International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Technology

Volume No.5 Issue No.3, pp: 139-141

ISSN:2277-1581
01 March.2016

Biogas Production by Co-Digestion of Cassava Peels with Urea

Nkodi T.M, Taba K.M*, Kayembe S., Mulaji C. and Mihigo S.
Department of Chemistry, University of Kinshasa ,D.R Congo
*Corresponding author: E-mail: tabakalulu@yahoo.fr, Tel: +243813330242

Abstract: In this study we investigated the effect of urea

concentration on bio-digestion of cassava peels. Five 1L
digesters with a working volume of 750 ml labeled
U1(control),U2,U3,U4 and U5 were charged with 42.7g of
peels and respectively increasing amount of urea, 0.00%
control),0.01 %; 0.03%; 0.04 % and 0.05%, anaerobic
digestion was conducted for 14days under mesophilic
conditions. The cumulative biogas yield decreased in the order
U2>U3>U1>U4>U5 with 80.79, 50.01, 49.186, 25.71 and
1.23L/Kg TS respectively. The highest biogas (80.79L/KgTS)
yield was obtained in digester U2 with 0.01% of urea. When
compared our results with literature, urea can be a good
supplement for enhancing biogas production.
Keys words: Co-digestion, cassava peels, urea, biogas.
Introduction
Cassava is the main staple food for more than 500 million people
in Western and Central Africa, with an average consumption of
500 Cal/day. In the processing of cassava the peels which
constitute 20 to 35% of the weight of the 3tuber, is usually
disregarded as waste (Olanbiwoninu and Odunfa, 2012). The
peels then constitute an environmental problem since its
degradation in nature produce obnoxious gas, unpleasant odors
and reduce soil fertility (Adelekan and Bamgboye, 2009). One
area of possible use has been to investigate cassava peels for the
production of biogas (Oparaku et al., 2013). Bio-digestion of
Cassava peels alone gave very poor results since the peels as
other lignocellulosic biomasses have a high value of organic
carbon and very low value of total nitrogen (Adelekan, 2012).
The particular high value of C/N decreases buffer capacity and
results in a very low biogas production.
Attempts have been undertaken to carry the co-digestion of
Cassava peels with poultry, piggery or cattle wastes under
mesophilic conditions. The yield of biogas obtained was
appreciable and ranged between 9.0 to 35.0L/KgTS, and
depended on the type of the animal manure and on its ratio with
that of the peels. Animal manure lowers the C/N ratio of the
peels to value between 20/1 and 30/1 ideal for anaerobic
digestion (Adelekan and Bamgboye, 2009; Esposito at al., 2012;
Estevez et al., 2012).
Anunputtikul (2004) co-digested cassava tuber with urea. Better
yield of biogas production was obtained with urea (0.03%) and
the amount of biogas highly depended on the ratio of urea to
cassava tubers used. However, Vicenta et al (1984) did not find
any influence of urea in the co-digestion of pineapple peels.

doi : 10.17950/ijset/v5s3/303

We herein report our interest on the co-digestion of cassava

peels with different ratios of urea under mesophilic conditions
and in order evaluate the effect of urea concentration in the
cassava peels-urea ratios.
Material and Methods
Cassava peels were collected from the Market of Mbanza Lemba
in May 2015, and urea was bought from a store in
Lemba/Kinshasa, D.R. Congo.
Experiments were carried out in batch, in a 1L plastic digester
with a working volume of 750 mL. The lid of bottle used as
digester was drilled in the middle to serve as an outlet for biogas.
On top of another 500 mL plastic bottle, the lid was also drilled
to serve as inlet for biogas. All perforations were properly sealed
and the two bottles connected with plastic tubing. The whole
system was air tight. Biogas production was monitored daily by
water displacement method.
Cassava peels were pretreated by soaking in water for 7 days as
Oparaku et al.(2013), in order to reduce cyanide content which
has been shown to be detrimental to microbial activities. They
were then sun dried and grinded into a powder. Standard
methods were used to determine the proximate composition of
the peels (moisture, volatile solid, organic carbon and ash)
Biogas Production assays
Biogas production was performed in duplicate for each trial,
with cassava peels in co- digestion with urea. A set of five batch
reactors were used as digester and were labeled U1, U2, U3, U4,
and U5. In each digester, 42.7 g of peels were mixed with the
following amounts of urea 0.00%; 0.01%; 0.03%; 0.04% and
0.05% to which 700mL of water was added. The average
temperature during the fermentation period of 14 days was 25C.
The minimum and maximum temperatures were 24C and 27C,
respectively. Digesters were shaken manually twice daily
morning and evening. The volume of biogas produced was
measured by the quantity of water displaced.
Results and discussion
The proximate analysis of the used cassava peels revealed 12%
and about 88% of moisture and total solids, respectively. These
results confirm those reported by Onlanbiwoninu and Odunfa
(2012), who found 11.2 and 88.8% respectively. In addition, the
volatile solids, carbon and ash contents were found to be as
about 95.98, 55.16 and 4.02% respectively (Table 1).

