A logistic model for the prediction of the influence of water on the solid waste methanization in landfills

This article deals with the impact of water content of solid waste on biogas production kinetics in landfills. This impact has been proved in the laboratory thanks to anaerobic biodegradation experiments on paper/cardboard waste samples. A strong dependence with the moisture level was observed for both kinetic rates and maximum methane production. In this article, a logistic model is proposed to simulate the biogas production rate. It is chosen as simple as possible in order to allow for a correct identification of the model parameters given the experimental data available. The moisture dependency is introduced through a linear weighing of the biomass specific growth rate and of the amount of accessible organic substrate. It is directly linked to physical properties of the waste: the holding capacity and the minimal moisture level allowing the presence of free water. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007;97: 473–482. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.