Abstract
Interest in algal biomass as a renewable feedstock for liquid and gaseous biofuels has increased because algae can exhibit higher photosynthetic productivity and energy potential than many terrestrial biomass resources and portions of municipal solid waste streams. This study investigated the optimization of biogas generation by anaerobic digestion of marine algal biomass and food waste, both separately and in combination, using a mesophilic batch bioreactor. Algal samples were collected from coastal waters in Nigeria, while food waste was obtained from restaurants at Igbinedion University. Reactor operating conditions were monitored throughout the digestion period to maintain stable mesophilic performance. The reactor temperature was maintained at 37 ± 1°C. Average daily biogas yields were approximately 0.21 m³ day⁻¹ for food waste alone (FW), 0.14 m³ day⁻¹ for algal biomass alone (AB), and 0.26 m³ day⁻¹ for the co-digestion mixture of food waste and algal biomass (FWAB). The higher gas yield achieved during co-digestion indicates a synergistic effect between the two substrates, likely associated with improved nutrient balance, buffering capacity, and substrate biodegradability. The findings demonstrate that combining algal biomass with food waste can enhance biogas productivity under mesophilic batch digestion and supports the use of algae-containing organic waste streams as promising feedstocks for decentralized renewable energy production.
Keywords: Algal biomass; food waste; anaerobic digestion; co-digestion; biogas optimization; mesophilic batch reactor.Important note on the “25-page chapter paper” request