Methane Production of Sargassum spp. Biomass from the Mexican Caribbean: Solid–Liquid Separation and Component Distribution

Enrique Salgado-Hernández, Ángel Isauro Ortiz-Ceballos, Sergio Martínez-Hernández, Erik Samuel Rosas-Mendoza, Ana Elena Dorantes-Acosta, Andrea Alvarado-Vallejo and Alejandro Alvarado-Lassman ()
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Enrique Salgado-Hernández: Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada (INBIOTECA), Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa 91090, Mexico
Ángel Isauro Ortiz-Ceballos: Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada (INBIOTECA), Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa 91090, Mexico
Sergio Martínez-Hernández: Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada (INBIOTECA), Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa 91090, Mexico
Erik Samuel Rosas-Mendoza: CONACYT-Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Orizaba, Av. Oriente 9, 852. Col. Emiliano Zapata, Orizaba 94320, Mexico
Ana Elena Dorantes-Acosta: Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada (INBIOTECA), Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa 91090, Mexico
Andrea Alvarado-Vallejo: División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Orizaba, Orizaba 94320, Mexico
Alejandro Alvarado-Lassman: División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Orizaba, Orizaba 94320, Mexico

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: In the last decade, Sargassum spp. seaweed species have caused massive flooding on the Caribbean Sea coasts. These seaweed species have a high content of recalcitrant compounds, such as insoluble fibers and polyphenols, which generate low methane yields in anaerobic digestion (AD). This study investigated the effect of solid–liquid separation of Sargassum biomass on biodegradability and methane yield. A biochemical methane potential (BMP) test was conducted with both fractions and raw biomass (RB). A mass balance was developed to assess the distribution of the components. The obtained liquid fraction (LF) showed high biodegradability and a high methane production rate, and it generated a methane yield of 159.7 ± 7.1 N L kg VS −1 , a value that corresponds to approximately twice that achieved with RB and the solid fraction (SF). The component distribution analysis showed that about 90% of total solids (TS), volatile solids (VS), ash, carbon, and cellulose were retained in the SF. In conclusion, the LF had high biodegradability and methane yield. This suggests the potential for LFs of Sargassum biomass to be treated in large-scale high-load reactors; however, studies applied to SFs are needed because they retain a large amount of organic matter with low biodegradability.

Keywords: Sargassum; Caribbean; seaweed; anaerobic digestion; biogas; biochemical methane potential (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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