African Journal of
Environmental Science and Technology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0786
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJEST
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 1150

Full Length Research Paper

Eggshells – assisted hydrolysis of banana pulp for biogas production

Lazaro Julius Kivuyo
  • Lazaro Julius Kivuyo
  • Department of Materials, Energy Science and Engineering, School of Materials, Energy, Water and Environmental Sciences, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 447 Arusha, Tanzania.
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Karoli Nicholas Njau
  • Karoli Nicholas Njau
  • Department of Materials, Energy Science and Engineering, School of Materials, Energy, Water and Environmental Sciences, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 447 Arusha, Tanzania.
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Cecil Kithongo King’ondu*
  • Cecil Kithongo King’ondu*
  • Department of Chemistry, South Eastern Kenya University, P. O. Box 170-90200 Kitui – Kenya.
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  •  Received: 21 June 2016
  •  Accepted: 14 September 2016
  •  Published: 31 January 2017

Abstract

In this study, pretreatment of banana pulp using eggshells in both calcined and un-calcined forms to examine the extent of hydrolysis was conducted. Reactor CO containing banana pulp and inoculum but with no eggshells added was used as the control, while reactors C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 containing banana pulp and inoculum were spiked with 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 g of un-calcined eggshells and calcined eggshells, for experiment 1 and 2, respectively. Anaerobic digestion was carried out at mesophilic temperature (35°C) for a period of 20 days. Digester C3 with 5 g of calcined eggshells gave the largest cumulative biogas yield of 2343 mL with 62% CH4, followed by digester C5 with 9 g of un-calcined eggshells which gave 2032 mL with 51.9% CH4. The least biogas yield of 10 mL was obtained in digester C5 with 9 g of calcined eggshells additive.

Key words: Anaerobic digestion, banana pulp hydrolysis biogas, eggshells.

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