Zainal Afifi, Harun Razif, Idrus Syazwani
Department of Generation and Environment, Renewable Energy and Green Technology Unit, TNB Research Sdn. Bhd., Kajang, Malaysia.
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2022 Mar 24;10:775676. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.775676. eCollection 2022.
Application of anaerobic digestion (AD) has become common in treating palm oil mill effluent in Malaysia; however, employing AD in treating the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), especially food waste, is still scarce. This study aims to characterize the commercial Malaysian food waste (CMFW) and determine its potential as sustainable bioenergy feedstock through biogas production. The sample was digested the biomethane potential (BMP) test with the variation of organic loading rates (OLRs), ranging from 0.38 to 3.83 gCOD/L. day, under mesophilic conditions. The digestion process was further evaluated in continuous operation using a 6-L continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR). The kinetic properties of the process were also determined. It was found that the CMFW had a significant amount of chemical oxygen demand of 230 g/L and an acidic pH of 4.5 with the carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio at 121:1. A maximum methane composition of 81% was obtained at 1.92 gCOD/L in the BMP test with specific methane production (SMP) at 0.952 L. CH/L.COD fed. The biogas production was well-fitted with the modified Gompertz model with at 0.9983 and the maximum biogas potential production rate at R 0.1573 L/day, whereas in the CSTR operation, a maximum methane composition of 85% was produced at OLR 6 gCOD/L. day with the SMP of 1.13 L. CH/L.COD fed. The CSTR system was in high stability as the pH was maintained in a range of 6.6-6.7, with an alkalinity ratio of 0.28. This study indicates the CMFW is a sustainable feedstock for biogas production in Malaysia. Toward a circular economy approach, the authorities shall introduce commercial scale CMFW AD as part of managing municipal solid waste issues in Malaysia.
厌氧消化（AD）技术在马来西亚棕榈油厂废水处理中已普遍应用；然而，将其用于处理城市固体废物有机部分（OFMSW），尤其是食物垃圾的情况仍较为少见。本研究旨在对马来西亚商业食物垃圾（CMFW）进行特性分析，并通过沼气生产确定其作为可持续生物能源原料的潜力。在中温条件下，采用有机负荷率（OLR）从0.38至3.83 gCOD/L·天变化的生物甲烷潜力（BMP）试验对样品进行消化。使用6升连续搅拌釜式反应器（CSTR）在连续运行中进一步评估消化过程。还确定了该过程的动力学特性。结果发现，CMFW的化学需氧量高达230 g/L，酸性pH值为4.5，碳氮（C/N）比为121:1。在BMP试验中，当OLR为1.92 gCOD/L时，甲烷最大含量达到81%，特定甲烷产量（SMP）为0.952 L CH/L·COD进料。沼气产量与修正的Gompertz模型拟合良好，R²为0.9983，最大沼气潜力生产率为0.1573 L/天；而在CSTR运行中，当OLR为6 gCOD/L·天时，甲烷最大含量为85%，SMP为1.13 L CH/L·COD进料。CSTR系统稳定性高，pH值维持在6.6 - 6.7范围内，碱度比为0.28。本研究表明，CMFW是马来西亚沼气生产的可持续原料。为实现循环经济模式，当局应引入商业规模的CMFW厌氧消化技术，作为马来西亚城市固体废物管理问题的一部分。
