An Overview of Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural By-Products and Food Waste for Biomethane Production
In a world facing increasing environmental and energy challenges, anaerobic digestion of agrifood by-products and food waste could contribute to the production of green energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Anaerobic digestion is a biological process capable of breaking...
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/19/6851 |
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| author | Alessandro Neri Bruno Bernardi Giuseppe Zimbalatti Souraya Benalia |
| author_facet | Alessandro Neri Bruno Bernardi Giuseppe Zimbalatti Souraya Benalia |
| author_sort | Alessandro Neri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In a world facing increasing environmental and energy challenges, anaerobic digestion of agrifood by-products and food waste could contribute to the production of green energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Anaerobic digestion is a biological process capable of breaking down and stabilising organic matter in the absence of oxygen and converting it into a renewable source of energy, known as biogas. Biomethane production also enables the generation of electricity and produces digestate, a by-product of the digestion process that can be used as a soil conditioner or fertiliser. This review aims to highlight how substrate pretreatment, together with the optimisation of operating parameters, application of additives, recirculation of digestate and frequent feeding, can increase biogas production. An overview of the basics of the anaerobic digestion of agrifood by-products and food waste is provided, including feedstock characteristics (nutrient content, particle size and inhibitory compounds) and process parameters (process configuration, pH, temperature, total and volatile solids, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammonium, chemical oxygen demand, carbon/nitrogen ratio, retention time, organic loading rate, etc.). In addition, recent studies in the field of processes, equipment and pretreatments that can significantly improve the anaerobic digestion process of agricultural and food wastes were classified and discussed. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of biogas production from the agrifood sector are addressed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:45:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-467cabb13a7a416598680fdbbf8c7b2f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:45:35Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-467cabb13a7a416598680fdbbf8c7b2f2023-11-19T14:19:44ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732023-09-011619685110.3390/en16196851An Overview of Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural By-Products and Food Waste for Biomethane ProductionAlessandro Neri0Bruno Bernardi1Giuseppe Zimbalatti2Souraya Benalia3Dipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, ItalyIn a world facing increasing environmental and energy challenges, anaerobic digestion of agrifood by-products and food waste could contribute to the production of green energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Anaerobic digestion is a biological process capable of breaking down and stabilising organic matter in the absence of oxygen and converting it into a renewable source of energy, known as biogas. Biomethane production also enables the generation of electricity and produces digestate, a by-product of the digestion process that can be used as a soil conditioner or fertiliser. This review aims to highlight how substrate pretreatment, together with the optimisation of operating parameters, application of additives, recirculation of digestate and frequent feeding, can increase biogas production. An overview of the basics of the anaerobic digestion of agrifood by-products and food waste is provided, including feedstock characteristics (nutrient content, particle size and inhibitory compounds) and process parameters (process configuration, pH, temperature, total and volatile solids, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammonium, chemical oxygen demand, carbon/nitrogen ratio, retention time, organic loading rate, etc.). In addition, recent studies in the field of processes, equipment and pretreatments that can significantly improve the anaerobic digestion process of agricultural and food wastes were classified and discussed. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of biogas production from the agrifood sector are addressed.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/19/6851anaerobic digestionbiogasbiochemical methane potentialmesophilic and thermophilic conditionsbatch testcontinuous stirred-tank reactor |
| spellingShingle | Alessandro Neri Bruno Bernardi Giuseppe Zimbalatti Souraya Benalia An Overview of Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural By-Products and Food Waste for Biomethane Production Energies anaerobic digestion biogas biochemical methane potential mesophilic and thermophilic conditions batch test continuous stirred-tank reactor |
| title | An Overview of Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural By-Products and Food Waste for Biomethane Production |
| title_full | An Overview of Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural By-Products and Food Waste for Biomethane Production |
| title_fullStr | An Overview of Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural By-Products and Food Waste for Biomethane Production |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Overview of Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural By-Products and Food Waste for Biomethane Production |
| title_short | An Overview of Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural By-Products and Food Waste for Biomethane Production |
| title_sort | overview of anaerobic digestion of agricultural by products and food waste for biomethane production |
| topic | anaerobic digestion biogas biochemical methane potential mesophilic and thermophilic conditions batch test continuous stirred-tank reactor |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/19/6851 |
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