Neuer Zeitschriftenbeitrag von Müller et al., 2026

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an essential technology for renewable energy production, yet process stability and methane yield remain sensitive to various factors, particularly under high organic loading rates (OLR). This study evaluates the effects of CO₂ enrichment on methane production, hydrogen concentration, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), and pH in AD systems using food waste and maize silage as substrates. Under high OLR conditions, CO₂ enrichment increased the methane yield by 6.9 % for food waste and 7.2 % for maize silage. Elevated hydrogen levels in CO₂-enriched reactors are consistent with the hypothesis of altered methanogenic routing (e.g., increased relevance of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis), which should be verified by targeted microbial and/or isotopic analyses. ORP values were consistently less negative, especially in food waste trials, where they also served as early indicators of process disturbances. No long-term pH alterations were observed. The findings highlight the potential of CO₂ enrichment to enhance methane yield and improve process resilience. Monitoring CH₄, H₂, and ORP is essential to fully understand the underlying mechanisms and optimize AD performance under CO₂-enriched conditions.

Müller et al., 2026