Anaerobic digestion of organic solid poultry slaughterhouse waste – a review

doi:10.1016/S0960-8524(01)00199-7

Bioresource Technology

Volume 83, Issue 1, May 2002, Pages 13-26

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0960-8524(01)00199-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

This work reviews the potential of anaerobic digestion for material recovery and energy production from poultry slaughtering by-products and wastes. First, we describe and quantify organic solid by-products and wastes produced in poultry farming and poultry slaughterhouses and discuss their recovery and disposal options. Then we review certain fundamental aspects of anaerobic digestion considered important for the digestion of solid slaughterhouse wastes. Finally, we present an overview of the future potential and current experience of the anaerobic digestion treatment of these materials.

Introduction

In the past decades, the consumption of poultry in Finland and in many other countries has been on the increase, reaching about 10 kg per capita in Finland in 1999 and even more elsewhere (Finnish Food and Drink Industries' Federation, 1999, Fig. 1).

As a result of the growing poultry industry, poultry slaughterhouses are producing increasing amounts of organic solid by-products and wastes. On the other hand, legislation on the recovery of organic materials for animal feed is becoming tighter (Commission of the European Communities, 2000) and more restrictive of their landfilling (Commission of the European Communities, 1999). In this regard, anaerobic digestion is a promising alternative for the treatment of these materials, as the process combines material recovery and energy production (DeBaere, 2000; Hulshoff Pol et al., 1997).

Little literature is available on the characteristics and quantification of organic solid by-products and wastes from poultry slaughterhouses, though such information is needed to evaluate treatment options for these materials. Bull et al. (1982), Cooper and Russel (1992), and Johns (1995) have reviewed the characteristics and treatment of wastewater in slaughterhouses, whereas Tritt and Schuchardt (1992) present the most recent summary on the characteristics and treatment of solid waste and wastewater streams from cattle and pig slaughtering.

The objective of the present study was to review relevant information necessary to determine the applicability of anaerobic digestion to energy production and material recovery from poultry slaughterhouse wastes. Accordingly, we will describe and quantify organic solid by-products and wastes produced in poultry farming and poultry slaughterhouses and discuss their recovery and disposal options. We will also review certain aspects of anaerobic digestion considered essential in digesting solid slaughterhouse wastes. In addition, we present an overview of experience with anaerobic digestion treatment of these materials.

Section snippets

Quantities and characteristics of organic solid by-products and wastes from poultry farming and slaughtering

In this section, we quantify and characterise organic solid by-products and wastes produced in broiler farming and slaughtering (Table 1). Broiler was chosen as an example because of its importance among all poultry products. The slaughtering of broilers does not essentially differ from the slaughtering of other poultry species, though the amount of by-products and wastes does depend on the species. Organic solid waste may be defined as organic biodegradable waste with moisture content below

Recovery and disposal of organic solid by-products and wastes produced in poultry farming and poultry slaughterhouses

This section reviews the current recovery and disposal practices and requirements for organic solid wastes produced in poultry farming and poultry slaughterhouses (Fig. 3). Council Directive 90/667/EEC (Commission of the European Communities, 1990) specifies the animal and public health requirements for the disposal and processing of animal waste to destroy potential pathogens present in the waste. Animal waste may be defined as carcasses or parts of animals, including products of animal origin

Some fundamental aspects of anaerobic digestion of solid slaughterhouse wastes

In this section, we will briefly describe the metabolic pathways of anaerobic degradation of solid slaughterhouse waste. The effects of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and ammonia on the degradation process will be discussed in detail because the compounds are important in the anaerobic digestion of solid poultry slaughterhouse waste. Attention will also be paid to the anaerobic degradation of feather and, briefly, to the fate of pathogenic microorganisms in anaerobic digestion.

