Environmental treatment of slaughterhouse wastes in a continuously stirred anaerobic reactor: Effect of flow rate variation on biogas production

The present study shows the treatment of slaughterhouse wastes of Badajoz municipal in Spain by an anaerobic codigestion process. The experimental device used was a completely mixed type (6-l capacity) continuous biodigester with recirculation of the methane produced in the anaerobic digestion. Under mesophilic conditions (37 °C), the biological anaerobic degradation, biogas production, and inhibition processes were analyzed for six flow rates; 200, 275, 350, 400, 537, and 672 ml/day. It was found that the environmental optimum flow rate is 350 ml/day for energy production.

► We studied the influence of flow rate variation in an anaerobic codigestion of solid and liquid wastes of Spain.
► The experimental device was a continuous biodigester with recirculation of the methane produced in the anaerobic digestion.
► The biogas production was analyzed for six flow rates; 200, 275, 350, 400, 537, and 672 ml/day.
► It was found that the flow rate of 350 ml/day was the optimal in terms of energy and decontamination.