Abstract
Several thousand metric tonnes of aquatic biomass are removed from water bodies every year, so that these waters can continue to be used for ship and boat traffic and for leisure activities. The mowed material is generally disposed off without any further use. Therefore, the crop properties of samples from 39 weed control measures all over Germany were examined to assess the suitability of aquatic plant biomass as a substrate for anaerobic digestion systems. Analysis of the crop samples consisted of the identification of plant species and the evaluation of sediment contents and concentrations of macroelements. The methane yield was determined for selected aquatic plants. Analysis revealed a carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N) of between 10 and 20 in 74% of samples. The concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous in the samples were comparable to grass silages. With regard to heavy metal concentrations, the threshold values for biowaste for nickel, zinc, and cadmium were exceeded in three samples. There were no significant seasonal differences in substrate characteristics and qualities. The specific methane yields of individual aquatic plants were between 142 and 372 LCH4/kg volatile solids (VS). The results of this study showed that aquatic macrophytes can be used as substrates in anaerobic digestion plants without any restrictions.
Highlights
Aquatic plants are valuable components of aquatic ecosystems
The results have provided findings that had been lacking in previous research on management strategies, which generally concentrate on the removal, but not the subsequent re-use of the aquatic biomass
Aquatic plant species were identified in the samples
Summary
Aquatic plants are valuable components of aquatic ecosystems. They produce oxygen and perform a water-purification function—for example by binding heavy metals [1] and removing nutrient loads [2,3,4]. It can occur that aquatic plants form plant mats in water as a result of overgrowth; these plant mats can impair the use of bodies of water for humans. This can have serious economic consequences for the operators of these bodies of water. For hydroelectric power plants, such accumulations of aquatic plants in front of turbine inlets represent a serious challenge and can result in significant reductions in output
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