Prof. Hossein Ganjidoust
Environmental Engineering Division, Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Title: MITIGATING LONG-CHAIN FATTY ACID (LCFA) INHIBITION in ANAEROBIC DIGESTION of LIPID-RICH WASTES THROUGH CO-DIGESTION
Abstract:
Vegetable-oil refining generates energy-rich residues, including Spent Bleaching Earth (SBE), which poses environmental risks due to high oil content and heavy metals. Anaerobic digestion of refinery sludge offers biogas potential, but direct SBE addition causes LCFA accumulation, microbial inhibition, and biomass flotation. This study investigates semi-continuous co-digestion of SBE with refinery-derived sludge to optimize C/N balance and process stability. Methane yield, LCFA concentration, BOD/COD changes, and C/N ratios were monitored across different substrate ratios. Results demonstrate that co-digestion enhances microbial compatibility, mitigates LCFA inhibition, and enables efficient biogas production, supporting sustainable waste valorisation in the vegetable-oil industry.
Biography:
Hossein Ganjidoust received his BS in Chemical Engineering from Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas in 1976, 1st MS in Industrial Management from Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri in 1977 and 2nd MS in Sanitary Engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1978 and PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1988. From March 1995 to April 1996.
He was on a Year of Sabbatical Leave at The National Institute for Resources & Environment (NIRE), Tsukuba Science City, Tsukuba, and Ibaraki, Japan. For three years since March 2013.He has over 30 years’ experience in teaching and research in graduate levels and is presently engaged as Full Professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty, at Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, I.R. Iran. Dr. Ganjidoust research interests include water & wastewater, industrial and hazardous waste handling, treatment, and disposal. In addition, he has given many lectures related to Culture, Archeology & humanity Sciences.
He has supervised more than 30 research projects, and many PhD and MS students’ theses. At present time, he is supervisor of 6 PhD theses and 8 MS theses.
He has published over 150 papers in scientific and ISI Journals and over 200 conference proceedings on his research. He was engaged in the books entitled: Principles of construction debris Landfill Site Selection (Case study: Tehran), Department of Housing and Urban Development, Building and Housing Research Center, Feb. 2013 (in Persian), "Application of Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) in Sanitary & Industrial Wastewater Treatment", Tarbiat Modares Univ. Published in February 2011 and a chapter on: “Hazardous Waste Management in Islamic Republic of Iran, HWM Policies and Practices in Asian Countries” published by Asian Productivity Organization (APO), Tokyo in October 2001.