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Anaerobic Digestion Benefits
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Benefits of Anaerobic Digestion
EnergyProduction
NutrientRecovery
CombatGlobal Warming
Pathogen Reduction
ConserveEnergy
Conserve Land
Reduce Odors
Manage Waste
Save the Earth!
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Global Warming and Biogas
As greenhouse gases fill our atmosphere ourclimate is beginning to change
Greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4, andother gases are causing a global climatechange crisis
Methane is 21 times more powerful than CO2over a 100 year life cycle
Destruction of methane is a commodity
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Biogas and Global Warming
Carbon neutral energysource
Anaerobically digestedeffluent builds top soilan important carbonsink
Fertilizer grows plantmaterial anotherimportant carbon sink Plants fix Atmospheric
Carbon Dioxide
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Carbon Budget
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Anaerobic Digestion
Anaerobic
Digester
OrganicMatter
Fiber
Biogas
Biofertilizer
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Biofertilizer
Topsoil is supplemented withfertilizer to grow crops
Phosphorous mining is one ofthe most environmentallyharmful practices in FL
Nitrogen fixed with the Haber-Bosch process consumes 1%of the world's energy supply
Soil Profilehttp://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/297/5587/1654
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Biofertilizer
Anaerobic Digestionremoves Carbon infeedstock leaving avaluable, nutrientrich effluent
Nutrients are
mineralized to asoluble, bioavailableform
Digester Effluent in theDeveloping World
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Eutrophication
Nutrient overloading can cause ecologicalcollapse by creating aquatic areas with littleor no oxygen, dead zones
Nutrients cause an algal bloom which leadsto a die off
Agriculture and urban runoff containingchemical fertilizers are largely responsible
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Biofertilizer
Eutrophication by nutrientsis a major environmentalproblem
Effluent contains fiber tomitigating erosion andaiding nutrient management
Anaerobic Digestion buildssoil up through the naturalsoil building process
Eutrophication in theGulf of Mexico
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Biogas
Flared off
Direct Combustion
Electricity production
Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles
Fuel cell
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Honda's CNG Vehicle
Biogas Fueled?
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Combustion
Water heaters
Steam generation
Electricity productionfrom Internal
Combustion,microturbineGas Flare
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Pathogen Reduction
The anaerobicmicrobial communitycan select for non-pathogenic microbes
Studies have shownthat anaerobic
digestion of manurewastes is an effectiveway of reducingpathogensE. Coli
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Land Conservation
Small Facility Print
Prevents waste fromgoing into Landfills
Removes need forlarge Aeration plants
m
UF/IFAS Anaerobic Digester
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Landfill Gas vs Biogas
Similar process occursin a landfill
Issues: Biogas quality,Nutrient recovery, Landuse, Methane potential
Anaerobic Digestion invessel provides manyadditional benefits over
Landfills
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Questions?