ABSTRACT
This investigatory project entitled “The Effectiveness of Decomposing Water Hyacinth by an Anaerobic Digester as an Alternative Source of Biogas” sought to find out if water hyacinth can be an alternative source of biogas and determine if water hyacinth could be an effective decomposing material in generating biogas by an improvised anaerobic digester constructed from inexpensive and local materials. Specifically, this study aimed to (i) assess biogas generation from decomposed water hyacinth in the digester; and (ii) find a solution of ways how to cultivate water hyacinth.
Fifteen kilograms of water hyacinth were gathered and then the anaerobic apparatus for decomposing the dried water hyacinth have been made by the following materials: 20 liter water can, 1/4" plastic tubing, medium size tire tube, tub, PVC pipe 3/4" 2.5 ft. and pipe plug, T-valve Valve, black color paint. To make the mixture that will be fed into the anaerobic digester, the dried water hyacinth was first mixed thoroughly with water with 50% ratio. And after that, the mixture is already fed into the anaerobic digester and the production of biogas is waited for one complete week by storing the anaerobic digester in an area wherein there are no electrical items or no source of flames around.
After the experimentation, data analysis revealed that the decomposed water hyacinth can be an alternative source of biogas because when an open fire was used to fire the piping pump of the digester, the piping pump produced fire. Likewise results showed that the more the days the water hyacinth was decomposed the greater biogas will produced. This study also recommends that additional studies must be further be refined about the production of the decomposing material for fast production of biogas.