Enhancing anaerobic hydrolysis of cattle manure in leachbed reactors

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 100; no. 4; pp. 1695 - 1699
• Main Authors: Myint, M.T., Nirmalakhandan, N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2009; [New York, NY]: Elsevier Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: agricultural wastes; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Ammonia - analysis; anaerobic digestion; Anaerobiosis; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Bioreactors; Brown-rot fungi; Cattle; Cattle manure; chemical oxygen demand; Digested residue; Fatty Acids, Volatile - analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi - metabolism; General agronomy. Plant production; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hydrolysis; Hydrolysis/acidogenesis; Manure; Methane - analysis; organic wastes; Oxygen; pistachios; Pistacia vera; renewable energy sources; Sewage; solid wastes; Use of agricultural and forest wastes. Biomass use, bioconversion; Volatile fatty acid; volatile fatty acids; Volatile fatty acid; Brown-rot fungi; Cattle manure; Hydrolysis/acidogenesis; Digested residue; Digestion; Fungi; Hydrolysis; Acidogenesis; Anaerobe; Residue; Rot; Reactor
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2008.09.031

In this study, it is hypothesized that anaerobic hydrolysis of organic solid wastes (OSWs) in leachbed reactors can be enhanced by two approaches: (1) by increasing the porosity of the leachbed; and (2) by seeding the bed with brown-rot fungi or anaerobically digested residues. The hypothesis is verified using cattle manure as a model OSW and pistachios-half-shell as an inert additive to increase the porosity of the leachbed. The enhancement was quantified in terms of volatile fatty acid (VFA) generation and soluble COD generation. Results of this study showed that 15% more VFAs and 8% more soluble COD can be obtained at higher bed porosities and with brown-rot fungi or digested residues as the seed. Compared to a leachbed without any recirculation, porosity enhancement, nor seed addition, the VFA yield (g VFA/g manure) in a leachbed with pistachios-half-shell as porosity enhancers was 193% higher; that in a leachbed with leachate recirculation (of 4 L/day), pistachios-half-shell as porosity enhancers, and brown-rot fungi or digested sludge as seed was 230% higher.