Quantitative and Qualitative Characterization of Slaughterhouse Beef Rumen Waste for Biogas Recovery Perspectives in Ivorian Secondary Cities: Evidence from Man
The management of the environment in slaughterhouses and of rumen contents requires great care to prevent any environmental or health risks. Moreover, rumen contents can be used to produce energy through anaerobic digestion, which would help avoid risks associated with the disposal of such organic waste into the natural environment, particularly in developing countries. However, any waste recovery policy—particularly those involving slaughterhouse waste—requires a thorough quantitative and qualitative assessment. This study aims to evaluate the quantity and quality of bio-waste produced at the municipal slaughterhouse in Man (C？te d’Ivoire), while analyzing the site’s environmental conditions. The methodological approach combines interviews with slaughterhouse managers and analyses of the physicochemical characteristics of the rumen contents of cattle slaughtered at the facility. The results highlight a lack of adequate waste management, with the discharge of rumen contents into the city’s main waterway (the Koh River) and the accumulation of carcasses. The slaughterhouse slaughters approximately 21 cattle on an average day, with peaks during holiday periods 35 on Christmas Day, 39 on New Year’s Day, 43 on Eid al-Fitr (marking the end of Ramadan), and 42 the day after Eid al-Adha (festival marking the conclusion of the Hajj pilgrimage), with consistent weight, and generates an average of 25.90 kg of rumen waste per cattle. The average physicochemical characteristics of the slaughterhouse’s rumen waste are a pH of 6.9, 84.1% moisture, 15.9% dry matter, 88.1% volatile matter, 3.5% nitrogen, 50.6% carbon, and a carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 14.5. The utilization of this waste will theoretically lead to the production of 66683.01 m3 of bio-methane annually. This study highlights the potential for utilizing beef rumen waste from the Man slaughterhouse in biogas production. It emphasizes the necessity of co-digestion with a carbon-rich substrate to enhance the carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio, which is crucial for effective biogas conversion.
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