Increasing the Efficiency of Converting Biohazardous Household Wastes into Methane Gas in Rural Guatemala

Abstract

Methane provides a great environmental benefit, producing more heat and light energy by mass than other hydrocarbon, or fossil fuel, including coal and gasoline refined from oil, while producing significantly less carbon dioxide and other pollutants that contribute to smog and unhealthy air. Several methods have been employed to generate methane gas in homes, and the amount of methane gas generated by the decomposition of organic matter varies depending on the type of matter in question. This study was designed to measure the efficiency, as a relationship between the amount of raw material and the amount of gas generated, of three different mixtures of organic matter, such as food remains of home (FWFH), animal excrement, and equal-part mixture of food debris (FWHC) and animal waste (CWFF). The study demonstrated that the methane volume from FWHC was the greatest among that from other feed wastes with significant difference (P>0.05). When compared the methane volume from FWHC with FWFH and CWFF, 68.7 %, 296% were higher in FWHC, respectively. The FWHC was the most suitable for methane gas generation systems for homes, in order to occupy less space and generate an equal amount of gas.