Agricultural reuse of the digestate from low-cost tubular digesters in rural Andean communities

This research aimed at assessing the properties of guinea pig manure digestate from low-cost tubular digesters for crops fertilization in rural Andean communities. To this end, field trials were carried out to evaluate the effect of the digestate on two common Andean crops: potato (Solanum tuberosum) and forage (Lolium multiflorum and Trifolium pratense L.). The potato yield (20-25 tha(-1)) increased by 27.5% with digestate, by 15.1% with pre-compost and by 10.3% with the mixture, compared to the control. The forage yield (20-21 tha(-1)) increased by 1.4% with digestate - 50% dose, and by 8.8% with digestate - 100% dose and digestate - 150% dose, compared to the control. The results suggest that the digestate is an appropriate substitute of manure pre-compost for potato fertilization. The results with forage indicate that it can be applied in a range of doses, according to the amount produced by the digester. Currently, manure is either used for cooking or as fertilizer. With low-cost tubular digesters implementation, it could be used to feed the digester, using the digestate for crops fertilization and biogas for cooking; improving household living conditions and protecting the environment. Since soil properties in rural Andean communities differ from experimental layouts, the effect of fertilizers should be re-evaluated in-situ in future research studies.     

Determining C/N ratios for typical organic wastes using biodegradable fractions

It is well established that an optimal aerobic and anaerobic microbial metabolism is achieved with a C/N ratio between 20 and 30. Most studies are currently based on chemically-measured carbon and nitrogen contents. However, some organic wastes can be composed of recalcitrant carbon fractions that are not bioavailable. To know the biodegradable C/N ratio, two different methods to determine the aerobic and anaerobic biodegradable organic carbon (BOC_AE and BOC_AN) are proposed and used to analyze a wide variety of different organic samples. In general, raw wastes and digested products have more amount of BOC_AE. On the contrast, the samples collected after an aerobic treatment have higher content of BOC_AN. In any case, all the BOC fractions are lower than the total organic carbon (TOC). Therefore, the C/N ratios based on BOC are always lower than the total C/N ratio based on the TOC measure. The knowledge of the real bioavailable C/N ratio is crucial for the biological treatments of organic materials. To reduce the test time necessary for BOC determination, the values of BOC for all the samples obtained at different times were compared and correlated with the final BOC. A method that allows for the determination of BOC_AE in 4 d is proposed. In relation to the anaerobic assay, the biogas potential calculated after 21 and 50 d was positively correlated with the final potential defined after 100 d of assay.     

Emergy analysis of municipal wastewater treatment and generation of electricity by digestion of sewage sludge

This study examines and evaluates, by using emergy analysis, the use of environmental resources for wastewater treatment in a Swedish town. Emergy analysis was applied, while it facilitates the comparison of resource use of substantially different kind. In the emergy analysis, all resources are assessed on the basis of the amount of direct and indirect solar energy required in their generation. The study also includes an evaluation of the amount of emergy associated with the production of wastewater. On the basis of our analysis, we suggest that the large amount of emergy that wastewater contains are in proportion to the amount of resources employed for wastewater treatment and the extensive effects on surrounding ecosystems of discharge of untreated wastewater. The use of local renewable natural resources in Swedish municipal wastewater treatment systems is negligible compared with the use of purchased inputs, processed largely with the support of fossil energy. A drastic shift of this order would demand that extensive land areas surrounding human settlements be (indirectly or directly) devoted to wastewater treatment. These areas are not accessible today. Our analysis also indicates that resource requirements from the economy in the production of electricity by the digestion of sewage sludge is about two times the total resource use for generation of the average mix of electricity used in the town. We, therefore, conclude that if the only reason to digest the sludge were to produce electricity, it would be more resource-efficient to purchase the electricity on the Swedish distribution net. Accordingly, there is no resource economy in producing biomass to digest just to increase the energy production at the wastewater treatment plant.     

Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural Solid Residues

Abstract

Agricultural residues can be converted to methane-rich gas mixture. Anaerobic biomethane production is an effective process for conversion of a broad variety of agricultural residues to methane to substitute natural gas and medium calorific value gases. Methane generating bacteria (methanogens) and other microbes that help digest dying plants in anaerobic conditions. Agricultural solid residues (ASR) represent a potential energy resource if they can be properly and biologically converted to methane.     

Global Warming Impact of Electricity Generation from Beef Cattle Manure: A Life Cycle Assessment Study

We compare calculated greenhouse gas emissions for a North American beef feedlot operation, which includes biogas production by anaerobic digestion with subsequent electricity generation (the AD case), to the emissions for a “business as usual” case, which includes both a feedlot and an equivalent amount of grid-generated electricity. Anaerobic digestion, biogas production and electricity production are the major sources of differences in emissions. Fertilizer production, crop production, manure collection and spreading, as well as the associated transport stages are also considered within the LCA system boundaries; impacts on life cycle emissions from these sources are lower. Running a feedlot and producing electricity using typical grid power plants produces 3,845 kg CO_2?eq/MWh while running a feedlot, which generates biogas to produce electricity, produces 2,965 kg CO_2?eq/MWh. This savings of 880 kg CO_2?eq/MWh arises because the net power generation in the AD case emits about 90% less life cycle GHG emissions compared to grid-average electricity. The high overall emission levels arise due to emissions associated with enteric fermentation in beef cattle as the main source of GHG emissions in both the “business as usual” and the AD cases. It contributed 57% of total emissions for the feedlot /biogas /electricity system and 44% of total emissions for the feedlot /grid electricity system.     

