ENHANCING ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF SOLID ORGANIC WASTES FOR BIOGAS PRODUCTION

Abstract

In this research program, activated carbon supplementation improved methane production and process stability during lab- and pilot-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) of food waste (FW) through selective enrichment of effective methanogenic communities. To effectively deliver trace element to anaerobic digesters of FW, a novel encapsulated form of dry water additive was synthesized through high-speed mixing of nickel ions solution with hydrophobic silica nanoparticles. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of activated carbon and encapsulated dry water additive on operation stability and more balanced trace elements during AD of FW was subsequently validated. With regards to yard waste, enhanced hydrolysis efficiency was accomplished through a combination of biological pretreatment with digested sludge and supplementation with FW before AD process. All of the four innovative enhancing strategies were validated as useful approaches. With the help of pyrosequencing technique, deeper insights into the microbial community dynamics substantially expanded the current understanding on various enhancing mechanisms.