RT journal article
T1 Green Hydrogen and Biomethane Recovery from Slaughterhouse Wastes Using Temperature-Phased Anaerobic Co-Digestion
A1 Fernández Rodríguez, Juana
A1 Muñoz, Marta
A1 Pérez García, Montserrat
A2 Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente
K1 temperature-phased anaerobic co-digestion (TPAcD);
K1 green hydrogen
K1 biomethane
K1 slaughterhouse waste
AB Rapid population growth is intensifying global energy demand and waste generation. Slaughterhouse waste is creating important environmental problems. Transforming this into renewable energy through technologies like anaerobic digestion offers a sustainable pathway to reduce environmental impacts and support the energy transition. The main objective of this study was to examine the biodegradability of the slaughterhouse semi-liquid fraction (S), slaughterhouse liquid fractions (L), and their mixtures (25%, 50%, and 75%) through a two-phase anaerobic co-digestion (TPAcD) process. Batch reactors were operated in two separate microbiological and thermal phases. In the first, a thermophilic 55 °C–acidogenic stage, biochemical hydrogen potential (BHP) assays were conducted to evaluate green hydrogen production, while in the second, a mesophilic 35 °C–methanogenic stage, biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays were carried out to assess biomethane generation. The most relevant findings revealed that while liquid fractions maximized hydrogen recovery, overall yields remained limited due to competitive metabolic pathways. Notably, the 25L:75S configuration optimized hydrolysis, with a 1280% increase in soluble COD, establishing the semi-liquid fraction as a critical organic reservoir for thermophilic–acidogenic activity. In the subsequent stage, the acidogenic pre-treatment significantly enhanced methanogenesis, where the same 25L:75S mixture exhibited a synergistic methane yield of 495.46 mL CH4/g VS. This 13.8% improvement over the theoretical additive potential confirms that strategic substrate balancing overcomes individual feedstock limitations, maximizing energy recovery in sequential anaerobic digestion. These results highlight the potential of phase-separated anaerobic co-digestion as a strategy to improve the valorization of slaughterhouse wastes.
PB Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
SN 2673-8783
YR 2026
FD 2026-04-07
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/40407
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/40407
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 05-nov-2026