Biogas Production and Evaluation of the Potential of Sargassum Digestate as an Agricultural Substrate

Héctor Alfredo López-Aguilar (), Antonino Pérez-Hernández, David Quiroz-Cardoza, María del Rosario Peralta-Pérez, Francisco Javier Zavala-Díaz de la Serna and Linda Citlalli Noperi-Mosqueda
Additional contact information
Héctor Alfredo López-Aguilar: Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31160, Mexico
Antonino Pérez-Hernández: Department of Metallurgy and Structural Integrity, Center for Advanced Materials Research, Chihuahua 31136, Mexico
David Quiroz-Cardoza: Department of Metallurgy and Structural Integrity, Center for Advanced Materials Research, Chihuahua 31136, Mexico
María del Rosario Peralta-Pérez: Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, University Circuit S/N, Campus UACH II, Chihuahua 31125, Mexico
Francisco Javier Zavala-Díaz de la Serna: Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, University Circuit S/N, Campus UACH II, Chihuahua 31125, Mexico
Linda Citlalli Noperi-Mosqueda: Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31160, Mexico

Resources, 2025, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the production of biogas and the digestate obtained by means of the anaerobic digestion of sargassum, and its anaerobic co-digestion with municipal solid waste, while considering the effect of particle size and the carbon–nitrogen ratio (C:N) on methane generation. Physicochemical analyses of both Sargassum and the digestate were performed, including ultimate analysis and heavy metal content. The highest methane yield (92.62 mL CH 4 /gVS) was achieved with a 2 mm particle size and a C:N ratio of 15. Digestate characterization revealed the presence of arsenic and zinc, indicating the need for additional treatment before agricultural use. The agronomic potential of Sargassum digestate was assessed by comparing it with livestock waste, humus, and garden soil in tomato seedling growth trials. The Sargassum-based digestate significantly enhanced seedling biomass and development, supporting its potential as a sustainable soil amendment. Overall, the findings confirm the viability of Sargassum as a feedstock for biogas and biofertilizer production, emphasizing the importance of contaminant monitoring to ensure environmental safety. This study supports the integration of Sargassum into circular economy strategies and regenerative agricultural systems.

Keywords: circular economy; anaerobic digestion; BMP; biomethane (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9276/14/10/160/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9276/14/10/160/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jresou:v:14:y:2025:i:10:p:160-:d:1767199

Access Statistics for this article

Resources is currently edited by Ms. Donchian Ma

More articles in Resources from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().