BIOMETHANATION POTENTIAL

Lab exercise report submitted by Arvind Gupta

Aim of the exercise: To understand the Biomethanation Potential (BMP) and do an experiment
on the degradation of Pectin resulting in production of biogas (CH4) in an anaerobic ambient.
Biomethanation Potential (BMP)
BMP can be understood as the capability of any organic substance to degrade and produce
methane gas under anaerobic condition.
Biomethanation is an alternative option of producing energy by biological conversion of organic
waste matter. It is a process by which organic material is microbiologically converted under
anaerobic conditions to biogas. Three main physiological groups of microorganisms are involved:
fermenting bacteria, organic acid oxidizing bacteria, and methanogenic archaea. Microorganisms
degrade organic matter via cascades of biochemical conversions to methane and carbon dioxide.
Why do BMP?
Doing BMP is very important as biomethanation can prove to be an alternative way of producing
energy which is sustainable and least energy intensive technology.
Determination of practical and theoretical methane potential is very important for design for
optimal process design, configuration, and effective evaluation of economic feasibility. A wide
variety of process applications for biomethanation of wastewaters, slurries, and solid waste have
been developed.
Procedure
The estimation of biomethanation potential of Pectin was carried out in the present study.
Inoculum and the substrate (Pectin) were mixed together and were stored in an airtight glass
bottle for several days. The degradation of Pectin would take place and the methane generated
would be stored in the bottle. This amount (volume) of the methane was measured in different
intervals and noted.
BMP estimation can be reported in two ways.
1. W/W percentage: The relative amounts of Pectin and inoculum taken for the study are
expressed as the percentage of weights.
w/w = weight of substrate (g)/weight of inoculum (g)
2. I/S: The analysis can also be reported as the ratio of inoculum weight to that of the
substrate.
For the present study, w/w method of analysis was followed. The total weight of the solution
considered for the experiment was 50g.

The samples were taken in four different composition (w/w).

0.25% - 0.125g Pectin + 49.875g Inoculum
0.5% - 0.25g Pectin + 49.75g Inoculum
1% - 0.5g Pectin + 49.5g Inoculum
2% - 1g Pectin + 49g Inoculum
3 samples of each composition were examined during the study.
Results and discussion:
The volume of the biogas was measured, for each bottle of sample, weekly for 3 weeks. The
observations have been tabulated in Table 1.
Table 1. Volume of the biogas generated
Composition
Sample#
Volume of 09.11.15
biogas
16.11.15
generated 23.11.15
(ml)

0.25%
1
15.2
12.8
10.8

2
17
14.8
4.8

3
12
10
17

0.5%
1
10
10.8
16

2
12
30
19.5

3
12.4
18
13

1%
1
23.2
27
24

2
26.8
28
24.3

3
15
29
19

2%
1
39
40.2
30

2
41
41
6

3
33
42.4
50

The generation of the biogas generated from degradation of the Pectin was studied. From the
data obtained it can be inferred that samples with highest percentage of Pectin produced highest
volumes of biogas with an average of approx. 36 ml of biogas from 2% (w/w) composition
cumulatively over 3 weeks.

End of the Report