An Experimental Study on Methane Enhancement in Anaerobic Digestion of Pharmaceutical Waste with Bentonite Clay
摘要
The huge quantum of herbal waste causes environmental problems if lying or dumped without proper management. The produced herbal waste can be used as a resource if managed properly and can be repurposed for a variety of applications. The study investigates the biochemical methane potential of herbal waste emanating from the pharmaceutical industry. The methane generation pattern follows the logistic growth curve, and the methane generation rate has been assessed using log growth equation. The maximum TOC of 12.59% with minimum of 5.32% has been observed in Ashwagandha and Salparni waste samples, respectively. After 50 days of incubation, the maximum methane produced is 50–90% of stoichiometric methane or CODfed in all the samples. The assessed rate of methane generation termed as “k” in all the samples lies in the range of 0.08–0.15 d−1. The biochemical methane potential (µb) in all the samples ranged of 0.50–0.90 gCH4–SCOD/gCODfed. The obtained result of the study portrays applicability on real systems for the anaerobic biodegradation of herbal waste with bentonite clay for its proper management and disposal.