The increasing invasion of Sargassum spp. along coastlines has caused significant ecological and economic challenges. Converting this biomass into biomethane through anaerobic digestion offers a promising solution but high lignin content in Sargassum spp. inhibits efficient biogas production. This study investigates the effect of a mild alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) pretreatment on the biomethanation kinetics of sargassum biomass. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) of the biomass was 72.25 NmL/g VS which tripled to 235.77 ± 16.67 NmL/g VS after AHP pretreatment. The process reduced lignin content from 35.2 % w/w to 4.3 %w/w, enhancing the biomass digestibility and increasing biomethane production. Organic elemental analysis revealed an increase in carbon content and significant reductions in nitrogen and sulfur following pretreatment. The analysis of macronutrients and heavy metals showed that AHP pretreatment reduced inhibitory elements like sulfur, potassium and copper, and decreased arsenic level, improving the process feasibility and potential for biosolids use in agriculture. FT-IR and TGA analyses confirmed structural changes, showing a marked reduction in lignin-related absorption bands and over 68 % biomass degradation at 2500C. This study confirms that AHP pretreatment under mild conditions markedly improves Sargassum biomethanation, providing a basis for future studies to refine process conditions and evaluate large-scale implementation.
Effect of mild alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment on the biomethanation kinetics of Sargassum spp. biomass
Paletta R.;Candamano S.;
2026-01-01
Abstract
The increasing invasion of Sargassum spp. along coastlines has caused significant ecological and economic challenges. Converting this biomass into biomethane through anaerobic digestion offers a promising solution but high lignin content in Sargassum spp. inhibits efficient biogas production. This study investigates the effect of a mild alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) pretreatment on the biomethanation kinetics of sargassum biomass. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) of the biomass was 72.25 NmL/g VS which tripled to 235.77 ± 16.67 NmL/g VS after AHP pretreatment. The process reduced lignin content from 35.2 % w/w to 4.3 %w/w, enhancing the biomass digestibility and increasing biomethane production. Organic elemental analysis revealed an increase in carbon content and significant reductions in nitrogen and sulfur following pretreatment. The analysis of macronutrients and heavy metals showed that AHP pretreatment reduced inhibitory elements like sulfur, potassium and copper, and decreased arsenic level, improving the process feasibility and potential for biosolids use in agriculture. FT-IR and TGA analyses confirmed structural changes, showing a marked reduction in lignin-related absorption bands and over 68 % biomass degradation at 2500C. This study confirms that AHP pretreatment under mild conditions markedly improves Sargassum biomethanation, providing a basis for future studies to refine process conditions and evaluate large-scale implementation.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
