Evaluation of Biogas Production from the Digestion of Swine Dung, Plantain Peel and Fluted Pumpkin Stem

This study centered on biogas production from locally available animal and kitchen wastes: swine dung (SD), plantain peel (PP) and fluted pumpkin stem (PS) using five 32-Litres metallic prototype digesters. The anaerobic digestion was in the ratio of 3:1 of water to waste for all the samples as follows: Sample A was 100%SD, Sample B; 100% PP, Sample C; 100% PS, Sample D; 50%SD+50%PP and Sample E; 40% SD+30% PP+30% PS. The retention time was 30 days and parameters like pH, pressure, daily biogas production, ambient and slurry temperatures alongside the physico-chemical properties of wastes were monitored. The cumulative gas production yield was 11.5L, 35.1L, 39.5L, 46.9L, 59.3L for Sample A, Sample B, Sample C, Sample D and Sample E respectively. The flammable time was 15th, 5th, 25th, 26th, 2nd day for sample A, sample B, sample C, sample D and sample E respectively. The result revealed that the blend of the 3 substrates i.e. sample E: 40% SD+30% PP+30% PS gave the highest yield of biogas and flamed earlier than the other samples while sample A: 100%SD had the lowest yield of biogas. The results also showed that the sample that had the highest composition of methane in the biogas produced was Sample D: 50%SD+50%PP with 85.6989% while the lowest composition of methane was found in Sample C to be 79.0996%. The TS, TVS, BOD and VS were seen to be consistently reducing showing the level of waste treatment achieved during the digestion period of 30 days.