SNEHAL BANARASE, NIKHIL YENDE, ANUJA BAWASKAR, SHILPA LOKHANDE AND NITEEN VINAY PHIRKE
Abstract
This study investigates the enhancement of biogas production through the co-digestion of cow manure and food scraps using various additive and pre-treatment strategies. Among the tested additives, urea demonstrated the highest efficacy, contributing nitrogen essential for microbial growth and maintaining an optimal carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio. Metal ions facilitated enzyme activation and microbial functioning, while yeast and iron oxide nanoparticles enhanced microbial metabolism and overall system stability. Furthermore, NaOH pre-treatment effectively increased substrate solubilisation, promoting hydrolysis efficiency. The results confirmed a maximum biogas yield of 56 ml with urea supplementation - nearly three times higher than the control. These findings underscore the potential of targeted additive use and pre-treatment approaches in significantly improving anaerobic digestion efficiency for sustainable waste-to-energy conversion.