Methane production from anaerobic digestion of dairy grease trap waste: Effect of sugarcane bagasse addition

• Published in: Environmental quality management 2021-09, Vol.31 (1), p.73-83
• Main Authors: Egerland Bueno, Beatriz, Rosero Henao, Jenny Carolina, Rabelo, Sarita Cândida, Gomes, Tamara Maria, Ribeiro, Rogers, Tommaso, Giovana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anaerobic conditions; Anaerobic digestion; Anaerobic processes; Bagasse; Biogas; Dairy industry wastewaters; Energy sources; Environmental management; Environmental quality; fatty dairy residue; Grease; Hydrothermal treatment; Lipids; Methane; Potential energy; Refuse as fuel; Substrates; Sugarcane; sugarcane bagasse; Wastewater treatment; Wastewater treatment plants
• ISSN: 1088-1913; 1520-6483
• DOI: 10.1002/tqem.21740

Lipids are attractive substrates for anaerobic digestion due to their high methane production yield. However, high concentrations of lipids may cause problems in anaerobic processes. Typically, grease trap waste is mechanically removed and discharged, both generating environmental issues and wasting a potential energy source. In this study, grease trap waste from a dairy wastewater treatment plant was subjected to anaerobic digestion. Untreated and pretreated sugarcane bagasse was evaluated as fat adsorbents to reduce the inhibitory effect of the fatty waste. The bagasse pretreated by the organosolv method was the condition that most contributed to increased methane production (82%) from anaerobic digestion of dairy fatty waste at 0.5 g COD.g–1TVS concentration. Untreated bagasse provided the second‐best condition, followed by hydrothermally treated bagasse, presenting no statistical difference. The obtained results showed the potential of using sugarcane bagasse as a strategy to reduce the inhibitory effect of the fatty waste from the dairy grease trap, making this waste another possible source for generating biogas. Sugarcane bagasse untreated and pretreated by different methods was evaluated as absorbents in anaerobic digestion of grease trap waste from dairy wastewater treatment plant. Bagasse untreated and pretreated by the organosolv method increased the methane production in 52% and 82%, respectively, at a dairy fatty waste of 0.5 g COD.g‐1TVS.