EFFECT OF VARYING TOTAL SOLIDS ON THE YIELD OF BIOGAS FROM Datura stramonium LEAVES THROUGH ANAEROBIC CO DIGESTION WITH COW MANURE

Abstract

Production of biogas through anaerobic digestion of organic waste materials provides an alternative environmentally eco-friendly renewable energy. In this study, biogas production from co-digestion of cow manure (CM) and Datura stramonium leaves (DSL) in five mix ratios (100%CM, 60%CM:40%DSL, 50%CM:50%DSL, 40%CM:60%DSL and 100%DSL) were evaluated under mesophilic condition at 38ºC using a batch mode digester over 30 days fermentation. In all the treatments, physico-chemical parameters such as pH, total solid, volatile solid, organic carbon, nitrogen and carbon to nitrogen ratio were measured before and after anaerobic digestion. The results indicated that pH and total nitrogen significantly increased after AD, whereas VS and organic carbon decreased significantly after AD. Biogas yield was found to be higher when the two substrates were co-digested than when digested alone. Of all mix ratios, 40%CM co-digested with 60%DSL resulted in the highest biogas. Comparison between 10 and 8% TS contents revealed that 10% TS substrates yielded in more biogas than 8%. Over all the results of this study indicate that the increase in biogas yield and reduction in volatile solids and total solids can be significantly enhanced when cow manure is co-digested with Datura stramonium leaves (DSL) in 40%:60% mix ratio.