ABSTRACT
The anaerobic digestion system is an efficient biological process for stabilizing the organic species in wastewater/waste and at the same time producing biogas. In the anaerobic digestion process, the organic content is converted into methane and CO2 over a series of metabolic reactions in the organisms. This biological process provides the advantage of wastewater processing and energy generation. Furthermore, anaerobically produced biogas is energy efficient and environmentally friendly due to its lower emission of harmful pollutants. Biogas generated from the anaerobic digestion process is utilized to generate electricity, therefore allowing waste treatment plants to gain self-sufficiency in terms of energy. Increasing the feasibility of the process in the existing applications and expanding the anaerobic process to organize the new substrate have to gain interest over various production techniques and it is necessary to enhance the reaction rate for biogas production and overall efficiency through adjustments in the operating conditions: for example, temperature, pH, retention time, biogas upgrading, pre-treatment method, bio-stimulation, and co-digestion. This chapter provides a comprehensive idea about the microbiology associated with biogas generation, environmental factors, selection of substrates, pre-treatment, and monitoring involved in biogas production processes.
