title: Recovering biomethane and nutrients from anaerobic digestion of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and its co-digestion with fruit and vegetable waste.
abstract: The potential to recover bioenergy from anaerobic digestion of water hyacinth (WH) and from its co-digestion with fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) was investigated. Initially, biogas and methane production were studied using the biochemical methane potential (BMP) test at 2 g volatile solids (VS) L(-1) of substrate concentration, both in the digestion of WH alone and in its co-digestion with FVW (WH-FVW ratio of 70:30). Subsequently, the biogas production was optimized in terms of total solids (TS) concentration, testing 4 and 6% of TS. The BMP test showed a biogas yield of 0.114 m(3) biogas kg(-1) VSadded for WH alone. On the other hand, the biogas potential from the WH-FVW co-digestion was 0.141 m(3) biogas kg(-1) VSadded, showing an increase of 23% compared to that of WH alone. Maximum biogas production of 0.230 m(3) biogas kg(-1) VSadded was obtained at 4% of TS in the co-digestion of WH-FVW. Using semi-continuously stirred tank reactors, 1.3 m(3) biogas yield kg(-1) VSadded was produced using an organic loading rate of 2 kg VS m(-3) d(-1) and hydraulic retention time of 15 days. It was also found that a WH-FVW ratio of 80:20 improved the process in terms of pH stability. Additionally, it was found that nitrogen can be recovered in the liquid effluent with a potential for use as a liquid fertilizer.
authors.affiliation: COLCIENCIAS-Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 32 No. 12-00, Palmira, Colombia and Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, 31400 Toulouse, France E-mail: mahernandezsh@unal.edu.co.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hernández-Shek
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 32 No. 12-00, Palmira, Colombia.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Cadavid-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 32 No. 12-00, Palmira, Colombia.
authors.forename: I V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Bolaños
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 32 No. 12-00, Palmira, Colombia.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Agudelo-Henao
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000378:metabolism; D056804:Biofuels; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019149:Bioreactors; D031806:Eichhornia / Q000378:metabolism*; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D005638:Fruit / Q000378:metabolism; D005735:Garbage; D008697:Methane / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014675:Vegetables / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D000641:Ammonia; D009584:Nitrogen; D008697:Methane