탄자니아 농촌지역 내 소규모 바이오가스 시설 재가동 효과 평가: 실내 대기질 개선 및 소화액 비료로써의 활용 가능성

초록

Access to clean energy remains a critical challenge in many developing countries, and in Africa, including Tanzania, biomass such as firewood continues to serve as the primary household fuel. In 2014, Tanzania installed approximately 12,000 biogas plants across rural areas. However, most of these facilities are currently non-operational, and the country continues to face significant health and resource-related challenges. This study was conducted in the Jiro site of the Arusha region to evaluate the health and agricultural benefits of reactivating small-scale biogas plants. Indoor air quality was assessed by comparing PM₁₀ concentrations in households using biomass or biogas. The results showed that PM₁₀ concentrations in biomass-using households averaged 16,452 μg/m³, approximately 365 times higher than the WHO recommended limit, while no PM₁₀ emissions were detected in biogas utilizing households. In addition, a plant growth experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential use of digestate as an agricultural fertilizer with lettuce. Plant growth performance was assessed under six treatment conditions including digestate, chemical fertilizer, and mixtures of the two at varying ratios. The results showed that digestate treatment resulted in superior leaf growth compared to chemical fertilizer, with the 9:1 digestate to chemical fertilizer mixture producing the most balanced growth within mixture results. These findings demonstrate that the application of small scale biogas plants can reduce indoor air pollution and associated health risks, while also serving as an effective alternative fertilizer source for rural farmers. Therefore, the reactivation of small scale biogas plants represents a practical and efficient solution to improve public health, energy access, and agricultural productivity in rural Tanzania.

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