Potencial de produção de biogás a partir do aproveitamento de resíduos ruminais de abatedouro de bovinos

Abstract

The growing demand for renewable energy sources and the need for sustainable alternatives to organic waste management have driven research into biogas production through anaerobic digestion. In this context, ruminal content from cattle slaughterhouses emerges as

a promising biomass for clean energy generation. This study aimed to evaluate the biogas production potential from bovine ruminal content obtained from slaughterhouses. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with three treatments (100% cattle manure, 100% ruminal biomass, and a 50:50 mixture of both), and five replicates, totaling 15 experimental units. Physicochemical variables were analyzed, including temperature, pH, biogas production, methane and hydrogen sulfide concentrations, as well as total solids (TS), fixed solids (FS), volatile solids (VS), and the VS/TS ratio in both substrate and digestate. Data were subjected to the Shapiro–Wilk test for normality verification and then to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results indicated a significant effect on pH, hydrogen sulfide concentration, and on TS, FS, and VS contents in the substrate. No significant changes were observed in biogas production and methane levels, which remained within acceptable ranges. The tested biomasses provided favorable conditions for anaerobic digestion, with satisfactory mean values across the analyzed variables, high methane concentrations, and low hydrogen sulfide levels. Therefore, cattle manure and ruminal waste, whether used individually or in co-digestion, proved viable as substrates for biogas production, reinforcing their potential for sustainable energy applications.