Effect of thermal and NaOH pretreatment on water hyacinth to enhance the biogas production

Water hyacinth (WH) is used as the substrate for biogas production due to its high lignocellulosic composition and natural abundance. The present study used thermal and chemical (alkali) pretreatment techniques to enhance biogas production from water hyacinth used as a substrate by anaerobic digestion. Thermal pretreatment was done using an autoclave at 121 degrees C and 15 lb (2 bar) pressure and alkali pretreatment by NaOH at two concentrations (2% and 5% w/v). The inoculum:substrate ratio for biogas production was 2:1, where cow dung was used as inoculum. Results indicated that the pretreatments increased biomass degradability and improved biogas production. Water hyacinth pretreated with 5% NaOH produced the highest amount of biogas (142.61 L/Kg VS) with a maximum methane content of 64.59%. The present study found that alkali pretreatment can modify the chemical structure and enhance WH hydrolysis, leading to enhanced energy production.