Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Cattle Manure and Sewage Sludge Using Different Inoculum Proportions
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a sustainable strategy for converting hazardous wastes into renewable energy while supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of inoculum on optimizing biogas production from sewage sludge (SS) and cattle manure (CM). Bench-sc...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Fermentation |
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| author | Caroline Carvalho Pinto Juliana Lobo Paes Alexia de Sousa Gomes Daiane Cecchin Igor Ferreira Oliva Romulo Cardoso Valadão Vânia Reis de Souza Sant’Anna |
| author_facet | Caroline Carvalho Pinto Juliana Lobo Paes Alexia de Sousa Gomes Daiane Cecchin Igor Ferreira Oliva Romulo Cardoso Valadão Vânia Reis de Souza Sant’Anna |
| author_sort | Caroline Carvalho Pinto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a sustainable strategy for converting hazardous wastes into renewable energy while supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of inoculum on optimizing biogas production from sewage sludge (SS) and cattle manure (CM). Bench-scale digesters were fed with 0, 20, and 40% inoculum prepared at a 1:3 SS:CM ratio. Substrate and digestate were analyzed for physicochemical properties, and biogas production data were fitted using nonlinear models. Kinetic parameters ranged from 0.0770 to 0.4691 L·kg<sup>−1</sup> for Y<sub>max</sub>, from 1.0263 to 2.1343 L·kg<sup>−1</sup>·week<sup>−1</sup> for μ<sub>max</sub>, and from 0.8168 to 8.0114 weeks for λ, depending on the ratio. The 1:3 SS:CM with 40% inoculum significantly improved biogas production by reducing the lag phase and increasing weekly yield, with the Gompertz model showing the best fit to the digestion kinetics. This was particularly evident due to the favorable conditions for microbial adaptation and efficient substrate degradation. The results reinforce the concept of optimization as defined in this study, wherein the application of inoculum enhances the performance of AD by improving the physicochemical conditions of the substrate and accelerating microbial activity, thereby resulting in increased methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) generation and overall biogas yield. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5e5fbed6e01e4132b0e404b4c0697258 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2311-5637 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fermentation |
| spelling | doaj-art-5e5fbed6e01e4132b0e404b4c06972582025-08-20T03:07:54ZengMDPI AGFermentation2311-56372025-06-0111737310.3390/fermentation11070373Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Cattle Manure and Sewage Sludge Using Different Inoculum ProportionsCaroline Carvalho Pinto0Juliana Lobo Paes1Alexia de Sousa Gomes2Daiane Cecchin3Igor Ferreira Oliva4Romulo Cardoso Valadão5Vânia Reis de Souza Sant’Anna6Department of Engineering, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica 23890-000, BrazilDepartment of Engineering, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica 23890-000, BrazilDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica 23890-000, BrazilGraduate Program in Digital Agroenergy, Federal University of Tocantins (UFT), Palmas Campus, Palmas 77001-090, BrazilDepartment of Engineering, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica 23890-000, BrazilDepartment of Engineering, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica 23890-000, BrazilIndependent Researcher, Viçosa 36570-240, BrazilAnaerobic digestion (AD) is a sustainable strategy for converting hazardous wastes into renewable energy while supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of inoculum on optimizing biogas production from sewage sludge (SS) and cattle manure (CM). Bench-scale digesters were fed with 0, 20, and 40% inoculum prepared at a 1:3 SS:CM ratio. Substrate and digestate were analyzed for physicochemical properties, and biogas production data were fitted using nonlinear models. Kinetic parameters ranged from 0.0770 to 0.4691 L·kg<sup>−1</sup> for Y<sub>max</sub>, from 1.0263 to 2.1343 L·kg<sup>−1</sup>·week<sup>−1</sup> for μ<sub>max</sub>, and from 0.8168 to 8.0114 weeks for λ, depending on the ratio. The 1:3 SS:CM with 40% inoculum significantly improved biogas production by reducing the lag phase and increasing weekly yield, with the Gompertz model showing the best fit to the digestion kinetics. This was particularly evident due to the favorable conditions for microbial adaptation and efficient substrate degradation. The results reinforce the concept of optimization as defined in this study, wherein the application of inoculum enhances the performance of AD by improving the physicochemical conditions of the substrate and accelerating microbial activity, thereby resulting in increased methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) generation and overall biogas yield.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/7/373anaerobic monodigestionanaerobic digestionphysicochemical characterizationbiogasmethanekinetics modeling |
| spellingShingle | Caroline Carvalho Pinto Juliana Lobo Paes Alexia de Sousa Gomes Daiane Cecchin Igor Ferreira Oliva Romulo Cardoso Valadão Vânia Reis de Souza Sant’Anna Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Cattle Manure and Sewage Sludge Using Different Inoculum Proportions Fermentation anaerobic monodigestion anaerobic digestion physicochemical characterization biogas methane kinetics modeling |
| title | Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Cattle Manure and Sewage Sludge Using Different Inoculum Proportions |
| title_full | Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Cattle Manure and Sewage Sludge Using Different Inoculum Proportions |
| title_fullStr | Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Cattle Manure and Sewage Sludge Using Different Inoculum Proportions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Cattle Manure and Sewage Sludge Using Different Inoculum Proportions |
| title_short | Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Cattle Manure and Sewage Sludge Using Different Inoculum Proportions |
| title_sort | anaerobic co digestion of cattle manure and sewage sludge using different inoculum proportions |
| topic | anaerobic monodigestion anaerobic digestion physicochemical characterization biogas methane kinetics modeling |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/7/373 |
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