Anaerobic Co-Digestion to Enhance Waste Management Sustainability at Yosemite National Park

This study evaluated the co-digestion of domestic wastewater solids (WWS) and food waste (FW) at bench-scale for Yosemite National Park, California, which operates a 1900 m3/d treatment plant in El Portal, California. A 35-day biochemical methane potential test was performed on varying amounts FW as percentage total (WWS plus FW) volatile basis (%FW). Specific yield volumetric increased substantially with increasing %FW. higher %FW also associated slower degradation kinetics but content biogas. The 75 had relatively rapid kinetics, high cumulative specific (453 mL CH4/g VS), an elevated biogas, is suggested upper limit mixture full-scale co-digestion. This, coincidently, near estimated ratio WWS production Park (70 %FW). Co-digesting Park’s feedstock existing anaerobic digestion facilities could increase five-fold. Combusting this combined heat power system would produce about twice energy needed to digestors plant.