Abstract
Residual biosolids from wastewater treatment facilities and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), e.g., food and yard wastes (FW and YW), are difficult to manage due to increased waste generation and recent stringent regulations. The effect of substrate to inoculum ratio (S/I) on biochemical transformation mechanisms and biomethane production during high solids anaerobic digestion of FW, YW, and biosolids were investigated. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays were set up under mesophilic conditions at S/I of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 g OFMSW total solids (TS)/g inoculum TS. BMP with the lowest S/I (1.0) produced the highest cumulative CH4 yield of 126 mL CH4/(g VSadded), with 90% of its maximum yield by day 37, and a hydrolysis rate constant of 0.06/day. S/I 2.0 and 3.0 led to higher volatile fatty acid release than S/I 1.0. This resulted in pH-induced inhibition of methanogenesis, longer lag phases, and lower cumulative CH4 yields [S/I = 2.0 at 45.6-mL CH4/(g VSadded); S/I = 3.0 at 6.75-mL CH4/(g VSadded). The results showed that accumulation of inhibitory intermediates could cause system failure due to mass transfer limitation under low moisture conditions when S/I > 1.0 based on TS.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1459-1465 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Environmental Engineering Science |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2019 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This material is based upon work supported by the Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management and the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1243510.
Keywords
- biochemical methane potential
- biosolids
- high solids anaerobic digestion
- hydrolysis rate constants
- organic fraction of municipal solid waste
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Chemistry
- Waste Management and Disposal
- Pollution