A prototype of proposed treatment plant for sago factory effluent

Sago processing industries discharge wastewater, which poses a threat to water bodies due to their higher organic loading. Concerns about pollution related problems in the global scenario are persuading all the processing industries to adopt cleaner manufacturing practices. Hence, this study was aimed at developing a cost-effective and eco-friendly treatment plant based on microbial system to treat the sago factory effluent effectively in order to reuse the water for industrial purposes. The experimental results showed that, anaerobic treatment with mixed inoculum for 10 days followed by 6 days of fungal treatment was found to be effective in effluent treatment. The fusant showed a higher efficiency in the treatment of sago factory effluent than the parental strains.     

沼渣连续施用对土壤微生物量碳、氮剖面分布的影响

通过"棉花+小麦"轮作施用沼渣的定位试验,研究不同年限的沼渣施用对土壤剖面微生物量C、N(MBC、MBN)分布特征的影响。结果表明:在0~50cm剖面上,施用沼渣1年对0~30cm土壤的MBC、MBN影响较大,能显著提高30~40cm土层土壤MBC、MBN的含量,施用沼渣5年时对40~50cm土层MBC、MBN无明显影响。土壤MBC、MBN含量总体随施用沼渣年限的延长而增加,各土层MBC、MBN含量增幅随着施用年限的延长呈现不同趋势。施用沼渣1年,耕层土壤的MBC/MBN值较习惯耕作增加,施用沼渣3年后,其值呈降低趋势。各土层的MBC/TOC、MBN/TN和MBC的变化趋势基本一致,总体随着沼渣施用年限的延长而增加。针对"棉花+小麦"轮作模式,持续施用沼渣3年更有利于改善0~40cm土层土壤肥力。     

Experimental and numerical study of biogas,methane and carbon dioxide produced by pre-treated wheat straw and pre-digested cow dung

ABSTRACT

The biogas constituting majorly CH₄ and CO₂ has been produced by Ca(OH)₂ pre-treated wheat straw with pre-digested cow dung. Some of the key thermodynamic parameters like specific heat capacity, density and heating capacity of the biogas produced have also been calculated per day as well as throughout the hydraulic retention time. The governing equations of biogas with appropriate phase and interfacial conditions describing the physics of the biogas have been derived. The control volume approach has been used to predict the total volume (ml) of biogas, CH₄ and CO₂ throughout the experiment and on the daily basis. The effects of feedstock, temperature and pressure on the production of biogas, CH₄ and CO₂ in anaerobic digestion have also been studied. The average number of molar fraction and conversion ratio of CH₄ and CO₂ are correlated with number of carbon atoms available in feedstock. Numerical calculations by using developed model and Modified Gompertz model have shown proficient agreement with the experimental observations.     

The use of agricultural substrates to improve methane yield in anaerobic co-digestion with pig slurry: Effect of substrate type and inclusion level

Anaerobic co-digestion of pig slurry with four agricultural substrates (tomato, pepper, persimmon and peach) was investigated. Each agricultural substrate was tested in co-digestion with pig slurry at four inclusion levels: 0%, 15%, 30% and 50%. Inclusion levels consisted in the replacement of the volatile solids (VS) from the pig slurry with the VS from the agricultural substrate. The effect of substrate type and inclusion level on the biochemical methane potential (BMP) was evaluated in a batch assay performed at 35 °C for 100 days. Agricultural substrate’s chemical composition was also analyzed and related with BMP. Additionally, Bacteria and Archaea domains together with the four main methanogenic archaeal orders were quantified using quantitative real-time TaqMan polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) at the end of the experiment to determine the influence of agricultural substrate on sludge’s microbial composition. Results showed that vegetable substrates (pepper and tomato) had higher lipid and protein content and lower carbohydrates than fruit substrates (persimmon and peach). Among substrates, vegetable substrates showed higher BMP than fruit substrates. Higher BMP values were obtained with increasing addition of agricultural substrate. The replacement of 50% of VS from pig slurry by tomato and pepper increased BMP in 41% and 44%, respectively compared with pig slurry only. Lower increments in BMP were achieved with lower inclusion levels. Results from qPCR showed that total bacteria and total archaea gene concentrations were similar in all combinations tested. Methanomicrobiales gene concentrations dominated over the rest of individual archaeal orders.     

Influence of iron, nickel and cobalt on biogas production during the anaerobic fermentation of fresh residual biomass

We have investigated the dependence of the rate of the production of biogas upon the concentration of nickel, cobalt and iron at sub-toxic concentration and monitored its composition as amount of hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. The distribution of the added metals between the liquid and solid phase has also been monitored.

The results of our investigations show that the addition of any of the listed metals to the sludge may cause the production of a higher amount of biogas and influence the methane or carbon dioxide percentage. Conversely, the effect on the hydrogen production depends upon the metal added, the age of the active sludge used, and its adaptation to the susbtrate. As a general feature, during the acidogenesis phase, nickel reduces, while iron increases, the percentage of dihydrogen in the biogas, while cobalt has no influence.