Skip to main content
Log in

Co-digestion of agricultural and industrial wastes

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Chemical Papers Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The efficiency of anaerobic digestion process is dependent on the type and composition of the material to be digested. This work examines the co-digestion of corn silage, beet pulp silage, carrot residues, and cheese whey in different configurations together with a glycerin fraction — the waste product of transestrification of oils (biodiesel production) in a 25 L bioreactor operated mesophically in a quasi-continuous mode. Co-digestion of corn silage with carrot residues appeared to be more effective than that with cheese whey resulting in the gas production rate equal to 5.9 L L−1 d−1 and 1.4 L L−1 d−1, respectively. The performed experiments showed that a combination of three substrates: corn silage, cheese whey, and glycerin fraction resulted in the highest methane content equal to 61 % and the biogas production rate of 1.8 L L−1 d−1.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alvarez, R., & Lidén, G. (2008). Semi-continuous co-digestion of solid slaughterhouse waste, manure, and fruit and vegetable waste. Renewable Energy, 33, 726–734. DOI: 10.1016/j. renene.2007.05.001.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Amon, T., Amon, B., Kryvoruchko, V., Zollitsch, W., Mayer, K., & Gruber, L. (2007). Biogas production from maize and dairy cattle manure-Influence of biomass composition on the methane yield. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 118, 173–182. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2006.05.007.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • APHA — AWWA (1992). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (17th ed.). Washington, DC, USA: American Public Health Association/American Water Works Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouallagui, H., Lahdheb, H., Romdan, E. B., Rachdi, B., & Hamdi, M. (2009). Improvement of fruit and vegetable waste anaerobic digestion performance and stability with cosubstrates addition. Journal of Environmental Management, 90, 1844–1849. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2008.12.002.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Callaghan, F. J., Waste, D. A. J., Thayanity, K., & Forster, C. F. (2002). Continuous co-digestion of cattle slurry with fruit and vegetable wastes and chicken manure. Biomass and Bioenergy, 22, 71–77. DOI: 10.1016/S0961-9534(01)00057-5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fernández, A., Sánchez, A., & Font, X. (2005). Anaerobic co-digestion of a simulated organic fraction of municipal solid wastes and fats of animal and vegetable origin. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 26, 22–28. DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2005.02.018.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gelegenis, J., Georgakakis, D., Angelidaki, I., & Mavris, V. (2007). Optimization of biogas production by co-digesting whey with diluted poultry manure. Renewable Energy, 32, 2147–2160. DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2006.11.015.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghaly, A. E. (1996). A comparative study of anaerobic digestion of acid cheese whey and dairy manure in a two-stage reactor. Bioresource Technology, 58, 61–72. DOI: 10.1016/S0960-8524(96)00105-8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghaly, A. E., & Pyke, J. B. (1991). Amelioration of methane yield in cheese whey fermentation by controlling the pH of the methanogenic stage. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 27, 217–237. DOI: 10.1007/BF02921537.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hutnan, M., Drtil, M., & Mrafkova, L. (2000). Anaerobic biodegradation of sugar beet pulp. Biodegradation, 11, 203–211. DOI: 10.1023/A:1011139621329.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaparaju, P. L. N., & Rintala, J. A. (2003). Effects of temperature on post-methanation of digested dairy cow manure in a farm-scale biogas production system. Environmental Technology, 24, 1315–1321. DOI: 10.1080/09593330309385674.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lane, A. G. (1984). Laboratory scale anaerobic digestion of fruit and vegetable solid waste. Biomass, 5, 245–259. DOI: 10.1016/0144-4565(84)90072-6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lehtomäki, A., Huttunen, J. A., & Rintala, J. A. (2007). Laboratory investigation of co-digestion of energy crops and crop residues with cow manure for methane production: Effect of crop to manure ratio. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 51, 591–609. DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2006.11.004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lo, K. V., & Liao, P. H. (1986). Digestion of cheese whey with anaerobic rotating biological contact reactor. Biomass, 10, 243–252. DOI: 10.1016/0144-4565(86)90001-6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ma, J., Wambeke, M. V., Carballa, M., & Verstraete, W. (2008). Improvement of the anaerobic treatment of potato processing wastewater in USAB reactor by co-digesting with glycerol. Biotechnology Letters, 30, 861–867. DOI: 10.1007/s10529-007-9617-x.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mata-Alvarez, J., Macé, S., & Llabrés, P. (2000). Anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste. An overview of research achievements and perspectives. Bioresource Technology, 74, 3–16. DOI: 10.1016/S0960-8524(00)00023-7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spagnuolo, M., Crecchio, C., Pizzigallo, M. D. R., & Ruggiero, P. (1997). Synergistic effects of cellulotic and pectinolytic enzymes in degrading sugar beet pulp. Bioresource Technology, 60, 215–222. DOI: 10.1016/S0960-8524(97)00013-8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Umetsu, K., Yamazaki, S., Kishimoto, T., Takahashi, J., Shibata, Y., Zhang, C., Misaki, T., Hamamoto, O., Ihara, I., & Komiyama, M. (2006). Anaerobic co-digestion of dairy manure and sugar beets. International Congress Series, 1293, 307–310. DOI: 10.1016/j.ics.2006.03.025.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weiland, P. (2003). Production and energetic use of biogas from energy crops and wastes in Germany. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 109, 263–274. DOI: 10.1385/ABAB: 109:1-3:263.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yan, J. Q., Lo. K. V., & Liao, P. H. (1989). Anaerobic digestion of cheese whey using up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor. Biological Wastes, 27, 289–305. DOI: 10.1016/0269-7483(89)90010-4.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yen, H.-W., & Brune, D. E. (2007). Anaerobic co-digestion of algal sludge and waste paper to produce methane. Bioresource Technology, 98, 130–134. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2005.11.010.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anna Kacprzak.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kacprzak, A., Krzystek, L. & Ledakowicz, S. Co-digestion of agricultural and industrial wastes. Chem. Pap. 64, 127–131 (2010). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11696-009-0108-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11696-009-0108-5

Keywords

Navigation