Biogas production from potato-juice, a by-product from potato-starch processing, in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) and expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactors

In this study, the utilization of potato-juice, the organic by-product from potato-starch processing, for biogas production was investigated in batch assay and in high rate anaerobic reactors. The maximum methane potential of the potato-juice determined by batch assay was 470 mL-CH₄/gVS-added. Anaerobic digestion of potato-juice in an EGSB reactor could obtain a methane yield of 380 mL-CH₄/gVS-added at the organic loading rate of 3.2 gCOD/(L-reactor.d). In a UASB reactor, higher organic loading rate of 5.1 gCOD/(L-reactor.d) could be tolerated, however, it resulted in a lower methane yield of 240 mL-CH₄/gVS-added. The treatment of reactor effluent was also investigated. By acidification with sulfuric acid to pH lower than 5, almost 100% of the ammonia content in the effluent could be retained during the successive up-concentration process step. The reactor effluent could be up-concentrated by evaporation to minimize its volume, and later be utilized as fertilizer.