Microbial Anaerobic Digestion (Bio-Digesters) as an Approach to the Decontamination of Animal Wastes in Pollution Control and the Generation of Renewable Energy

CHRISTY E. MANYI-LOH, SAMPSON N. MAMPHWELI, EDSON L. MEYER, ANTHONY I. OKOH, GOLDEN MAKAKA, AND MICHAEL SIMON

3.1 INTRODUCTION

Biomass encompasses materials derived from plants, animals, humans as well as their wastes. In addition, food processing, agro-industrial and industrial wastes are other sources of biomass wastes, so also is the microbial population metabolically active and cultivable plus metabolically active but non-cultivable cells existing within these wastes. Depending on the characteristics of these wastes, they can be converted into energy/and or fuel by combustion, gasification, co-firing with other fuels and ultimately by anaerobic digestion [1].