Effect of pectin on anaerobic digestion of cattle dung

Abstract

It is therefore desirable to discover procedures to increase the rate of digestion. It has been reported that addition of powdered activated carbon results in an increase in total gas production with high methane content. Based on a review of the literature, it is evident that carbon is responsible for improved digestion. The surface of the activated carbon provides adsorption sites where substrate can accumulate, thereby providing high localized substrate concentration. These areas of adsorption provide a more favorable growth environment for bacterial-substrate systems. No study, however, seems to have been made so far on the effect of other additives like pectin on anaerobic digestion of cattle dung. Since pectin is also used as one of the adsorbents in many cases, it appears desirable to study the effect of pectin on anaerobic digestion of cattle dung with the ultimate aim of improving the production of gas with increased methane content. Experiments carried out with this object in view are reported in this paper. The impact of pectin on volatile acid, pH, and process stability has also been examined. This paper presents the results of two sets of experiments involving pectin addition to bench-scale digesters. One set of experiments is carriedmore » out at a controlled temperature of 38 +/- 1 degree C, while the other is carried out at ambient temperature-ambient temperature varied from 40 to 15 degrees C, that is from August to November. 14 references.« less