Use of whey through anaerobic codigestion for biomethane production

The whey generated by cheese production is the main by-product generated by the dairy industry, which causes considerable impact on the environment if it is not treated properly. This potential contaminant is mainly due to its high content of organic matter. In recent years, numerous studies have been carried out with the objective of using whey more efficiently, using innovative technological methods for the treatment of wastewater such as the anaerobic digestion method, and thereby being able to obtain derived products such as biogas or biofuels, which generate less environmental impact and develop economic activities. The objective of this study is to collect studies on the use of whey to obtain biogas through the anaerobic digestion technique. The review allowed us to know the wide application of the anaerobic digestion method for the production of biogas from whey and other agri-food substrates, demonstrating the high efficiency of the method in association with biological media in semi-continuous and discontinuous conditions. Likewise, it was also possible to know that the anaerobic co-digestion method is a promising alternative for small and medium-sized industries that could replace fossil fuels with biogas and that in turn contribute to environmental conservation by avoiding pollution and environmental problems due to the effect of the poor serum management.