Effect of the solid content on anaerobic digestion of meat and bone meal

The effect of the solid content on anaerobic digestion of meat and bone meal (MBM) was investigated in batch reactors at MBM solid contents of 1%, 2%, 5% and 10%. There was no significant difference in the specific methane (CH4) production potential with respect to the total volatile MBM solids (TVS) applied at these solid contents, which ranged from 351 to 381 ml CH4/g TVS. However, the highest CH4 yield with respect to the removed volatile MBM solids (RVS) was 482 ml CH4/g RVS at the MBM solid content of 5%; the CH4 yields were 384–448 ml CH4/g RVS at the other MBM solid contents. The lag time of CH4 production rose with the increase in the solid content. The longer lag time at MBM solid contents of 5% and 10% was due to inhibition caused by high concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and free ammonia in the reactors, but the inhibition was reversible. The production of VFAs during the digestion varied with solid contents: at the solid content of 1%, only acetic acid was detected; at 2%, both acetic and propionic acids were detected; and at 5% and 10%, acetic, propionic, butyric and valeric acids were detected. After 93-day digestion, the volatile MBM solid reduction was 92%, 91%, 79% and 80% at MBM solid contents of 1%, 2%, 5% and 10%, respectively.