Biogas production from an anaerobic pond treating domestic wastewater in Burkina Faso

Abstract

The production of biogas and its composition from an anaerobic pond treating domestic wastewater have been studied in the Sudano-Sahelian climate of Burkina Faso. The biogas production was measured from March 2010 to March 2011 using a floating static chamber, and the composition was analysed using a micro-gas chromatograph. The composition of biogas produced was relatively constant with time. The major component of the biogas by volume was CH₄ which accounted for an average of 80.5%, N₂ for 11.8%, O₂ for 5% and CO₂ for 2.5%. The mean areal production rates of biogas and methane respectively were 121 and 97 L m⁻² d⁻¹. The mean methane production rates were 248 L kg⁻¹ COD removed and 588 L kg⁻¹ VSS removed. The average daily volume of biogas and its corresponding methane were 5.73 and 4.63 m³ d⁻¹, respectively, equivalent to a ratio of 7.3 m³ CH₄ per capita-year. The conversion of this methane production to electricity could reduce the CO₂ equivalent greenhouse gas emission from petrol combustion. This study revealed that the conversion of an anaerobic pond to an anaerobic lagoon digester with the capture and reuse of biogas would be an interesting option for wastewater treatment in the warm conditions of Sudano-Sahelian climate of Burkina Faso.

Keywords:

• Anaerobic pond
• Biogas
• GHG emission
• Methane
• Burkina Faso
• Wastewater stabilization pond

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), Swiss Development Agency, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) and International Foundation for Science for their financial support. The authors would like to thank Professor Stewart OAKLEY for his editorial comments.

Notes

The Third International Congress Smallwat11—Wastewater in Small Communities 25–28 April 2011, Seville, Spain