Potential for Biogas Production from Water Hyacinth and Banana Peels: A Case Study of Substrates Harvested from Lomé, Togo

Abstract

Climate change and the growing demand for energy have prompted research on alternative eco-friendly energy sources. This study focused on the potential for biogas production from water hyacinth and banana peel waste through physicochemical characterization and batch anaerobic digestion tests. The water hyacinth and banana peel samples were dried, ground, and subjected to elemental, proximate, and fiber content analyses. Subsequently, banana peel waste, water hyacinth stems, and leaves were used for batch anaerobic digestion tests in 500 mL glass flask bottles for 21 days under mesophilic conditions in n = 3 trials. Kruskal–Wallis and Dunnett’s tests were performed to identify the significance of the differences in biogas yield among the samples. The analyses of the elemental, proximate, and fiber contents of water hyacinth and banana peels revealed that they possess a suitable chemical composition and essential nutrients for the production of high-yield biogas. The biogas yields from water hyacinth leaves, stems, and banana peels were 280.15, 324.79, and 334.82 mL/g VS, respectively. These findings indicate that water hyacinth and banana peel waste have significant potential for biogas production.

Keywords

• water hyacinth
• banana peels
• characterization
• biogas
• anaerobic digestion
• biofuel