Effects of ozone on methane generation in a mixed culture of anaerobic bacteria

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of ozone treatments on the production of methane from three samples of native cellulose. Ozone has been used to increase hydrolysis of native cellulose but not in conjunction with methane generation studies. One sample was not treated with ozone to serve as a control, while the second sample was treated with 0.1 ppm ozone and third sample was treated with 1.0 ppm ozone. The gas chromatographic measurements of methane from each sample was used to determine the effectiveness of ozone.The difference in methane production between the three sample means was analyzed by the Analysis of Varience test. The analysis of the mean methane data from the three samples were significantly different from each other and based upon this analysis, it was concluded that ozone was effective. However, as the study proceeded the methane production of the treated samples was converging. Thus, it was suggested that further research using ozone concentration levels between 0.1 ppm and 1.0 ppm should be tested to determine the optimal ozone level needed for the enhancement of methane production from a cellulosic source.Thesis (M.S.)--Ball State University, 1986