Experiences with anaerobic digestion of solid slaughterhouse wastes

Recent advances in anaerobic digestion technologies have made it possible to treat an increasing diversity of wastes. Assuming that operation conditions are carefully optimised and economic viability can be achieved, anaerobic digestion competes well with other treatments of solid slaughterhouse waste (Banks, 1994; Tritt and Schuchardt, 1992). In this section, we review experiences with treating solid slaughterhouse waste, including also slaughterhouse waste other than those from poultry

Applications of digested material

The recovery of anaerobically digested slaughterhouse waste for agriculture conserves and recycles nutrients and may reduce waste discharge and the use of chemical fertilisers, but the safety of the material must be carefully evaluated before use (Marchaim et al., 1991; Shih, 1987, Shih, 1993). Anaerobic digestion reduces pathogens and minimises odour, and nutrients remain mostly in the digested material (Shih, 1987, Shih, 1993). On the other hand, a major part of organic nitrogen is

Economics

Lack of economic sustainability has so far limited the full-scale implementation of anaerobic digestion of solid wastes (Braber, 1995). The cost of anaerobic digestion depends greatly on local circumstances, including construction and labour costs, treatment capacity, possibilities of energy recovery, energy prices, and taxes as well as energy purchase tariffs, land price, markets, and prices of digested material. On the other hand, the quality of the digested material determines to a great

Final considerations

Anaerobic digestion technology is practicable for the treatment of organic solid slaughterhouse waste to combine material recovery and energy production. Assuming that the operation conditions can be optimised and the process made economically sustainable, anaerobic digestion is fully competitive with other treatment options for the above wastes. However, since only a handful of full-scale plants exist so far, the construction and successful operation of full-scale demonstration plants is

Acknowledgements

We thank the Academy of Finland for its financial support (Grant No. 38044).

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¹: Present address: SCC Viatek Ltd., Piispanmäentie 5, P.O. Box 3, FIN-02241 Espoo, Finland.

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Review paperAnaerobic digestion of organic solid poultry slaughterhouse waste – a review

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Quantities and characteristics of organic solid by-products and wastes from poultry farming and slaughtering

Recovery and disposal of organic solid by-products and wastes produced in poultry farming and poultry slaughterhouses

Some fundamental aspects of anaerobic digestion of solid slaughterhouse wastes

Experiences with anaerobic digestion of solid slaughterhouse wastes

Applications of digested material

Economics

Final considerations

Acknowledgements

Bioresour. Technol.

Bioresour. Technol.

Bioresour. Technol.

Bioresour. Technol.

Biomass Bioenergy

Water Res.

Bioresour. Technol.

Water Res.

Waste Manag. Res.

Prev. Med.

Water Res.

Water Res.

Agric. Wastes

Bioresour. Technol.

Biol. Wastes

Water Sci. Technol.

Water Res.

Bioresour. Technol.

Biol. Wastes

Bioresour. Technol.

Water Res.

Biol. Wastes

Bioresour. Technol.

Bioresour. Technol.

Bioresour. Technol.

Bioresour. Technol.

Agric. Wastes

Biol. Wastes

Bioresour. Technol.

Water Sci. Technol.

Biol. Wastes

Bioresour. Technol.

Effect of free long-chain fatty acids on thermophilic anaerobic digestion

Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol.

Thermophilic anaerobic digestion of livestock waste: effect of ammonia

Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol.

Establishment and characterization of an anaerobic thermophilic (55 °C) enrichment culture degrading long-chain fatty acids

Appl. Environ. Microbiol.

Effects of lipids on thermophilic anaerobic digestion and reduction of lipid inhibition upon addition of bentonite

Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol.

Anaerobic digestion of solid and high nitrogen content fractions of slaughterhouse wastes

Environmentally Responsible Food Processing, AlChE Symp. Ser.

Development of a two phase anaerobic digester for the treatment of mixed abattoir wastes

Water Sci. Technol.

Operational experiences with an abattoir waste digestion plant at Leeds

Water Pollut. Control

Performance and kinetics of an upflow anaerobic sludge planket (UASB) reactor treating slaughterhouse wastewater

J. Environ. Sci. Health A

Influence of the organic volumetric loading rate on soluble chemical oxygen demand removal in a down-flow fixed bed reactor treating abattoir wastewater

J. Chem Tech. Biotechnol.

Performance of a hybrid anaerobic reactor, combining a sludge blanket and a filter, treating slaughterhouse wastewater

Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol.

Anaerobic digestion of mixed waste slurries from kitchens, slaughterhouses and meat processing industries

The treatment of wastewater from the meat industry: a review

Environ. Technol. Lett.

Poultry meat microbiology

Anaerobic treatment of poultry mortalities

Review paper
Anaerobic digestion of organic solid poultry slaughterhouse waste – a review