Anaerobic digestion of deproteinated cheese whey

Abstract

Whey and deproteinated whey preparations with different carbon: nitrogen (C/N) ratios ranging from 7·5 to 73 were digested anaerobically in a downflow stationary fixed-bed reactor at 35 °C with a hydraulic retention time of 5 d. Effluent and biogas parameters indicated that no decrease in digestion and stability occurred at the highest C/N ratio. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal averaged 88%, while volatile fatty acids were maintained at a low level (< 500 mg l–1). Biogas yield averaged 0·423 m3 kg–1 COD and the methane content of the biogas varied between 57 and 63%. Ammonia toxicity occurred at a C/N ratio of 7/5 in the substrate feed. Virtually no ammonia N was detected in the effluent when whey substrates with C/N ratios of 50 and 73 were fed. Titration curves showed that buffer intensities in the effluent were not affected by a decrease in ammonia level. A decrease in the biomass content of the effluent which occurred as a result of the increase in C/N ratio of the substrate did not cause any rate limiting effect on biogas production. The removal of protein from the whey caused a reduction in the ratio of COD: total carbon in the whey. On average 59% of the carbon in the substrate was converted to biogas.