Research on biogas production potential of aquatic plants

Abstract

This paper is to explore the biogas production potential of wetland aquatic biomass plants. 7 species of wetland aquatic biomass plants are used in the study, which include 4 plants with more fiber carbohydrate, Acorus calamus Linn, Typha orientalis Presl, Pontederia cordata and Canna indica, and 3 plants with more starch carbohydrate, Colocasia tonoimo Nakai, Thalia dealbata and Hydrocotyle vulgaris. In the experiment, these plants were treated by anaerobic fermentation in batch mode at 37 °C. The results show that the anaerobic biogas production potential (ABP, mL·g−1 VS) of aquatic biomass plants is different for different components content (%TS). The correlation between ABP and hemicellulose content is significant and negative (R = −0.784, 0.01 < p < 0.05), and the correlation between ABP and starch carbohydrate content is significant and positive (R = 0.767, 0.01 < p < 0.05). The multiple stepwise regression equation with cross variable can roughly meet the statistical model to reflect the coeffect of hemicellulose, cellulose, starch carbohydrate and lignin on ABP of aquatic biomass plants, y = 238.62 + 2.60x1 + 28.55x2−2.08x2x3 + 12.67x3, (Adj-R2 = 0.962, p(intercept) = 0.034, p(x1) = 0.101, p(x2) = 0.036, p(x2x3) = 0.066, p(x3) = 0.031, p = 0.025, SD = 9.95), y represents ABP (mL g−1 VS), x1, x2 and x3 represents the cellulose, lignin and starch carbohydrate content (%TS) respectively.