Biogas Production and Nutrient Dynamics in Digestate from Co-Digestion of Food Waste and Banana Stems

Biogas Production and Nutrient Dynamics in Digestate from Co-Digestion of Food Waste and Banana Stems | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Biogas Production and Nutrient Dynamics in Digestate from Co-Digestion of Food Waste and Banana Stems Wagene Hailu Debele, Demissie Dawana Keche, Akiber Chufo Wachemo, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6049434/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Purpose: Biogas production offers a sustainable approach to converting organic waste into renewable energy while generating nutrient-rich digestate for use as fertilizer. This study investigates the biogas potential and nutrient composition of digestate derived from the anaerobic co-digestion of food waste (FW) and banana stems (BS). The research aims to optimize the co-digestion process by evaluating biogas yields and nutrient retention in digestate. Methods: Anaerobic co-digestion experiments were conducted in 1L sealed reactors at 37±1°C for 45 days, with biogas volume measured using the water displacement method. The feedstocks were characterized by their biochemical composition, with FW containing 50.72% carbohydrates and 9.81% protein, while BS had 29.03% cellulose and 8.53% lignin. Co-digestion was assessed for its effect on the carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio and methanogenesis efficiency. Results: Biogas yields were recorded as 304.91 mL/gVS for FW, 216.60 mL/gVS for BS, and 330.18 mL/gVS for a 1:1 co-digestion, showing an improvement of 25.49% and 14.58% compared to FW and BS alone, respectively. Retention times varied from 25 days (FW) to 41 days (BS). Digestate analysis indicated phosphorus levels between 16.47–19.95 mg/L, potassium between 25.0–36.0 mg/L, and sodium between 12.0–18.0 mg/L, with FW-rich reactors exhibiting the highest nutrient concentrations. Conclusion: The study highlights the dual benefits of anaerobic co-digestion in enhancing biogas production and generating nutrient-rich digestate. These findings provide valuable insights into optimizing waste valorization processes for sustainable energy production and agricultural applications. Environmental Engineering Anaerobic co-digestion Banana stem Biogas Digestate Food waste Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Supplementary Files GraphicalAbstract.docx Highlights.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6049434","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":417020634,"identity":"8a17710a-0df3-4c72-a96b-569dc8802f5e","order_by":0,"name":"Wagene Hailu Debele","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA9UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJACZgYGCRkG9vaDD4AcHj5itfAw8JxJNgBpYSNSCwMPg0SCmQSIR1CLwfHjFx8X1FjwGBxISKv8mmMnw8bA/PDRDXxazuQUG884JgHUcvDYbdltyUCHsRkb5+DRYnYgJ02ahw2o5WBD2m3JbcxALTxs0ni1nH+T/pvnH1DLYQazYslt9URouZF+jJm3DajlGIMZ48dthwlrsb/xhlmat0+CR/IMT7I047bjPGzMBPwi2Z/+8DPPtzo5vvvPD378ua3anp+9+eFjfFqAMWIAZzLzgEm8ykGA/QGcyfiDoOpRMApGwSgYiQAADeNE6Otrx0wAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Adigrat University, College of Engineering and Technology (CET), Department of Civil Engineering, Water Supply, and Environmental Engineering Stream, P. 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This study investigates the biogas potential and nutrient composition of digestate derived from the anaerobic co-digestion of food waste (FW) and banana stems (BS). The research aims to optimize the co-digestion process by evaluating biogas yields and nutrient retention in digestate.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods: \u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nAnaerobic co-digestion experiments were conducted in 1L sealed reactors at 37±1°C for 45 days, with biogas volume measured using the water displacement method. The feedstocks were characterized by their biochemical composition, with FW containing 50.72% carbohydrates and 9.81% protein, while BS had 29.03% cellulose and 8.53% lignin. Co-digestion was assessed for its effect on the carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio and methanogenesis efficiency.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nBiogas yields were recorded as 304.91 mL/gVS for FW, 216.60 mL/gVS for BS, and 330.18 mL/gVS for a 1:1 co-digestion, showing an improvement of 25.49% and 14.58% compared to FW and BS alone, respectively. Retention times varied from 25 days (FW) to 41 days (BS). Digestate analysis indicated phosphorus levels between 16.47–19.95 mg/L, potassium between 25.0–36.0 mg/L, and sodium between 12.0–18.0 mg/L, with FW-rich reactors exhibiting the highest nutrient concentrations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion: \u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThe study highlights the dual benefits of anaerobic co-digestion in enhancing biogas production and generating nutrient-rich digestate. 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