enhancing anaerobic co-digestion with locally sourced biochar: a kinetic analysis of biogas production efficiency

In the quest for sustainable waste management, this study investigates the eco-friendly valorization of food waste (fw) and cattle rumen contents (crc) into valuable resources via anaerobic co-digestion (acd). the process is enhanced by the addition of locally sourced biochar (lsb), serving as an exogenous additive. the lsb efficacy as a biomass utilization enhancer and adsorbent was assessed, particularly on biogas production efficiency. the acd was performed in a sealed cylindrical column for 36 days, with the biogas yield quantified through water displacement in an inverted cylinder. the apex of biogas production was recorded on day 16, with a yield of 0.7244 ml/gvs following the addition of 10 g of lsb. the lsb incorporation was associated with a decrease in physicochemical parameters, indicative of its capacity to degrade or adsorb inhibitory substances, thus boosting biogas production. kinetic modelling was utilized to simulate the digestion process, employing the first-order kinetic model, modified gompertz model, and the cone model. the modified gompertz model exhibited the most accurate fit, as demonstrated by the lowest variance (57.33-225.1%) between the actual and predicted methane yields, along with the highest r2 values (0.913-0.976). these results highlight the potential of lsb to act as a stabilizing agent in acd, thereby enhancing biogas generation from organic waste.