Harnessing Methane Fermentation Power: Meet the Biogas Rangers Saving Our Planet!

Boy

Ugh, I studied hard for the test, but I overslept and got a zero. My mom is mad at me, and the girl I like laughed at me. I ate and drank out of frustration, and now all that’s left is a pile of food waste.
All I do is add to the garbage. I feel like a burden on the planet. What can I do...?

Trio

It’s okay! We’re here to help!

Boy

Wh-Who are you?!

Hydrolysis

I’m the Hydrolysis Process!

Acetogenesis

I’m the Acetogenesis Process!

Methane

And I’m the Methanogenic Process!

Trio

Together, we are the Biogas Rangers, the Methane Fermentation Squad! We use the power of microorganisms to transform organic waste back into valuable resources, keeping the ecological cycle going!

Methane

That biomass you have...

Boy

You mean this food waste?

Methane

Yes, it’s wrong to treat it as mere “food waste.” It is organic matter that was once part of living organisms. It’s a resource waiting to be transformed. Our mission is to return what you call “food waste” back to nature with the help of microorganisms. Watch us in action!

Boy

Aerobic microorganisms?

Hydrolysis

Food waste contains carbohydrates, proteins, and other nutrients for microorganisms. These are dissolved into a slurry by the power of microorganisms. Let’s go! Ha!

Boy

Wow, the food waste is turning into mush right before my eyes! I had no idea microorganisms could do this!

Hydrolysis

Imagine opening a refrigerator in an abandoned building and finding everything inside liquefied.

Boy

You think I’ve ever seen anything like that?

Hydrolysis

What was that?

Boy

No, nothing. The waste is now a slurry. What happens next?

Acetogenesis

Now it’s my turn! The Acetogenesis Process!

Boy

Acetogenesis, like vinegar?

Acetogenesis

Exactly! Vinegar is mainly acetic acid. We’re going to produce acetic acid and hydrogen from biomass slurry, or low-molecular-weight organic matter. Let’s go, aerobic microorganisms!

Boy

Aerobic microorganisms again?

Acetogenesis

Not a fan?

Boy

I mean...I just thought your character was similar to the other guy.

Acetogenesis

It’s just your preconceived notions making you think that two heroes can’t have similar personalities. Let’s start! Aerobic microorganisms, lend me your strength! Time for acetogenesis!

Boy

Oh, that sour smell. Is this also from microorganisms?

Acetogenesis

Yes, like the sour smell from leaving food waste in a trash can.

Boy

What happens to this vinegar-like substance?

Methane

Now, it’s my turn! I am the Methanogenic Process, here to produce methane gas and carbon dioxide from acetic acid and hydrogen.

Boy

But doesn’t methane gas contribute to global warming through the greenhouse effect...?

Methane

You’re well informed! However, that’s if methane is released into the atmosphere. We capture methane from food waste and use it to generate electricity. From one ton of food waste, we can produce about 100,000 1.5-liter plastic bottles worth of methane gas, where 60% is methane and the rest is carbon dioxide.

Boy

But burning it produces carbon dioxide, right?

Methane

The carbon dioxide released comes from plants and animals that were once part of the Earth’s carbon cycle, so the overall amount on Earth doesn’t increase. This is what we call carbon neutrality.

Boy

I’ve heard of carbon neutrality somewhere before!!

Methane

And that’s not all. We turn food waste into gas, burn it, and the carbon dioxide released is absorbed by plants and turned into oxygen. Even when those plants eventually wither, they become resources for other energy processes. Resources continuously cycle, returning to the beginning. This is the concept of “JUNKAN.”

Boy

JUNKAN... It means nothing goes to waste!

Methane

Exactly! Now, let’s summon the methanogens. Come forth, methanogens! Show us the power of archaea that have thrived on Earth for 3.5 billion years!

Boy

Methane gas; it’s like a fart, but without the bad smell!

Boy

So this is the power of methane!

Methane

Think of it like the bubbles you see rising from a decaying fish at the bottom of a pond—that’s methane gas.

Boy

Could you come up with less...graphic analogies?

Methane

The remaining liquid is purified by microorganisms and filtered to produce water. It’s a complete circular cycle!

Boy

Thanks for cleaning up all that food waste!

Methane

If you’re thankful, give credit to the methanogens and microorganisms. Methanogens are distant relatives, sharing a common ancestor with us billions of years ago. That ancestor branched into archaea, like methanogens, bacteria including cyanobacteria, and eventually eukaryotes, which include plants, animals, and us.

Boy

Now I don’t have to burden the Earth anymore. I just need to focus on getting a good score on my next test.

Methane

Take your methanogens to school! With their 3.5 billion years of experience, you will be popular in school

Boy

Um, maybe not.