Comparative Biogas production by Anaerobic Digestion Using Sugarcane Bagasse, Cow Dung and Chicken Droppings Obtained from Katsina Metropolis as Substrates

Abstract

The use of energy derived from fossil raw materials as a conventional primary source of energy has led to environmental pollution and climate changes. The need for alternative sources, such as energy derived from wind, solar, and biofuel, has become necessary. This research investigated the generation of biogas from three types of wastes: sugarcane bagasse, cow dung, and chicken droppings, using three different biogas plants. Batch operation was carried out, and the daily gas produced from each digester was monitored for the retention period of four weeks at ambient and slurry temperatures. The digesters were charged differently with these wastes in the ratio of 1:3 (wastes to distilled water). The ambient temperature ranges during the retention period were 17–29°C, and the slurry temperature range was 19–32°C. The results showed that chicken droppings had the highest cumulative biogas yield of 3228.3 cm³; cow dung had 2816.6 cm³, and sugarcane bagasse had the least cumulative production of 681.4 cm³ within a digestion period of 30 days. The qualitative test of the generated gas showed that cow dung had superior quality for biogas production, with the highest methane content of 61.3% compared to sugarcane bagasse (57.2%) and chicken droppings (47.6%). The bacterial enumeration for chicken droppings was discovered to have the highest count of 28.7 × 10⁵ cfu/g, compared to cow dung (21.2 × 10⁵ cfu/g) and sugarcane bagasse (2.1 × 10⁵ cfu/g). Cow dung was found to have the highest total solid content of 84.74%, while sugarcane bagasse had the least (8.67%). The utilization of these waste stocks could be an alternative option for energy sources and waste treatment.