Publisher's Synopsis
Selected Papers from the IWA 4th International Symposium on Anaerobic Digestion of Solid Waste, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, 31 August - 2 September 2005. Since the first symposia on Anaerobic Digestion of Solid Waste the subject area of interest has broadened so that while municipal solid waste remains central, the 4th Symposium also focused on other solid waste types such as sewage sludge and the fibrous fraction of manure. Furthermore, the treatment of energy crops, owing to their solid characteristics and increasing significance in biogas production, was introduced to the programme for this symposium. The specific problems encountered with these differing substrates are addressed in detail, while useful insights may be gained from comparing the anaerobic digestion process as applied across the range of substrates. The papers selected, following full peer review, cover a wide range of topics and show that the process of anaerobic digestion of solid waste can be still optimized from numerous different angles. But they also clearly show that the technology for successful operation of anaerobic digestion plants for solid waste is highly advanced and effective. The dissemination of this fact to key decision makers is perhaps the main bottleneck for promotion of ADSW. These proceedings therefore constitute a major contribution to the dialogue between scientists, municipal and sanitary engineers and regulators and political and industrial decision-makers, reporting the critical advances in the science and technology of anaerobic digestion of solid waste that establish it as a fully reliable waste treatment technology that deserves wide adoption.
