High Solids Co-Digestion of Food and Landscape Waste and the Potential for Ammonia Toxicity
Publication Date
2014
Description
A pilot-scale study was completed to determine the feasibility of high-solids anaerobic digestion (HSAD) of a mixture of food and landscape wastes at a university in central Pennsylvania (USA). HSAD was stable at low loadings (2g COD/L-day), but developed inhibitory ammonia concentrations at high loadings (15g COD/L-day). At low loadings, methane yields were 232L CH4/kg COD fed and 229L CH4/kg VS fed, and at high loadings yields were 211L CH4/kg COD fed and 272L CH4/kg VS fed. Based on characterization and biodegradability studies, food waste appears to be a good candidate for HSAD at low organic loading rates; however, the development of ammonia inhibition at high loading rates suggests that the C:N ratio is too low for use as a single substrate. The relatively low biodegradability of landscape waste as reported herein made it an unsuitable substrate to increase the C:N ratio. Codigestion of food waste with a substrate high in bioavailable carbon is recommended to increase the C:N ratio sufficiently to allow HSAD at loading rates of 15g COD/L-day.
Copyright 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Journal
Waste Management (New York, N.Y.)
Volume
34
Issue
7
First Page
1289
Last Page
1298
Department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Link to Published Version
Recommended Citation
Drennan, Margaret F. and DiStefano, Thomas D.. "High Solids Co-Digestion of Food and Landscape Waste and the Potential for Ammonia Toxicity." Waste Management (New York, N.Y.) (2014) : 1289-1298.