Comparative Study of the Biogas Potential of Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) and Water Melon (Citrullus lanatus) Wastes Blended with Cow Dung

Tambuwal A. D., Okoh E. V. C.

Abstract


Biogas production from watermelon and pumpkin wastes blended with cow dung was investigated. Three categories of digesters were charged. The first set was charged with fresh watermelon and pumpkin wastes (control), the second with dried watermelon and pumpkin wastes while the third with watermelon and pumpkin wastes seeded with cow dung.  Anaerobic batch digestion took place for 35 days under ambient atmospheric conditions. Mean volume (cm3) of biogas yield from the fresh, dried and seeded wastes are 817.7 and 961, 442 and 278, 486 and 340 for watermelon and pumpkin respectively. The result revealed that the dried wastes blended with cow dung gave a higher biogas yield than the dried wastes but was however lower than that of the fresh wastes. This is as a result of the hardening of the lignocellulosic materials brought about by drying as compared to when it was fresh and as such will take a longer time for methanogenic microorganisms to break it down. This explains why the highest biogas production was observed on the fourth week as against the third week for the fresh wastes. The results showed that the substrates are good materials for biogas production.


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References


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