| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4471465 | Waste Management | 2014 | 6 Pages |
•FVW and WMS co-digestion was simulated at pilot scale by increasing OLR and reducing HRT.•Full scale WWTP digester operating conditions were reproduced.•Maximum bio-methane was generated at HRT of 11 days.•FOS/TAC remains always <0.3>. Digestate phyotoxicity was evaluated by GI test.
The co-digestion of a variable amount of fruit and vegetable waste in a waste mixed sludge digester was investigated using a pilot scale apparatus. The organic loading rate (OLR) was increased from 1.46 kg VS/m3 day to 2.8 kg VS/m3 day. The hydraulic retention time was reduced from 14 days to about 10 days. Specific bio-methane production increased from about 90 NL/kg VS to the maximum value of about 430 NL/kg VS when OLR was increased from 1.46 kg VS/m3 day to 2.1 kg VS/m3 day. A higher OLR caused an excessive reduction in the hydraulic retention time, enhancing microorganism wash out. Process stability evaluated by the total volatile fatty acids concentration (mg/l) to the alkalinity buffer capacity (eq. mg/l CaCO3) ratio (i.e. FOS/TAC) criterion was <0.1 indicating high stability for OLR <2.46 kg VS/m3 day. For higher OLR, FOS/TAC increased rapidly. Residual phytotoxicty of the digestate evaluated by the germination index (GI) (%) was quite constant for OLR < 2.46 kg VS/m3 day, which is lower than the 60% limit, indicating an acceptable toxicity level for crops. For OLR > 2.46 kg VS/m3 day, GI decreased rapidly. This corresponding trend between FOS/TAC and GI was further investigated by the definition of the GI ratio (GIR) parameter. Comparison between GIR and FOS/TAC suggests that GI could be a suitable criterion for evaluating process stability.
