Title: Vermicompost as an accelerator of methane production

Authors: Shiguan Yang, Jihong Li, Zheng Zheng, Yan Zhang, Bailiang Zhang

Addresses: Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy of MOA, Department of Environment and Energy Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, Zhengzhou, PR China. ' National Engineering Laboratory of Biomass Power Generation Equipment, School of Renewable Energy, North China Electric Power University, 2 Beinong Road, Beijing, PR China. ' State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing, PR China. ' Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy of MOA, Department of Environment and Energy Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, Zhengzhou, PR China. ' Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy of MOA, Department of Environment and Energy Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, Zhengzhou, PR China

Abstract: The influences of different vermicompost concentrations of 8.33, 4.35 and 0.9%, respectively (based on TS), on the CH₄ production, Specific Methanogenic Activities (SMAs) of the anaerobic sludge, pH and COD removal were investigated. A maximum cumulative CH₄ production of 874 ml/L _{fermentation liquor} was obtained from the experiment with vermicompost concentration of 8.33% which increased by 40.3% when compared with the control, and a maximum SMA of 295.9 mg COD _CH4/g VS•d was achieved which increased by 45% relative to the control. The results also showed that vermicompost could enhance the COD removal and improve the buffering capacity of anaerobic digestion system.

Keywords: vermicompost concentrations; anaerobic digestion; methane production; accelerators; COD removal; chemical oxygen demand; buffering capacity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2009.026442

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2009 Vol.1 No.1, pp.52 - 63

Published online: 11 Jun 2009 *

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