Effect of Sludge Content on the Decomposition of Different Types of Food Waste

Mumtahina Binte Latif, Md Azijul Islam (), Md Sahadat Hossain and Sehneela Sara Aurpa
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Mumtahina Binte Latif: Atwell, LLC, 9001 Airport Fwy Suite 660, North Richland Hills, TX 76180, USA
Md Azijul Islam: Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, 701 W Nedderman Dr., Arlington, TX 76019, USA
Md Sahadat Hossain: Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, 701 W Nedderman Dr., Arlington, TX 76019, USA
Sehneela Sara Aurpa: Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, 701 W Nedderman Dr., Arlington, TX 76019, USA

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-19

Abstract: Food waste, which is the second largest component in landfills, generates excessive amounts of leachate and greenhouse gas. As a result, it has recently become a severe concern, mostly in the developing countries for its adverse impact on the environment. The addition of nutrients to organic waste limits the accumulation of volatile fatty acid (VFA) and accelerates the production of energy from food waste. The objective of the current study is to find out the effects of sludge addition on the decomposition and gas generation of separate components of food waste. This study was conducted for four combinations of reactors: two pairs containing meat and grain with the addition of a sludge content of 20% and 30%, respectively, as inoculum; another two pairs of reactors containing fruits and vegetables with a sludge content of 20% and 30%, respectively. Over the operation period, pH, volume, COD, and VFA tests were conducted for leachate while composition and volume measurements were done for the generated gas. Based on the results, it is observed that addition of sludge accelerated the decomposition of fruit and vegetable waste due to limited VFA accumulation compared to meat and grain. The maximum methane production was found in fruits and vegetable reactors at a rate of 6.7 L of methane per pound of food waste. For fruit and vegetable reactors, the CH 4 :CO 2 ratio increased to as high as 8.5. On the other hand, for the meat and grain reactors, the increase in CH 4 :CO 2 ratio was insignificant as they were in the lag phase.

Keywords: leachate; volatile fatty acid (VFA); sludge; reactor; chemical oxygen demand (COD) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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