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Biogas
Biogas
Biogas
produce methane.
Biogas is generated when bacteria degrade biological
material in the absence of oxygen, in a process known as There is also another group of methanogens that convert
anaerobic digestion. carbon dioxide to methane.
Since biogas is a mixture of methane (also known as marsh As a result of these steps biogas is mainly methane
gas or natural gas, CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) it is a (typically 60%, but less if the digester is not operating
renewable fuel produced from waste treatment. properly and sometimes up to about 80%) and carbon
dioxide with traces of hydrogen sulphide, ammonia, water
Anaerobic digestion is basically a simple process carried vapour, other organic volatiles and possibly some nitrogen
out in a number of steps by many different bacteria that can gas.
use almost any organic material as a substrate - it occurs in
digestive systems, marshes, rubbish dumps, septic tanks Being a microbiological process the presence of any toxic
and the Arctic Tundra. or inhibitory substances will reduce, or possibly end, biogas
production.
Humans tend to make the process as complicated as
possible by trying to improve on nature in complex Antibiotics are a potential problem, as are some cleaning
machines, but a simple approach is still possible. chemicals and heavy metals.