Abstract
Biomethanation of organic waste is one of the preferred methods for producing an alternative fuel. Coffee husk, an important agro-industrial waste, resists biomethanation due to acidic pH and the presence of polyphenols. Coffee husk was treated with thermophilic fungus, Mycotypha in order to enable biomethanation. Mycotypha lowered the acidity of the husk and increased methane production. Initial gas production was delayed for 28 days after which there was constant gas production till the end of the experiment. Cow dung was used as control. In two months, 5910 ml of gas was produced by treated husk as against 5050 ml produced by control. Combination of cow dung and Mycotypha treated husk did not yield promising result. Even though the total anaerobic microbial count was lower in treated coffee husk initially the count was comparable to that of control by 40 days of fermentation. Changes in volatile fatty acid, total acidity, volatile solids and non volatile solids were comparable to control whereas total solids were much higher in treated coffee husk. Combination of treated coffee husk and cow dung did not produce any appreciable change in all the parameters analyzed. The spent obtained improved the water holding capacity of the soil and stimulated seed germination.
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