Characterization and energy potential of food waste from catering service in Hangzhou, China.

Safe disposal of food waste is becoming an impending issue in China with the rapid increase of its production and the promotion of environmental awareness. Food waste from catering services in Hangzhou, China, was surveyed and characterized in this study. A questionnaire survey involving 632 units across the urban districts showed that 83.5% of the food waste was not properly treated. Daily food waste production from catering units was estimated to be 1184.5 tonnes. The ratio of volatile solid to total solid, easily biodegradable matter (including crude fat, crude protein and total starch) content in total solid and the ratio of total organic carbon to nitrogen varied in ranges of 90.1%-93.9%, 60.9%-72.1%, and 11.9-19.9, respectively. Based on the methane yield of 350 mL g VS(-1) in anaerobic batch tests, annual biogas energy of 1.0 × 10(9) MJ was estimated to be recovered from the food waste. Food waste from catering services was suggested to be an attractive clean energy source by anaerobic digestion.

[Effect of injected leachate C/N ratio on the denitrification of a bioreactor filled with landfilled refuse].

The denitrification capacity of a landfill bioreactor was investigated under different ratios of injected leachate C/N; the denitrifying bacteria community compositions over four injection times were also studied using molecular approaches and functional gene nirS served as marker. Results showed that COD/NO3(-) -N ratio of the injected landfill leachate had a significant impact on the denitrification capacity of the bioreactor. Nitrate reduction rate increased from 1.14 mg x (kg x h)(-1) to 11.40 mg mg x (kg x h)(-1) when the injected leachate COD/NO3(-) -N ratio raised from 3.11 to 13.08. It suggested that a stable and rapid denitrification could be obtained when bioavailable COD/NO3(-) -N ratio in the injected leachate was 6.37. In the bioreactor, the main denitrifying bacteria was similar to beta-proteobacteria, and others belonged to uncultured bacteria. Thiobacillus denitrificans and Azoarcus tolulyticus known as beta-proteobacteria were the dominant species and played an important role in NO3(-) -N consumption during the leachate injection.