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Role of Anaerobic Digestion

The use of microorganisms to digest biodegradable matter is known as anaerobic digestion. Unlike other processes to break down such matter, it doesn’t use oxygen. Anaerobic digestion is commonly used by both industries and for domestic needs to create energy from biodegradable matter. 
It is extensively applied to reduce biodegradable content from wastewater.

 
It is also a critical green technology for its role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions that would otherwise be released into Earth’s atmosphere.  Another major environmental benefit from Anaerobic Digestion arises from its status as a source of never-ending energy –from manufacturing biogas abundant in both methane and CO2, green sources of energy. This is used to replace the use of fossil fuels for industrial uses. 

The byproduct of Anaerobic Digestion is known as digestate, and is rich in nutrients. It is utilized in agriculture as Biofertilizer. It is relationship with biogas has made Anaerobic Digestion setups a common sight on big farms. This biogas is further utilized in powering generators for electricity, serving as a source as a source of fuel, or even further purified to be used as a substitute for natural gas.
>Many agri-food AD systems are located on farms. Farm-based anaerobic digestion systems work fine with liquid manure as they offer a useful manure treatment option, since most other financially affordable manure treatment systems (such as composting) require solid materials with dry matter greater than 30%.

The process of digesting biodegradable matter is initiated by first digesting the insoluble organic chemical (including carbohydrates), so that they can be consumed by bacteria. This matter is then consumed by acid-consuming bacteria, which then use the sugars and amino acids, and create natural components like carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

Acetogenic bacteria then convert these resulting organic acids into acetic acid, hydrogen, ammonia and carbon dioxide. Finally, methane-producing bacteria transform this matter to methane and carbon dioxide, a critical component of wastewater treatment plants. 

The United Nation Development Programme, the agency’s program to empower nations to develop their own solutions for development, has recognized anaerobic Digestion as an important method in producing and supplying energy for its low-cost nature.

The process’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as recycle biological products and create a renewable source of energy created considerable attention from the world’s governments. 
However, while it has also been cited as a successful supplement to the agro-food production industry as it can supply Biosolids, chemical components, including hormones, antibiotics, and the presence of disease-causing organisms has drawn equally harsh criticism of the Anaerobic Digestion’s relevance to the food industry. It is therefore best suited for treating agricultural components (such as manure and agro-leftovers) instead of chemical wastewater effluents.