Abstract

Anaerobic digestion (AD) as a waste management method has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while producing renewable energy, making it a viable option for managing the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). OFMSW characteristics can vary depending on factors such as waste source, composition and separation units. The characteristics of OFMSW are critical for analyzing and monitoring the AD process to optimize biogas production. In this study, the waste composition and physicochemical characteristics of the mechanically separated OFMSW (ms-OFMSW) were determined at a full-scale AD plant in Türkiye. The ms-OFMSW samples were collected monthly after mechanical separation and were subsequently sent to the anaerobic digester. The composition and physicochemical characteristics of the samples were determined by manual sorting. The results showed that the majority of the ms-OFMSW (76.45%±1.71%) was organic, while 8.99%±1.56% was recyclable and 14.56%±1.69% was non-recyclable. Loss of environmental benefits for the recyclable materials was determined using a free online tool provided by Environmental Protection Agency. Metals (399.7 GJ) and plastics (403.7 GJ) both saved nearly the same amount of energy while metals saved the most water (421.8 m³), with the greatest positive impact. Greenhouse benefits ranged from 3 tons to 40 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent for each waste stream. These findings suggest that efficient pre-separation units can improve the anaerobic digestibility of OFMSW, while also providing greater environmental benefits by preventing recyclable waste from the anaerobic digester. In addition to encouraging source separation applications, this study demonstrates the need for improved technologies to separate OFMSW from mixed MSW.

Graphical abstract

中文翻译：

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全尺寸厌氧消化装置机械分离城市固体废弃物有机部分特性的测定

摘要

厌氧消化（AD）作为一种废物管理方法，有可能减少温室气体排放，同时产生可再生能源，使其成为管理城市固体废物有机部分（OFMSW）的可行选择。OFMSW 特性可能因废物来源、成分和分离装置等因素而异。OFMSW 的特性对于分析和监控 AD 过程以优化沼气生产至关重要。在这项研究中，机械分离 OFMSW (ms-OFMSW) 的废物成分和物理化学特性在土耳其的一家全规模 AD 工厂进行了测定。机械分离后每月收集 ms-OFMSW 样品，随后发送至厌氧消化池。通过人工分选确定样品的成分和理化特性。结果表明，大部分ms-OFMSW（76.45%±1.71%）是有机的，8.99%±1.56%是可回收的，14.56%±1.69%是不可回收的。使用环境保护局提供的免费在线工具确定可回收材料的环境效益损失。金属（399.7 GJ）和塑料（403.7 GJ）节省的能源几乎相同，而金属节省的水最多（421.8 m ³），具有最大的积极影响。每股废物流的温室效益从 3 吨到 40 吨二氧化碳当量不等。这些研究结果表明，高效的预分离装置可以提高 OFMSW 的厌氧消化率，同时还可以通过防止厌氧消化器产生可回收废物来提供更大的环境效益。除了鼓励源分离应用之外，这项研究还表明需要改进技术将 OFMSW 从混合城市固体废物中分离出来。

图形概要