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International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Technology

Volume No.5 Issue No.3, pp: 139-141

Parameter
Value (%)
Moisture
12.20 + 0,79a
11.2b
a
Total solids
87.80+ 0,79
88.8b
a
Volatile solids
95.98+ 0,28
47.4c
Carbon
55.16+0.16a
48.7c
a
Ash
4.02+0,28
52.6c
a: our results, b : results according Olanbiwoninu (2012) and c:
results according Adelekan et al. 2009
Volatile solids (VS) represent the organic matter which is the
source from which biogas is produced. Thus, any organic matter
rich in volatile solids is very important for biogas production as
the yield depends on their important parameter. Gas production:
and is therefore very important. So, in many feedstocks the ash
content is quite low, hence in practice total solids (TS) content
can provide sufficient information (TS equals VS plus ash)
(Drosg, 2013). Thus, organic matter rich in volatile solids,
increasing probably the amount of biogas produced.
Furthermore, other elements such as iron, sodium, potassium,
calcium, and magnesium present in ash, can stimulate the
production of biogas at low concentrations and inhibit at high
concentrations (Anunputtikul, 2004). So, high amount of ash
increase probably metallic elements concentrations which can be
toxic for methanogen bacteria.

Volume of biogas produced

(mL)

It took two days after setting up the experiment before biogas

started to be produced. This may be the result of the lag phase of
the change in environment or richness of the medium. Moreover,
this earlier biogas production which was yet flammable could be
explained by the fact that addition of urea increases the rate of
microorganism growth. The optimum concentration of urea for
biogas production from cassava peels was 0.01% (W/V), see
figure 1. Biogas production decreases with an increase of
amount of urea in the following order 0.03%, 0.04% and totally
stop at 0.05%.The supplementation of urea also affected the
quality as well as the quantity of the biogas. In the digester U2
the highest volume of biogas, 710 mL was obtained on third day.
800
600

U1

400

U2

200

U3
U4

0
-200

10

15

U5

Retention time (days)

Figure 1: Daily biogas production from U1-U5 bio-digesters

results in a better balanced substrate and assorted in terms of

nutrients which increase biogas production. Anunputtikul in his
study of co digestion of cassava tuber with urea found the
maximum biogas production with at a ratio of 0.04 % of urea. It
is likely that the ratio of organic waste to urea depend on C/N
value of the substrate, the cassava tuber with a C/N value of 80:1
required more urea ( 0.04 %) than cassava peels with a C/N
value of 48.7:1
Biogas production ceased for all the digesters after 14 days. The
digester without urea U1 produces also biogas less than U2 but
more than U3, U4 and U5.

cumulative volume
produced (mL)

Table 1. Physicochemical characterizations of the cassava

peel used

ISSN:2277-1581
01 March.2016

3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0

3030
1875

1844

965
47
U1

U2

U3

U4

U5

Biodigester

Figure 2: Cumulative biogas production

Cumulative volume of biogas in each digester is shown in figure
2. U2 gave a total amount of 3030 ml followed by U3 with 1875
mL. The digester U1 with no urea gave more biogas 1844ml than
U4 with 1000 mL. U5 with 0.05 % of urea gave a small amount
of biogas. It is known that large quantity of urea inhibit methane
production most likely by forming large amount of ammonia
which is known to inhibit biomthanisation (Anunputtikul,
2004).
Conclusion
Biogas can be produced from bio-digestion of cassava peels by
adding urea as supplement in various concentrations. Biogas
production depends however on the concentration of urea. The
use of 0.01% of urea enhanced biogas production by 24.33%
compare to the digester without urea. The cumulative biogas
yield decreased in the order U2>U3>U1>U4>U5 with 80.79,
50.01, 49.186, 25.71 and 1.23L/Kg TS respectively. The highest
biogas (80.79L/KgTS) yield was obtained in digester U2 with
0.01% of urea. Biogas technology is the option of choice in the
search for alternative, renewable, affordable and environmental
energy source. We showed that this process can be applied even
without livestock manure.
References
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The highest volume of biogas for U3 was obtained at the six day
with a volume of 565 ml. Mixing organic waste with urea
doi : 10.17950/ijset/v5s3/303

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Volume No.5 Issue No.3, pp: 139-141
ii. Adelekan B.A. and Bamgboye, A.I. (2009). Comparison of
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