Optimization of Gas Production from Municipal Organic Solid Waste Using Layered Inoculum Technique in Anaerobic Digestion

Abstract

Solid waste management is an important challenge faced by developed nations across the globe. In order to effectively manage the improper disposal of solid waste, the first stage is conducting waste characterization studies. The process of anaerobic incorporation, which involves the breakdown of organic waste materials in the absence of oxygen, is widely employed in various oxygen-deprived environments. This research aims to provide a comprehensive review of the treatment advancements for digesting municipal Organic solid waste (MOSW) utilising an anaerobic reactor with four distinct inoculums. The Municipal organic solid waste (MOSW) is combined with various inoculums, including cow dung, sheep dung, pig dung, and sewage sludge in mono and mixed inoculums in batch reactors and used the optimum one in Vertical anaerobic digester(VAD). The experiments have been conducted using various ratios of inoculums in layer filling technique in order to determine the optimal gas generation rate and VS degradation. The optimal ratio of inoculum was determined to be CD and SD, which is used as layers together with MOSW for digestion in the verticalanaerobic digestion process. The methane content of the biogas produced from the batch reactors varied between 52% to 59% in the control reactor. In the reactors with different compositions, most optized inoculums was found out to be cow dung and sheep dung with 30% of inoculums. The optimized inoculum is used in the VAD for gas generation and VS degradation were determined. The cumulative gas production was found to be 468.2 mL/g VS of biogas was produced upon the completion of a 50-day handling period. The fluctuation in pH seen over a retention time of 50 days. The methane content recored in the produced biogas was around 73%. The percentage of degradation of the solid in the VAD were observed to be 86% during the digesting process.