Energy is an indispensable part of modern society and can serve as one of the most important indicators of socio-economic development. Despite advancements in technology, however, some three billion people, primarily in the rural areas of developing countries, continue to meet their energy needs for cooking through traditional means by burning biomass resources (i.e., firewood, crop residues and animal dung) in crude traditional stoves. Such practices are known to be the source of significant environmental, social, economic and public health issues. To achieve sustainable development in these regions, it is imperative that access to clean and affordable (renewable) energy is made available. Within this context, upgrading existing biomass resources (i.e., animal manure, crop residues, kitchen waste and green wastes) to cleaner and more efficient energy carriers (such as biogas from anaerobic digestion) has unique potential to provide clean and reliable energy, while simultaneously preserving the local and global environment. In spite of its significant potential to serve developing nations, however, the high costs and lack of expertise in installation and maintenance of biogas technology preclude widespread adoption in geographically isolated communities. Concerted efforts from both governmental and non-governmental sectors are absolutely essential in facilitating modernization and dissemination of biogas technology to harness the inherent potential that is currently underutilized and unexploited. The intent of this paper seeks to highlight the present status, challenges, and potential of biogas technology to advocate for further research, development and dissemination of the concept in developing countries.

Biogas as a sustainable energy source for developing countries: Opportunities and challenges

A review of survival of pathogenic bacteria in organic waste used in biogas plants.

Nowadays, energy is key consideration in discussions of sustainable development. So, sustainable development requires a sustainable supply of clean and affordable renewable energy sources that do not cause negative societal impacts. Energy sources such as solar radiation, the winds, waves and tides are generally considered renewable and, therefore, sustainable over the relatively long term. Wastes and biomass fuels are usually viewed as sustainable energy sources. Wastes are convertible to useful energy forms like hydrogen (biohydrogen), biogas, bioalcohol, etc., through waste-to-energy technologies. In this article, possible future energy utilization patterns and related environmental impacts, potential solutions to current environmental problems and renewable energy technologies and their relation to sustainable development are discussed with great emphasis on waste-to-energy routes (WTERs).

Waste-to-energy: A way from renewable energy sources to sustainable development

Biomethanation under psychrophilic conditions: a review.

Bioenergy conversion studies of organic fraction of msw: kinetic studies and gas yield-organic loading relationships for process optimisation

Production of biogas from market waste

Anaerobic digestion of night soil with cattle dung slurry in biogas plants is advocated in Indian villages as a means of disposal of human excreta in the absence of conventional sanitary systems. Although intestinal pathogens are likely to be eliminated during anaerobic digestion, there is no conclusive evidence that this is so. Large numbers of saprophytic organisms in the fermenting mass make it impossible to detect the residual pathogens. Use of an antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella typhimurium as a test organism to study its survival during anaerobic digestion showed that the organism is totally eliminated in nine days.

S. H. Godbole

Papers

Production of biogas from market waste

A note on survival of salmonellas during anaerobic digestion of cattle dung

Biogas from solid waste originated during biscuit and chocolate production: A preliminary study

Optimum retention time for the production of biogas from cattle dung.

Production of biogas at different total solid content in cattle dung.