Enhancing Methane Production from Spring-Harvested Sargassum muticum
AbstractSargassum muticum is a brown seaweed which is invasive to Europe and currently treated as waste. The use of S. muticum for biofuel production by anaerobic digestion (AD) is limited by low methane (CH4) yields. This study compares the biochemical methane potential (BMP) of S. muticum treated in three different approaches: aqueous methanol (70% MeOH) treated, washed, and untreated. Aqueous MeOH treatment of spring-harvested S. muticum was found to increase CH4 production potential by almost 50% relative to the untreated biomass. The MeOH treatment possibly extracts AD inhibitors which could be high-value compounds for use in the pharmaceutical industry, showing potential for the development of a biorefinery approach; ultimately exploiting this invasive seaweed species.