Two-stage anaerobic digestion of tomato, cucumber, common reed and grass silage in leach-bed reactors and upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors

Bioresour Technol. 2011 Apr;102(7):4726-33. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2011.01.052. Epub 2011 Jan 22.

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion of tomato, cucumber, common reed and grass silage was studied in four separate two-stage reactor configuration consisting of leach bed reactor (LBR) and upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB). LBR studies showed that COD solubilization for cucumber and grass silage was higher (50%) than tomato (35%) and common reed (15%). Results also showed that 31-39% of initial TKN present in tomato and cucumber was solubilized in the leachates and 47-54% of the solubilized TKN was converted to NH(4)-N. The corresponding values for common reed and grass silage were 38-50% and 18-36%, respectively. Biomethanation of the leachates in UASB reactors resulted in methane yields of 0.03-0.14 m(3) CH(4) kg(-1)VS(fed) for the studied crop materials. Thus, high COD solubilization, high nitrogen mineralization and solubilization rates were feasible during anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic materials in a two-stage LBR-UASB reactor system.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria, Anaerobic / metabolism*
  • Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis
  • Bioreactors*
  • Cucumis sativus
  • Lignin / metabolism*
  • Methane / biosynthesis*
  • Poaceae
  • Refuse Disposal / methods*
  • Silage*
  • Solanum lycopersicum

Substances

  • lignocellulose
  • Lignin
  • Methane