Effect of Acid Whey Pretreatment Using Ultrasonic Disintegration on the Removal of Organic Compounds and Anaerobic Digestion Efficiency

Joanna Kazimierowicz (), Marcin Zieliński, Izabela Bartkowska and Marcin Dębowski
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Joanna Kazimierowicz: Department of Water Supply and Sewage Systems, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Bialystok University of Technology, 15-351 Bialystok, Poland
Marcin Zieliński: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
Izabela Bartkowska: Department of Water Supply and Sewage Systems, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Bialystok University of Technology, 15-351 Bialystok, Poland
Marcin Dębowski: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-20

Abstract: Acid whey is a by-product of the dairy industry that should be utilized or appropriately neutralized. Anaerobic processes represent a group of prospective methods for whey processing, and a key priority in their development is to improve their technological and economical effectiveness. The present study aimed to determine the effect of ultrasonic disintegration (UD) of acid whey on the course and effectiveness of methane fermentation. The study results demonstrated that extending the UD duration resulted in increased concentrations of dissolved forms of COD and TOC, efficiency of organic matter biodegradation, and CH 4 production. The best effects were achieved at 900 s US, including CH 4 production of 0.203 ± 0.01 dm 3 /gCOD in. and CH 4 content accounting for 70.9 ± 2.8%. Organic compounds were removed with the following efficiencies: COD—78.7 ± 2.1%, TOC—80.2 ± 1.3%, and BOD 5 —84.1 ± 1.6%. The highest net energy gain of 5.763 Wh was achieved upon UD of 300 s. Extension of UD time had no significant effect on the improvement in the energetic effectiveness of anaerobic digestion. A strong positive correlation was found between COD and TOC concentrations in the dissolved phase and CH 4 production yield.

Keywords: acid whey; ultrasonic disintegration; methane fermentation; biogas; pretreatment; bacterial community (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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