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Methane Production From Ozonated Pulp Mill Effluent¹

ABSTRACT

A study was made on the production of methane from desugared spent sulfite liquor (SSL) reacted with ozone. The ozonated SSL was fed continuously to three anaerobic fermenters for three months as the sole source of carbon and energy. The fermenters were inoculated with anaerobic bacteria obtained from sewage sludge and acclimated for 1 month in ozonated SSL prior to continuous fermentation. Chemical and biological parameters such as COD, BOD₅, total sulfur content, redox potential, pH, fatty acid composition, and methane bacteria populations were monitored to determine changes in the SSL during fermentation.

Methane production from ozone-treated SSL averaged 1.7 liters/liter or 17 ml of CH₄ produced/gram of volatile solids fed. Fatty acids analysis of fermenter effluent indicated a net production of 58 mM/liter of acetate during ozonated SSL fermentation. This acetic acid production shows future potential for further fermentation by pro solids to CH₄ in this process was not competitive with domestic or agricultural waste digesters, this study did indicate the potential benefits of ozonating organic wastes for increased methane fermentation yields.

Key Words: sulfite liquor • continuous fermentation • bioconversion

¹ Contribution from the Dep. of Forestry and the Dep. of Chem. and Chem. Eng., Michigan Tech. Univ., Houghton, MI 49931. This work was supported under contract no. E(11-1)-2983, U.S. Dep. of Energy.

² Former Research Associate, currently Microbiologist, Lab. of Renewable Resources Eng., Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN 47906; Professor, Dep. of Forestry, Michigan Tech. Univ., Houghton, MI 49931; and Head, Dep. of Chem. Eng., New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM 88003, respectively.

Received for publication August 6, 1979.