An Investigation into the Conversion of Non-Hazardous Medical Wastes into Biogas—A Case Study from the Health and Family Planning Sector in Bangladesh

This study aims to investigate the potential scope of rural bioenergy production from the valorisation of non-hazardous waste, particularly from institutional health and family planning facilities. A crude bioenergy production potential will be determined, as well as relevant interrelationships with food security, equality and inclusivity, poverty reduction, and their contribution to achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). Solid waste generation at LAMB Hospital in Bangladesh was assessed. Its energy yield capacity and replacement of conventional, inefficient fuel sources were estimated, analysed, and specified. Results showed that the biogas yield capacity of non-hazardous solid waste from the LAMB hospital is 62 m3, which is equivalent to the gas required to cook 31 family meals. From small-to-medium institutes, such as the LAMB hospital, derived waste has the capacity to meet the cooking energy demand of rural villages. The electrical yield capacity of this amount of gas is 124 kWh, and this amount of energy can replace the use of 41 tonnes of firewood that cause emissions, deforestation, and increases the propensity for flooding. The adoption of Anaerobic Digestion (AD) for biogas production also has an impact on waste management, stimulating improved governance and infrastructure and supporting agriculture through the production of nutrient-dense biofertiliser. Further analysis showed that biogas not only provides a clean and affordable fuel but, in turn, has benefits with regard to health issues. Emissions from traditional cooking fuels have deleterious impacts on health due to Indoor Air Pollution (IAP), which generally affects women to a greater extent. All of these factors contribute to achieving sustainable development goals. This study could help to reduce environmental pollution from the health sector and mitigate climate change impacts, and there is a potential for scaling up this study nationwide

Determination of the potential impact of domestic Anaerobic Digester Systems: a community based research initiative in rural Bangladesh

Abstract : This research examines the potential impact of domestic anaerobic digester (AD) systems adopted in Bangladesh and similar developing countries. Cattle dung and poultry litter feed stocks were specifically investigated, because these were freely available and plentiful to people living within agricultural areas of rural Bangladesh. Data was collected to ascertain whether these two representative AD facility types provide tangible social, economic and environmental impact that benefits homeowners. Primary quantitative and qualitative data was obtained by field data collection, and meeting with expert groups and stakeholders. Empirical analysis conducted revealed that variations were found in the biomass feedstocks available on different sites but also differences were apparent in terms of the operations and maintenance (O and M) systems of the biogas plants operated. The biogas and methane yield variation was also measured, and variations were found in the cattle dung and poultry litter AD yield capacity. Overall, 64% of feedstock was utilised, 91% of biogas plants remain underfed and energy yield efficiency was 57% from cattle smallholdings’ AD and 28% from poultry farms’ AD. These results showed that small scale AD can offer a significant impact upon rural lifestyles through augmented economics, improved social activities, relationship building with neighbours and improved lifestyle achieved via time savings accrued. These results could help rural entrepreneurs, AD equipment providers and government institutions to develop a road map to implement future AD installation on a much wider geographical scale

Energy yield potentials from the anaerobic digestion of common animal manure in Bangladesh

This study provides previously unavailable field data relating to the biogas and methane yields from supervised authentic anaerobic digesters using the most common animal manure in Bangladesh: cow dung, poultry litter and town cattle market straw which are found to produce biogas yields of 0.034, 0.030 and 0.142 m3/kg respectively, with methane concentrations of 60% and 62% and 74% respectively and total solids of 19, 23 and 45 respectively. It also reports indications that in unsupervised plant issues with underfeeding, improper water mixing and irregular feeding are very common – all of which can significantly reduce yields. The figures above should thus be treated as maximum, optimum field values. These results provide reliable data for use in scaling up for national energy and investment planning, as they related directly to common scenarios of family smallholdings, common sized poultry farms and town cattle markets in Bangladesh where there is a reliance on combustion of local wood and dung biomass for cooking, creating air pollution, health and environmental degradation issues