ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the parameters affecting anaerobic digestion (AD) of solid waste and how technology has been adapted to treat municipal or agricultural waste. It reviews the main parameters affecting the AD of solid waste: physicochemical properties of feedstock, parameters investigated during laboratory tests, feeding and design parameters, improvement parameters, and types of inhibition. The chapter deals with the processes treating municipal solid waste (MSW) alone and the processes applying co-digestion of organic waste. AD of solid waste is a microbial process whereby organic waste is converted to methane gas and a stabilized compost or soil conditioner. The biodegradability of solid waste depends on the lignin content and cellulose crystallinity, as well as the surface available for hydrolysis. MSW is a heterogeneous lignocellulosic waste, which may be divided into a number of subfractions: digestible organic fraction, combustible fraction, and inert fraction. MSW composition may vary considerably with various factors: period of the year, region, climate, collection frequency, and sociocultural practices.
