Mancilla-Leytón JM, Fernández-Rodríguez MJ, De la Lama-Calvente D, Borja R. Evaluation of batch mesophilic anaerobic digestion of waste Euro banknotes for methane Production: Preliminary studies and kinetic approach.
WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024;
173:22-28. [PMID:
37956477 DOI:
10.1016/j.wasman.2023.11.003]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The European Central Bank is striving to find environmentally friendly alternative methods of waste disposal. In 2020, it decided to end the disposal of Waste Euro Banknotes (W€B) in landfills and planned to use them for recycling and/or energy recovery. Despite being recognized as an effective tool in a circular economy model, there are no reported studies on the use of W€B as a substrate in anaerobic digestion (AD). Thus, the aim of this research was to assess the viability of W€B to be converted into high-value-added energy products (mainly methane) through AD. W€B (€10 and €20 denominations) provided by the Bank of Spain were used. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests of pre-treated (grinded) and untreated W€B were assessed at mesophilic temperature. The ultimate methane yield was considerably higher for pre-treated W€B (334 ± 23 NmL CH4 g VS-1added) than for untreated W€B (297 ± 14 NmL CH4 g VS-1added). The Logistic or Sigmoidal kinetic model adequately fit the experimental data and allowed for obtaining the kinetic parameters of each case studied. In this sense, an increase of 22.4 % in the maximum methane production rate (Rmax) was observed for the pre-treated W€B (52.5 ± 0.9 mL CH4 (g VS·d)-1 compared to the untreated W€B (16.2 ± 1.8 mL CH4 (g VS·d)-1). According to the obtained results, AD may be a good alternative for the energetic valorization and recycling of W€B.
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