Optimization of Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion using Bio-Vegetable Waste for Emerging Pollutant Removal

IJEP 45(11): 1024-1030 : Vol. 45 Issue. 11 (November 2025)

Full Text

Sathish S.1, John Presin Kumar A.2, Sivasankar Arumugam2, Parthiban A.3 and Seralathan S.1

1. Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Chennai – 603 103, Tamil Nadu, India
2. Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chennai – 603 103, Tamil Nadu, India
3. Vels Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced Studies (VISTAS), Department of Automobile Engineering, Pallavaram – 600 117, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Vegetable waste is one of the emerging pollutants generated heavily in market areas. Many vegetable wastes are dumped in waste pits as they are unsuitable for animal feed. Consequently, a high amount of waste is generated globally from these sources. Such emerging pollutants must be removed by finding alternative uses. This work examines methane generation from vegetable wastes (bio-waste) under the mesophilic temperature range of 18-37°C. The anaerobic process is carried out within this temperature range over a 30-day hydraulic retention time using a floating dome anaerobic digester with continuous digestion. Using neural networks (ANN), response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial intelligence (AI), the primary goal of the study is to assess and maximize methane and biogas production from vegetable wastes at various slurry temperatures, organic loading rates, pH levels and hydraulic retention times. The experimental results indicated that the optimal conditions were a mesophilic temperature of 14.71°C, OLR of 0.27, pH of 6.12 and HRT of 28 days, achieving biogas production of 1.875 m³ and CH4 percentage with a desirability of approximately 0.95. When comparing the biogas and methane (CH4) experimental values with the predicted ones from ANN and RSM, there is strong agreement between the predicted and experimental results.

Keywords

Biogas, Methane, Mesophilic, Hydroretention time, Emerging pollutant

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