Variation effects of food-waste substrate composition on anaerobic co-digestion under mesophilic conditions

Moumini, Ibrahim Mohamed and Al-Khatib, Ma'an Fahmi Rashid and Alam, Md. Zahangir and Al-Mamun, Abdullah (2026) Variation effects of food-waste substrate composition on anaerobic co-digestion under mesophilic conditions. Chemical And Natural Resources Engineering Journal, 10 (1). pp. 24-34. E-ISSN 2637-0719

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Abstract

Food waste (FW) is increasingly recognized as an environmental challenge due to its high moisture content, rapid perishability, and heterogeneous composition, which render it unsuitable for landfilling, composting, or direct use as animal feed. This raises the need to identify and implement a treatment technique that can significantly reduce FW. Anaerobic digestion (AD) offers an effective biological route to stabilize FW while producing renewable biogas. This study investigates the interactive effects of three cooked FW substrates—cooked chicken (protein-rich), cooked rice (carbohydrate-rich), and cooked vegetables (fiber-rich)—on biogas generation under mesophilic conditions. Three reactors with varying substrate ratios were operated at 37 °C for 30 days. Reactor R3, containing the highest proportion of protein (40 %), produced the greatest average daily biogas yield (145.3 ± 5.36 mL d⁻¹) and cumulative production (4,358 ± 161 mL), exceeding R1 and R2. Balanced protein levels enhanced buffering capacity and promoted stable methanogenesis, whereas carbohydrate- and vegetable-dominant mixtures in R2 experienced early acidification, leading to markedly lower gas yields. The findings demonstrate that substrate composition strongly influences hydrolysis, pH stability, and methane potential during AD. These results provide practical guidance for optimizing FW mixtures in industrial-scale AD systems to maximize biogas output and improve waste-treatment efficiency.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Food Waste, Inoculum Sludge, Anaerobic Co-Digestion, Biogas Yield, and Mesophilic.
Subjects:	T Technology > TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering > TD1020 Hazardous substances and their disposal T Technology > TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering > TD169 Environmental protection T Technology > TP Chemical technology > TP155 Chemical engineering
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Engineering
Depositing User:	Dr. Ma'an Alkhatib
Date Deposited:	15 Sep 2026 12:11
Last Update:	15 Sep 2026 12:11
Queue Number:	2026-09-Q5078
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/131226
Indexed In:	Google Scholar, MyCite

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