Journal of Applied Science and Engineering

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Environmental Engineering

Supaporn Phanwilai1This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Peerakarn Banjerdkit2, Maneerat Keamkhao3,4, Pongsak (Lek) Noophan2,5, Terada Akihiko6, Simon Guerrero-Cruze7, Monthon Thanuttamawong1, and Lily Kaveeta1

1Department of Knowledge of the Land for Sustainable, School of Integrated Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand

2Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand

3Rattanakosin College for Sustainable Energy and Environment, Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand

4Microbial Informatics and Industrial Product of Microbe Research Center, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok 10800, Thailand

5Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, 65000, Thailand

6Department of Applied Physics and Chemical Engineering and Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture & Technology, Naka 2-24-16, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan

7Department of Water Resources & Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology, Asia Institute of Technology, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand

 

Received: April 27, 2025
Accepted: September 13, 2025
Publication Date: October 9, 2025

 Copyright The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are cited.


Download Citation: ||https://doi.org/10.6180/jase.202605_29(5).0014  


This study assessed a new method to boost methane yield, recover nutrients from sludge, and improve the environmental impact of managing rice straw (RS) instead of burning it. Biomethane production from rice straw (RS) is effectively achieved using thermal steaming and co-digestion with cow manure and sewage sludge, enhancing methane yields by 36-50% compared to single digestion methods. Methane yields were 140.4 ±10.6, 118.7 ±6.2, and 118.1±3.3 mL−CH4/g VSadded respectively for thermal steaming, hydrothermal, and untreated methods, with methane making up about 64−67% of total biogas. The digestate from thermal steaming was rich in macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, making it a promising biofer tilizer. Microbial profiling showed diverse bacterial phyla and archaeal changes; thermal steaming enriched Methanobacterium and Bathyarchaeia, linked to higher methane output, while hydrothermal and untreated methods favored Methanosaeta and Methanosarcina. These results position thermal steaming with co-digestion as a strong and beneficial biogas production and sustainable approach, optimizing methane yield, nutrient recovery, and environmental performance.


Keywords: Rice straw; Thermal steaming; Hydrothermal; Co-digestion; Anaerobic digestion


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