Co-digestion of poultry litter with cellulose-containing substrates collected in the urban ecosystem

This study examined the influence of fallen leaves from the urban ecosystem as a cellulose-containing additive in the process of anaerobic digestion of poultry litter. Using X-ray fluorescence analysis, the elemental composition of the mineral component of dried leaf samples was determined. In the process of studying the anaerobic digestion of poultry litter with cellulose-containing co-substrate, the doses of the dry leaves were analyzed at 15%, 30% and 45% of the dry matter (DM) of leaf additives as a co-substrate. The obtained results indicated that the cellulose-containing co-substrate from the dried leaves after preliminary preparation can intensify biogas evolution and reduce the lag phase of the production of methane in the anaerobic digestion of poultry litter. Additionally, the optimal content of dry leaves was determined at 30% on the DM. A further increase in the percentage did not lead to significant changes in the indicators of anaerobic digestion. The use of a modified Gompertz model and the kinetic parameters of the methanogenesis process with the formation of a system of differential levels will provide more insights for their effective use in predicting and optimizing anaerobic digestion, which will be carried out in further studies.