Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been used widely as a form of energy recovery by biogas production from the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSW). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the introduction of co-substrates (restaurant wastes, corn whole stillage, effluents from the cleaning of chocolate transportation tanks) on the thermophilic anaerobic digestion process of the mechanically separated organic fraction of municipal solid wastes in a full-scale mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) plant. Based on the results, it can be seen that co-digestion might bring benefits and process efficiency improvement, compared to mono-substrate digestion. The 15% addition of effluents from the cleaning of chocolate transportation tanks resulted in an increase in biogas yield by 31.6%, followed by a 68.5 kWh electricity production possibility. The introduction of 10% corn stillage as the feedstock resulted in a biogas yield increase by 27.0%. The 5% addition of restaurant wastes contributed to a biogas yield increase by 21.8%. The introduction of additional raw materials, in fixed proportions in relation to the basic substrate, increases biogas yield compared to substrates with a lower content of organic matter. In regard to substrates with high organic loads, such as restaurant waste, it allows them to be digested. Therefore, determining the proportion of different feedstocks to achieve the highest efficiency with stability is necessary.

Purpose This study aimed to examine the possibilities of the treatment of the by-products generated in the anaerobic digestion (AD) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW): oxygen stabilization (composting) of the solid digestate and pretreatment with air stripping of the effluents (liquid digestate and leachate from maturation field and reactors from composting). Methods Oxygen stabilization (OS) was performed in full-scale in a mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) plant using three different methods, using an open field or enclosed box reactor with aeration. The ammonia stripping was performed in a pilot-scale installation using effluents from AD (liquid digestate) and OS (leachate from maturation field and reactors). Results The lowest self-heating possibility after the OS was recorded at 28.5 °C, which proves that the most stabilized was the sample after processing with structuring material addition. Due to air stripping, the highest efficiency of ammonium ions removal was noted at the level of 50.6%, with an initial pH value of 10.5, after 12 h. Among the examined factors pH value was found to be significant [the determination coefficient (R 2) of 0.93]. Conclusions The oxygen stabilization of the digestate requires the structuring material addition before being placed in the reactor with aeration. The inert fraction from the ballistic separation of the OFMSW can be an interesting solution, as required structuring material. Air stripping as the effluents pre-treatment step can meet the MBT plants expectations.

Tradycja spożywania produktów na bazie soi sięga krajów Dalekiego Wschodu i niektórych rejonów Afryki, dzisiaj jednak produkty takie można spotkać na półkach sklepowych wielu krajów rozwiniętych i rozwijających się. Miso, tofu, tempe czy sos sojowy to tradycyjne produkty na bazie nasion soi lub mleka sojowego, spożywane w formie sfermentowanej bądź niesfermentowanej. Soja jest rośliną, której nasiona charakteryzują się dużą wartością odżywczą i możliwością wszechstronnego wykorzystania. Produkuje się z niej pasty, substytuty produktów zbożowych (chleb, makaron, mąkę), mleczarskich (mleko sojowe, ser) czy substytuty mięsa. Jest to surowiec wysokobiałkowy, dzięki czemu z powodzeniem zastępuje białko zwierzęce w wielu dietach. Uważa się, że azjatycka dieta bogata w soję pozwala zmniejszyć ryzyko przewlekłych chorób niezakaźnych, czyli chorób serca, osteoporozy czy niektórych form raka. Pozostaje pytanie, dlaczego soja ma tak pozytywny wpływ na organizm ludzki. Celem niniejszej pracy było przedstawienie właściwości odżywczej nasion soi, w tym białka, nienasyconych kwasów tłuszczowych, bioaktywnego peptydu – lunazyny oraz fitohormonów pod postacią izoflawonów. Oprócz prozdrowotnych właściwości soi przedstawiono także zagrożenia i negatywne efekty mogące być wynikiem spożywania produktów sojowych.

As a consequence of the intended rise in the volume of the biodiesel produced by the member states of the European Union, predominantly from rapeseeds and sunflower seeds, the quantity of the by-products being generated, e.g. glycerol, rapeseed/sunflower seed straw and rapeseed/sunflower seed meal, will increase dramatically. It is therefore recommendable to find effective methods for their processing or utilization in order to reduce the costs of biodiesel production without polluting the environment by excessive wastes. As the utilization of glycerol has often been addressed in the literature 1 , the aim of our study is to describe the potentiality for utilizing the solid by-products of biodiesel production, namely rapeseed/sunflower straw and rapeseed/ sunflower seed meal.

Distilleries, in addition to ethanol, produced vinasse which is hazardous for the environment. Sugar beet molasses vinasse (BMV) is the most problematic waste from distilleries because of the coloured compounds contained therein. Traditional methods of the removal of the pollutant load from the waste do not allow simultaneous decolourization. The paper presents a microbiological method of coloured compounds removal from BMV. The conditions of the process (pH and temperature) and vinasse concentration were optimized. The bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum MiLAB393 applied showed the decolourization activity of 26% in medium consisted of 30% v/v of BMV at pH0=6.5 and 35.8°C.