Laboratory scale batch tests known as Biochemical Methane
Potential (BMP) are frequently used in anaerobic digestion to evaluate
the potential production of methane and biogas from wastewater,
sludge, organic waste and agricultural biomass. BMP tests
are also used to evaluate and compare particular digestion conditions
(e.g. co-digestion) or effects of substrate pre-treatment.
Scientific literature reports the basic requirements to carry out
BMP tests at optimal conditions (Hansen et al., 2004; Angelidaki
et al., 2009) and inter-laboratory tests are carried out to validate
results from different BMP test procedures (Raposo et al., 2011;
Porqueddo et al., 2013). The methane potential productions of
waste materials with similar composition or origin are presumed
to yield results within narrow ranges of variability.
In this framework, the study aims to evaluate the effects of the
composition variability of OFMSW on hydrogen and methane
production potentials in order to assess the importance of waste
composition on final results and for the purpose of data
comparison