Shokoofeh Farazandemehr - Department of Environmental Science, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
Hadi Radnezhad - Department of Environmental Science, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
Mohsen Nourouzi - Department of Environmental Science, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

Anaerobic digestion of organic waste is one of the efficient ways to reduce methane emissions in atmosphere and produce pure biomethane for fuel consumptions. Aims: In this study, the effects of pomegranate wastes, poultry manure, and cow sludge treated with various ratios of respectively ۶۰, ۱۳, and ۲۷% (T۱), ۸۹, ۰, and ۱۱% (T۲), ۲۸, ۲۸, and ۴۴% (T۳), and ۰, ۳۴, and ۶۶% (T۴) were investigated. Evaluation of the pH, total solids (TS), volatile solids (VS), and the ratio of carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) parameters on the digestion yield in the optimal treatment was another objective of this study. Materials and Methods: The waste concentration (۷%) was evaluated based on the TS and over a period of ۱۵ days on the performance of anaerobic digestion. Furthermore, a pretreatment of thermal–chemical processing (boiling in acetic acid and nitric acid) was considered to remove lignin from pomegranate peels. The process of anaerobic digestion was divided into four stages of the setting up, including startup period, the first stage of the stabilization period, the second phase of the stabilization period, and the consolidation phase. Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference in biogas production between the T۳ with efficiency of ۰.۵۰ L/gr VS and cumulative biogas production value of ۵۸۸۵ ml/day and the T۲ with efficiency of ۰.۶۰ L/gr VS and cumulative biogas production value of ۷۱۸ ml/day. The third treatment (T۳) was detected as the optimum. In this treatment, the superior performance of anaerobic digestion in the days of third to ninth of the experiment led the highest removing percentage of VS. The C:N ratio remained in the optimal range during the experimental period. Conclusion: The results of this study in a laboratory scale for biogas production appear to be a challenging process so that the substrate composition had a great influence on the performance.

Biogas, pomegranate peel, poultry manure, sludge, thermo-chemical pretreatment