Abstract—Animal wastes can serve as the feedstock for biogas production that could be used as alternative energy source. The green energy derived from animal wastes is considered to be carbon neutral and offsetting those generated from fossil fuels. In this study, an evaluation of methane production from animal wastes with different nitrogen and carbon sources was carried out. Anaerobic batch reactors containing different mixtures of animal wastes and potential inhibition sources were set up to evaluate methane potential. The results showed that methane productions increased as the solid concentrations, temperature and total carbon increased. However, biogas production decreased substantially when ammonia concentrations in the feedstock were high. The addition of carbon to the feedstock provided a better substrate for methane production during anaerobic digestion of animal wastes. Methane productions were more than several times greater from reactors with feedstock amended with additional source of carbon than the ones with just animal wastes (e.g., swine, poultry or just dairy) or acclimated microbes. Thus, it appears that additional carbon source is necessary to increase methane production from animal waste anaerobic digester. Inhibitor such as ammonia appears to hinder the biomethanation in the anaerobic digestion of animal wastes for optimum methane production. 
 

Index Terms—animal wastes, biochemical factors, biogas, livestock, methanogenesis

Cite: Nanh Lovanh, Graciela M. L. Ruiz-Aguilar, and John Loughrin, "Evaluation of Biochemical Factors from Mixed Animal Wastes Feedstock in Biogas Production," Journal of Advanced Agricultural Technologies, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 198-201, September 2018. Doi: 10.18178/joaat.5.3.198-201