Recovery of biogas as a source of renewable energy from ice-cream production residues and wastewater

Environ Technol. 2013 Jul-Aug;34(13-16):2099-104. doi: 10.1080/09593330.2013.774055.

Abstract

Proper management of waste streams and residues from agro-industry is very important to prevent environmental pollution. In particular, the anaerobic co-digestion process can be used as an important tool for safe disposal and energy recovery from agro-industry waste streams and residues. The primary objective of this laboratory-scale study was to determine whether it was possible to recover energy (biogas) from ice-cream production residues and wastewater, through a mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion process. A high methane yield of 0.338 L CH4/gCOD(removed) could be achieved from anaerobic digestion of ice-cream wastewater alone, with almost 70% of methane in biogas, while anaerobic digestion of ice-cream production residue alone did not seem feasible. When wastewater and ice-cream production residue were anaerobically co-digested at a ratio of 9:1 by weight, the highest methane yield of 0.131 L CH4/gCOD(removed) was observed. Buffering capacity seemed to be imperative in energy recovery from these substrates in the anaerobic digestion process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anaerobiosis
  • Biofuels*
  • Bioreactors
  • Food Industry / methods*
  • Ice Cream*
  • Industrial Waste
  • Methane / analysis
  • Methane / metabolism
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
  • Wastewater / chemistry*

Substances

  • Biofuels
  • Industrial Waste
  • Waste Water
  • Methane