BIOGAS PRODUCTION POTENTIAL FROM ANAEROBIC CO-DIGESTION OF FOOD WASTE AND ANIMAL MANURE

The potential of biogas production by the anaerobic codigestion (AcoD) of canteen food waste and animal manure was investigated using the biochemical methane potential assay (BMP). The BMP assay was conducted under thermophilic temperature of 35 °C in a batch process at digestion time of 40 d. Waste substrate mixture was digested at a fixed proportion of 1:1 with different animal manure as co-substrate. Maximum cumulative biogas production (418 ml g-1 VS) was achieved during codigestion of food waste with pig manure > chicken manure (408 ml g-1 VS) > goat manure (319 ml g-1 VS). Generally, all manure codigested reactors produced 1.01 to 1.34 times more biogas than food waste alone indicating the synergistic effect of codigestion on overall biogas productivity. With analogous increase in biogas production, manure amendment produced significant (p<0.05) substrate biodegradation in terms of total and volatile solids loss. The microbial load profile prior and post-AD revealed significant reduction (p<0.05)in microbial species suggestion that anaerobic digestion can be adopted as a method of waste treatment and hygienization.