Enhanced biogas production from water hyacinth and cow dung with wood and faecal sludge biochar
Robinah N. Kulabako,
Swaib Semiyaga,
Rodney S. Tumwesige,
Collin Irumba,
Miria I. Opio,
Musa Manga,
Vianney Tumwesige,
Jessica Quintana-Najera,
Andrew B. Ross
Affiliations
Robinah N. Kulabako
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala Uganda
Swaib Semiyaga
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala Uganda; Corresponding author.
Rodney S. Tumwesige
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala Uganda
Collin Irumba
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala Uganda
Miria I. Opio
Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
Musa Manga
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 166 Rosenau Hall, 135 Dauer Drive, Campus Box # 7431, NC 27599, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Vianney Tumwesige
Green Heat (U) Ltd, P.O. Box 10235, Kampala, Uganda
Jessica Quintana-Najera
Faculty of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Autonomous University of Sinaloa, Culiacan 80010, Mexico
Andrew B. Ross
School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Water hyacinth (WH), known for its ecotoxicity and economic burden in tropical regions, can play an important role as a lignocellulosic biomass source for biogas production. Co-digesting WH with cow dung (CD) enhances biogas yield but poses challenges like process instability and excessive carbon dioxide production. To improve biogas yield from digestion of WH and CD, this study examined the impact of wood and faecal sludge biochar on the anaerobic co-digestion of CD and WH using a temperature of 37 °C for 40 days. In the controlled laboratory tests, cow dung alone produced the least methane (CH4), but introducing 2 % wood and faecal sludge biochars significantly boosted CH4 production by 76.8 % and 94.0 %, respectively. However, a 50 % CD-50 % WH mixture, the CH4 increase was milder at 20 % and 37 %, respectively. Wood biochar had no significant effect while faecal sludge biochar made a statistically significant impact (P < 0.05). These findings offer a sustainable solution, paving the way for cost-effective and eco-friendly biogas production in regions plagued by this invasive plant. The use of faecal sludge biochar, in particular, has substantial implications for optimizing anaerobic digestion processes and reducing their environmental footprint, thereby promoting a more sustainable approach to managing WH and addressing energy needs in tropical, eutrophic regions.
