Anaerobic Digestion to High-Value Organic Fertilizer and Biogas

A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Industrial Fermentation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 1239

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, ICAI School of Engineering, Comillas Pontifical University, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Interests: the characterization and monitoring of the anaerobic digestion of wastewater and wastes; the integration of waste and wastewater into the circular economy; waste valorization; environmental pollution analysis; the determination of microplastics
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Guest Editor
ICAI School of Engineering, Comillas Pontifical University, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Interests: life cycle analysis; energy and environment; waste management; anaerobic digestion; waste; biogas

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The transition towards a circular bioeconomy has positioned anaerobic digestion as a key technology for the sustainable treatment and valorization of organic waste. Beyond renewable energy generation in the form of biogas, anaerobic digestion also produces nutrient-rich digestate that can be refined into high-value organic fertilizers, contributing to soil health and reducing dependence on synthetic inputs.

This Special Issue aims to bring together recent advances and innovative approaches in optimizing anaerobic digestion for the dual purpose of energy recovery and fertilizer production. We welcome submissions that explore improvements in reactor design, feedstock selection and pre-treatment, co-digestion strategies, microbial community dynamics, and nutrient recovery technologies. Contributions that address life cycle assessment, economic viability, and regulatory challenges are also encouraged.

We especially seek interdisciplinary studies that enhance the environmental performance and practical deployment of AD systems, as well as case studies demonstrating real-world applications in agricultural, municipal, or industrial contexts.

Dr. Carlos Morales-Polo
Prof. Dr. Marta Revuelta-Aramburu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • anaerobic digestion
  • biogas production
  • organic fertilizers
  • digestate valorization
  • nutrient recovery
  • co-digestion
  • waste-to-energy
  • circular bioeconomy
  • pre-treatment strategies
  • sustainable waste management

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

26 pages, 6152 KB  
Article
Optimising Biogas Production from Parthenium hysterophorus Biomass Through Thermal Pretreatment and Batch Anaerobic Digestion
by Biswanath Saha, Visva Bharati Barua, Meena Khwairakpam, Ajay Kalamdhad, Pallavi Sharma, Habib Ullah and Malinee Sriariyanun
Fermentation 2026, 12(3), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation12030135 - 4 Mar 2026
Viewed by 632
Abstract
This study evaluated the influence of four thermal pretreatment techniques—autoclaving, hot-air oven treatment, hot-water immersion, and microwave irradiation—on Parthenium hysterophorus biomass to improve its biodegradability and biogas generation potential under batch anaerobic digestion. Among the investigated methods, hot-air oven pretreatment at 110 °C [...] Read more.
This study evaluated the influence of four thermal pretreatment techniques—autoclaving, hot-air oven treatment, hot-water immersion, and microwave irradiation—on Parthenium hysterophorus biomass to improve its biodegradability and biogas generation potential under batch anaerobic digestion. Among the investigated methods, hot-air oven pretreatment at 110 °C for 90 min exhibited the most significant enhancement in biomass solubilization, as indicated by a 51.5% rise in soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) and an increase in volatile fatty acids (VFAs) compared with the untreated control. These compositional improvements facilitated faster hydrolysis and led to a 25.73% higher cumulative methane yield in biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays. Structural analysis revealed pronounced alterations in the lignocellulosic matrix, with reductions in hemicellulose and partial delignification improving substrate accessibility. Complementary characterisation using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the disruption of crystalline cellulose regions and modification of functional groups, supporting the observed biochemical improvements. Collectively, the results demonstrate that hot-air oven pretreatment is a practical and energy-efficient approach for enhancing the digestibility of P. hysterophorus biomass, promoting its utilisation as a sustainable feedstock for renewable biogas production and environmental management of this invasive weed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anaerobic Digestion to High-Value Organic Fertilizer and Biogas)
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