Anaerobic Digestion Feasibility Protocol for Fruit and Vegetable Processors

摘要

Many fruit and vegetable processors produce large volumes of high strength wastewater that may be inadequately treated by land application. Anaerobic digestion prior to land application reduces or eliminates the need for soil treatment and produces biogas that has the potential to provide the processor with an energy resource. Alternatively, energy recovery may the primary consideration in exploring anaerobic digestion, without regard to wastewater disposal. To help food processors determine the economic feasibility of instituting an anaerobic digester, a protocol specific to fruit and vegetable processing waste is currently being developed. The protocol assesses a waste stream's pretreatment requirement (e.g. pH buffering or reducing solids content), potential methane production (m~3 CH_4 per kg COD) using an anaerobic respirometer, and biogas quality (CH_4:CO_2). Opportunities for methane use at the processing facility for heat or electricity generation are considered. Processor needs, wastewaterparameters and respirometer results are considered to indicate if anaerobic digestion should be further pursued.