Experimental approach of producing biogas from fallen leaves with co-digestion

Abstract

The present study assessed the feasibility of producing biogas from fallen tree leaves. This study provides valuable insights into utilizing locally available organic waste materials for biogas production and contributes to developing sustainable biogas systems. Four species of tree leaves, namely Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Mango (Mangifera indica), Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), and Teak (Tectona grandis) were selected for this experiment. The study employed co-digestion as a strategy, with cow-dung (Bos taurus) at 1% (w/v) added to the leaf mixture. Urea was used to control the pH of the mix, and the experiment was conducted in 2-litre digester bottles. The results revealed that the biogas yield from the tree leaves was highly dependent on the species used. Teak leaves had the highest methane yield at 64.3%, followed by Jackfruit leaves at 62.2%, and the lowest yield was observed from Mango leaves. Adding of cow-dung to the mixture of tree leaves enabled the biogas yield, confirming the significance of co-digestion for biogas production. The study also found that pH control was crucial in optimizing biogas yield, with urea effectively maintaining the pH within the desired range of 5.5 to 7.3.