GC: n

CT: Biogas recovery systems are sometimes known as anaerobic digesters, because they use a process called anaerobic digestion. (Conventional lagoons operate on the same biological principle.) During anaerobic digestion, bacteria break down manure in an oxygen-free environment. One of the natural products of anaerobic digestion is biogas, which typically contains between 60 to 70 percent methane, 30 to 40 percent carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases. Explore this section to learn more about anaerobic digestion systems.

S: http://www.epa.gov/agstar/anaerobic/ (last access: 26 December 2014)

N: 1. anaerobic (adj): “capable of living without oxygen,” 1879 (as anaerobian; modern form first attested 1884), from French anaérobie, coined 1863 by French bacteriologist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), from Greek an- “without” + aer “air” + bios “life”.
digestion (n): late 14c., from Old French digestion (13c.), from Latin digestionem (nominative digestio), noun of action from past participle stem of digerere.
2. Anaerobic digestion is a series of biological processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen.
3. About anaerobic digestion.
The products of this process are:
Biogas (principally methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2))
A solid residue (fibre or digestate) that is similar, but not identical, to compost
A liquid liquor that can be used as a fertilizer.
NB The term whole digestate can be used to describe the unseparated fibre and liquor.
AD has been used to process sewage sludge since the 19th century.
It is also the natural process that can break down organic material in pools and marshes to produce marsh gas and in landfill to produce landfill gas.
AD is typically performed on biological material in an aqueous slurry. However there are an increasing number of ‘dry’ digesters.

S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=anaerobic&searchmode=none; http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=digestion&searchmode=none (last access: 26 December 2014). 2. http://www.americanbiogascouncil.org/biogas_what.asp (last access: 26 December 2014). 3. http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/portal/page?_pageid=75,17509&_dad=portal&_schema=portal (last access: 26 December 2014).

SYN: 1. methanization. 2. biomethanization.

S: 1. TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 26 December 2014).; GDT (last access: 26 December 2014). 2. TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 26 December 2014)..

CR: acetogenesis , acidogenesis , [anaerobic digestor], biodegradation , biogas, biomass, biomass energy, manure.