BIOGAS PRODUCTION FROM WATER HYACINTH (Eichhornia crassipes) CO-DIGESTED WITH POULTRY DROPPING

Abstract

Production of biogas through anaerobic digestion of organic waste materials provides an alternative environmentally friendly renewable energy. Water hyacinth is one of the fastest growing aquatic weed known to man. The objective of this study was to determine biogas yield using water hyacinth as a sole substrate and co- digestion with poultry dropping. Anaerobic digestion (AD) was done using the two substrates in five mix ratio was evaluated under mesophilic conditions (380C) using a batch digester in laboratory, but it should be carried out at room temperature (200C) and at thermopilic condition (550C). In all treatments, total solid, volatile solid, organic carbon, and pH were measured before and after AD. The daily biogas production was subsequently measured by water displacement method for 31days. All measured physico-chemical parameters of each substrate were significantly varied between before and after AD, p<5%. Gas production was noticed in all of the substrate types from the first day of digestion experiment and became zero on 31 days in all substrates. Assessment of cumulative biogas production revealed that substrate in a mix ratio of 75% Eichhornia crassipes and 25% poultry dropping showed the highest biogas production, suggesting this mix ratio of the two substrates is in an optimal mix to yield better amount of biogas. Overall results indicate that the increment of biogas yield and VS, and TS reduction can be significantly enhanced when EC and poultry dropping are co-digested.