Biochar and Its Potential Application for the Improvement of the Anaerobic Digestion Process: A Critical Review

Musa Manga (), Christian Aragón-Briceño, Panagiotis Boutikos, Swaib Semiyaga, Omotunde Olabinjo and Chimdi C. Muoghalu
Additional contact information
Musa Manga: Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 166 Rosenau Hall, 135 Dauer Drive, Campus Box # 7431, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Christian Aragón-Briceño: Department of Industry and Energy, CIRCE-Research Centre for Energy Resources and Consumption, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Panagiotis Boutikos: Center for Research and Technology—Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Swaib Semiyaga: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda
Omotunde Olabinjo: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife A234, Nigeria
Chimdi C. Muoghalu: Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 166 Rosenau Hall, 135 Dauer Drive, Campus Box # 7431, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-23

Abstract: Poor management of organic waste is a key environmental and public health issue as it contributes to environmental contamination and the spread of diseases. Anaerobic digestion (AD) presents an efficient method for organic waste management while generating energy and nutrient-rich digestate. However, the AD process is limited by key factors, which include process inefficiencies from substrate-induced instability, poor quality digestate, and poor management of effluent and emissions. Lately, there has been more interest in the use of biochar for improving anaerobic digestion. Biochar can improve methane production by speeding up the methanogenesis stage, protecting microorganisms from toxic shocks, and reducing inhibition from ammonia and volatile fatty acids. It can be applied for in situ cleanup of biogas to remove carbon dioxide. Applying biochar in AD is undergoing intensive research and development; however, there are still unresolved factors and challenges, such as the influence of feedstock source and pyrolysis on the performance of biochar when it is added to the AD process. In light of these considerations, this review sheds more light on various potential uses of biochar to complement or improve the AD process. This review also considers the mechanisms through which biochar enhances methane production rate, biochar’s influence on the resulting digestate, and areas for future research.

Keywords: biochar; biomass; greywater; contaminant removal; adsorption; pyrolysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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