of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and biogas production through co-digestion of the substrate with melon residues. The study was conducted in batch mode in four phases. The results revealed that an addition of melon waste at the rate of 300 g kg−1 OFMSW substantially increased the biodegradation rate and biogas production compared to OFMSW alone. The removal of up to 57.2 % volatile solids and a carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 15.9 was achieved at a 60 % water level when the digestion mixture was treated with inocula collected from partially-degraded food waste. The findings of this study reveal that melon residues could be used as a potential co-substrate to enhance the biodegradability of OFMSW and biogas production.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan

    Muzammil Anjum, Azeem Khalid & Tariq Mahmood

  2. Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan

    Muhammad Arshad

Authors
  1. Muzammil Anjum
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  2. Azeem Khalid
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  3. Tariq Mahmood
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  4. Muhammad Arshad
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Correspondence to Azeem Khalid.

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Anjum, M., Khalid, A., Mahmood, T. et al. Anaerobic co-digestion of municipal solid organic waste with melon residues to enhance biodegradability and biogas production. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 14, 388–395 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-012-0082-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-012-0082-9

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