Co-digestion of peach biowaste and parboiled rice effluent: Characterization of feedstocks and renewable energy possibility

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy 2024-05, Vol.67, p.618-625
• Main Authors: Przybyla, Grzegorz, Nadaleti, Willian Cezar, dos Santos, Maele Costa, de Souza, Eduarda, Gomes, Jeferson, da Silva, Flavio Manoel R., de Castilhos, Armando B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anaerobic co-digestion; Biogas; Biomass characterization; Waste-to-energy
• ISSN: 0360-3199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.04.112

The co-digestion of a peach biowaste and parboiled rice effluent mixed with a sludge digester was investigated using a lab-scale biodigester. The biomasses used in the system were characterized by physical-chemical and microbiological analyses. Variations in substrate/inoculum (S/I) ratio of 1:1, 1:2, and 3:2, with different percentages of peach bagasse of 0%, 5%, and 10% in the substrate combination (peach bagasse + effluent), were performed. The study found that co-digestion of peach bagasse and parboiled rice effluent with digester sludge resulted in higher biomethane production, with reactors II and IV showing the best combination of factors both with a proportion of 3:2 (S/I). Reactor IV showed the maximum production of 27.51 mL CH4 with a substrate composition of 10% peach bagasse and 90% effluent. The physical-chemical properties of the co-digestion substrate were optimal for anaerobic digestion, and the microbial community adapted to enhance biodegradation. The maximum COD removal was found in reactor IV at 88.06%, followed by reactor V at 82.10%. In contrast, the 1:2 (S/I) ratio in reactor I showed the lowest methane production. Furthermore, the co-digestion process resulted in stable and efficient digestion, indicating it is a viable alternative for treating rice parboiling effluent and peach waste. •Alternative for treating rice parboiling effluent and peach waste.•Peach biowaste and parboiled rice effluent characterization.•Maximum production of 27.51 mL CH4 using anaerobic codigestion process.