The Impact of Physicochemical Parameter In Anaerobic Digestion of Organic Wastes

Abstract The demand for an alternative source of energy, the challenge of increase in waste and pollution initiates the need for renewable energy and management of waste using anaerobic digestion (AD). AD is an effective and efficient method of waste treatment and energy generation. Certain operational parameters influence the anaerobic degradation of waste to energy. The impact of physicochemical parameters in anaerobic digestion was conducted using chicken wastes and food wastes as organic substrate under semi-continuous conditions at hydraulic retention time (HRT) of forty-two (42) days in a fifteen (15) litre fabricated digesters labeled D1, D2 and D3 at mesophilic temperature. The pH, volatile solid, percentage moisture, total ammonia, total solid, volatile fatty acid, alkalinity was assessed. The results indicated a pH value of 6.65 ± 0.12, 7.27 ± 0.13, 6.43 ± 0.27, volatile fatty acid of 72.17 ± 1.42, 58.35 ± 2.58, 40.56 ± 0.38, and moisture content of 98.9 ± 2.65, 92.3 ± 1.81, 96.4 ± 3.60 for D1 (Chicken waste and food wastes), D2 (Chicken wastes+), D3 (control) respectively. A collective biogas yield of 686±17.00 kpa for D1, 700±11.00kpa for D2 and 521±21.00 kpa for D3 were recorded. The characterization of biogas analyzed with non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) gas analyzer (gas board 3100p) revealed a percentage methane content of 46.11±1.11%, 52.4±1.05 %, 50.31±1.33 % for D1, D2 and D3 respectively The study shows that physicochemical properties are useful tools to indicate digester failure/stability and also to enhance anaerobic digestion process.