Variability of Micro- and Macro-Elements in Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Municipal Sewage Sludge and Food Industrial By-Products

Aleksandra Szaja (), Agnieszka Montusiewicz and Magdalena Lebiocka
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Aleksandra Szaja: Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618 Lublin, Poland
Agnieszka Montusiewicz: Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618 Lublin, Poland
Magdalena Lebiocka: Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618 Lublin, Poland

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of selected industrial food wastes on the fate of micro- and macro-elements within an anaerobic digestion process (AD), as well as define the relationship between their content and AD efficiency. Orange peels, (OP), orange pulp (PL) and brewery spent grain (BSG) were used as co-substrates, while municipal sewage sludge (SS) was applied as the main component. The introduction of co-substrates resulted in improvements in feedstock composition in terms of macro-elements, with a simultaneous decrease in the content of HMs (heavy metals). Such beneficial effects led to enhanced methane production, and improved process performance at the highest doses of PL and BSG. In turn, reduced biogas and methane production was found in the three-component digestion mixtures in the presence of OP and BSG; therein, the highest accumulation of most HMs within the process was also revealed. Considering the agricultural application of all digestates, exceedances for Cu, Zn and Hg were recorded, thereby excluding their further use for that purpose.

Keywords: anaerobic co-digestion; heavy metals; nutrients content; orange juice wastes; brewery spent grain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (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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