Biogas Potentials of Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Rumen Contents and Sewage Sludge

Year 2020, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 64 - 70, 25.12.2020

Francis James Ogbozige Tanimu Usman Umar Abubakar

https://doi.org/10.38061/idunas.819080

Abstract

Sewage sludge (SS) and rumen contents (RC) are produced daily in waste stabilization ponds and abattoirs respectively as organic wastes. However, these wastes could pose a threat to the environment if not properly managed hence, this research investigated the potentials of these wastes in generating biogas. This was achieved by digesting different SS/RC ratios anaerobically for 75days and recording the biogas produced under mesophilic condition. The SS and RC were obtained from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) waste stabilization pond and cattle (Bos indicus) respectively, while the SS/RC ratios considered are 1:0, 0:1, 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1. Results showed that co-digestion at SS/RC ratios 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1 produced more biogas compared to mono-digestions of equivalent volumes of SS (1:0) and RC (0:1). This is because the daily biogas potentials for SS/RC ratios 1:0, 0:1, 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1 are 3.59, 5.61, 6.09, 6.67 and 5.79ml per gram of TS added respective. In other words, biogas potential for SS improved by 69.64, 85.79 and 61.28% when co-digested with RC at SS/RC ratios 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1 respectively, while that of RC improved by 8.56, 18.89 and 3.21% at SS/RC ratios 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1 respective. Hence, it was concluded that co-digestion of SS and RC at SS/RC ratio 1:2 produced more biogas followed by 1:1 and 2:1 accordingly.

Keywords

Biogas, Mesophilic, Rumen, Sludge

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