Effect of Biochar Application on Biogas Production From Cattle Paunch Content

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Biotechnology
• Waste Management

Background:

• Abattoirs generate substantial cattle paunch content, leading to environmental pollution due to inadequate disposal practices.
• Anaerobic digestion is a viable method for treating organic waste and producing biogas.
• Biochar, a carbon-rich material derived from biomass, has shown potential in enhancing anaerobic digestion processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of sorghum stalk biochar on biogas production from cattle paunch content.
• To compare the efficacy of one-time versus periodic biochar addition for optimizing biogas yield.
• To evaluate the statistical significance of biochar application on anaerobic digestion performance.

Main Methods:

• Cattle paunch content was subjected to anaerobic digestion in controlled digesters.
• Treatments included a control (no biochar), periodic addition of 1g biochar every four days, and a one-time addition of 5g biochar.
• Biogas yields were measured, and data were analyzed for significant differences and fitted to the Gompertz model.

Main Results:

• The highest biogas yield (22.79 mL/g VS) was achieved with a one-time addition of 5g sorghum stalk biochar.
• Periodic addition of 1g biochar yielded 13.83 mL/g VS, while the control produced 11.67 mL/g VS.
• The 5g one-time biochar addition showed a statistically significant improvement in biogas yield compared to both periodic addition and the control.

Conclusions:

• A one-time application of 5g sorghum stalk biochar is an effective strategy for enhancing biogas production from cattle paunch content.
• Sorghum stalk biochar application offers a promising approach to mitigate environmental pollution from abattoir waste.
• The Gompertz model adequately described the biogas production kinetics across all treatments, with high R-squared values.