Utilization of vegetable dumplings waste from industrial production by anaerobic digestion

Abstract

Abstract This paper provides the analysis of results of biogas and methane yield for vegetable dumplings waste: dough with fat, vegetable waste, and sludge from the clarifier. Anaerobic digestion of food waste used in the experiments was stable after combining the substrates with a digested pulp composed of maize silage and liquid manure (as inoculum), at suitable ratios. The study was carried out in a laboratory scale using anaerobic batch reactors, at controlled (mesophilic) temperature and pH conditions. The authors present the chemical reactions accompanying biodegradation of the substrates and indicate the chemical compounds which may lead to acidification during the anaerobic digestion. An anaerobic digestion process carried out with the use of a dough-and-fat mixture provided the highest biogas and methane yields. The following yields were obtained in terms of fresh matter: 242.89 m3 Mg−1 for methane and 384.38 m3 Mg−1 for biogas, and in terms of volatile solids: 450.73 m3 Mg−1 for methane and 742.40 m3 Mg−1 for biogas. Vegetables and sludge from the clarifier (as fresh matter) provided much lower yields.