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The effect of alkaline pretreatment on the anaerobic digestion of fruit and vegetable wastes from a central food distribution market

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Abstract

Anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes is a well-established process for biogas production and various forms of pre-treating the biomass have been evaluated to increase the methane yield. The present study evaluated the pre-treatment of 14 fruits and vegetables wastes (FVW) samples from a central food distribution market, using sodium hydroxide (NaOH), varying the concentration (3 and 6%) and exposure time (24 and 48 h) to the alkali reagent. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays of the pretreated and untreated wastes were carried out under mesophilic conditions (37 ºC). Biogas generation by the residues treated with 3% NaOH generated an average of 65% more methane (≈127 NmLCH4.gVS−1) as compared to the untreated waste (77 NmLCH4.gVS−1) and 25% more than that treated with 6% NaOH (102 NmLCH4.gVS−1). Thus, we observed that doubling the pretreatment time and concentration of the chemical reagent did not result in greater methane production. This behavior could have been associated with the presence of some compounds (sodium, pesticides, etc.) that have an inhibitory effect in the aqueous solution. Finally, this study confirmed that the optimal conditions for the pretreatment and biodigestion phases must be reevaluated according to the nature of the substrate evaluated.

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Abbreviations

AD:

Anaerobic digestion

C:

Cellulose

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

FW:

Food waste

H:

Hemicellulose

MSW:

Municipal solid waste

RSS:

Residual sum of squares

TS:

Total solids

UTW:

Untreated waste

BMP:

Biochemical methane potential

CEASA:

Central food distribution market

FVW:

Fruit and vegetable waste

GHG:

Greenhouse gases

L:

Lignin

OFMSW:

Organic fraction of municipal solid wastes

STP:

Standard temperature and pressure

UASB:

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor

VS:

Volatile solids

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development—CNPq (Call CNPq 16/2020) and Foundation for Science and Technology of the Pernambuco State (FACEPE) for their financial support; Central Market for Food Distribution (CEASA/PE) and Solid Waste Group of the Federal University of Pernambuco (GRS/UFPE) for the technical support.

Funding

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico,162675/2020-8,Waldir Schirmer,Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, Midwestern State University (UNICENTRO), Maria Roza de Almeida Street, Irati, Paraná, 84505-677, Brazil

    Waldir Nagel Schirmer

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil

    Liliana Andréa dos Santos & José Fernando Thomé Jucá

  3. Department of Environmental Engineering, Midwestern State University (UNICENTRO), Maria Roza de Almeida Street, Irati,, Paraná, 84505-677, Brazil

    Kelly Geronazzo Martins

  4. Latin American Institute of Infrastructure and Territory, Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA), Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil

    Matheus Vitor Diniz Gueri

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Schirmer, W.N., dos Santos, L.A., Martins, K.G. et al. The effect of alkaline pretreatment on the anaerobic digestion of fruit and vegetable wastes from a central food distribution market. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 25, 2887–2899 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-023-01722-8

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