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Co-Digestion of Swine Manure and Crude Glycerine: Increasing Glycerine Ratio Results in Preferential Degradation of Labile Compounds

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Abstract

Co-digestion of swine manure and crude glycerine from biodiesel production has been successfully attempted by many authors reporting substantial increments in biogas production. However, the effectiveness of this approach has been questioned recently. The addition of glycerol may cause an improvement in biogas production but at the expense of disturbing the degradation of manure. In the present paper, the organic transformations undergone in the anaerobic digestion of pig manure at increasing amounts of glycerine (2–8 % (v/v)) were analysed using spectroscopy techniques (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR)). An increase in biogas production was observed with the addition of glycerine up to 8 %, resulting in a volumetric production of methane per litre of reactor (Lr) of 1.4 L CH4/Lr d. However, the subsequent failure of the system was observed at this glycerine content due to the inhibitory effect caused by high H2S concentration and foam formation. FTIR and 1H NMR analysis performed on digestate samples showed that the addition of the co-substrate also caused the preferential degradation of glycerine and accumulation of proteins and aliphatic compounds. A post-stabilisation stage was necessary to complete the degradation process. Modifications in organic matter continued under this last stage although in the previous digestion period, a competition for substrate between sulphate reducing bacteria and methanogens was observed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was possible by the financial support of Junta de Castilla y León by the project LE182U14. NMR analyses were performed by the NMR Unit of University of Barcelona

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical and Environmental Bioprocess Engineering Department, Natural Resources Institute (IRENA), University of León, Av. de Portugal 41, 24071, León, Spain

    J. Fierro, E. J. Martinez, J. G. Rosas, R. López & X. Gomez

  2. Department of Mechanical, Computer Science and Aerospace Engineering. School of Industrial Engineering and Computer Science, University of León, Campus Vegazana, 24009, León, Spain

    R. A. Fernández

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  1. J. Fierro
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  2. E. J. Martinez
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  3. J. G. Rosas
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  4. R. A. Fernández
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  5. R. López
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  6. X. Gomez
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Correspondence to X. Gomez.

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Fierro, J., Martinez, E.J., Rosas, J.G. et al. Co-Digestion of Swine Manure and Crude Glycerine: Increasing Glycerine Ratio Results in Preferential Degradation of Labile Compounds. Water Air Soil Pollut 227, 78 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-016-2773-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-016-2773-7

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