Anaerobic Digestion of Floral Waste and Methane Enrichment: A Sustainable Approach for Waste to Energy Conversion

Abstract

Disposal of floral waste into water or landfill because of religious beliefs causes water and soil pollution. The purpose of present experimental work is to find an energy proficient solution for the disposal of floral waste. The method used in the present work includes anaerobic digestion of floral waste for biogas generation. The proposed method aims to follow waste-to-energy approach, for meeting the local energy demands. The techniques for getting enhanced biogas production from floral waste include novel alkaline chemical pretreatment of floral waste, and co-digestion of floral waste along with food waste. Alkaline chemical pretreatment of floral waste using sodium carbonate showed improved biogas production up to 106%, as compared to the traditional sodium hydroxide chemical pretreatment. Also, a reduction in the cost of chemical pretreatment up to 90% was possible. Co-digestion of floral waste along with food waste was also found effective for getting enhanced biogas output. A feedstock mixture of 70% of floral waste and 30% food waste could produce 32.6% more biogas than the singular feedstock in the form of floral waste. Alkaline pretreatment of floral waste using sodium carbonate and co-digestion with food waste seem to be the novelty of the work. Application of chemical absorption technique for biogas quality improvement could enrich the methane content of biogas up to 96%. Large-scale application of the proposed techniques of solid waste management can meet the energy demands at potential locations. The biogas with enriched methane content can suitable for widespread applications, such as vehicular applications and electricity generation for the benefit of the end users.