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Biogas production by anaerobic digestion of fruit and vegetable waste. A preliminary study
Author(s) -
Knol Wieger,
Van Der Most Michael M.,
De Waart Jacobus
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740290913
Subject(s) - anaerobic digestion , chemistry , digestion (alchemy) , biogas , food waste , food science , mesophile , bioenergy , pulp and paper industry , biofuel , waste management , chromatography , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , methane , organic chemistry , bacteria , engineering , genetics
Waste of apples, asparagus, carrots, green peas, French beans, spinach and strawberries from a canning factory have been screened on mesophilic anaerobic digestion in 90‐day experiments at loading rates varying between 0.80 and 1.60 kg volatile solids (VS) m −3 day −1 at a retention time of 32 days. Average biogas yields varied from 0.30 to 0.58 m 3 kg‐ 1 VS day −1 . High percentages of reduction in VS, carbohydrate and crude fibre were obtained in most experiments. Some waste materials showed unbalanced digestion, as might be expected from carbohydrate‐rich substrates. In those cases alkali addition, feed interruption and mixing with a nitrogen‐rich substrate were used to overcome unbalanced digestion. Residual solids in the digested sludges were removed by flocculation with a polyelectrolyte and centrifugation; liquids with lower CODs remained after flocculation.