Fermentative hydrogen production form different organic residues

DE GIOANNIS, GIORGIA;FRIARGIU, MARCO;Giordano G;Massi E;MUNTONI, ALDO;Polettini A;Pomi R.

2013-01-01

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Abstract

Batch fermentation tests were performed on food waste and cheese whey with the aim of: 1) evaluating the influence of pH on biological H2 production, 2) comparing the H2 production yield with or without inoculum addition, 3) evaluating the effect of inoculum pre-treatment on the process kinetics and the overall H2 production. The experimental data indicated that hydrogen production is a very sensitive process, as it strongly depends on multiple factors including the origin and composition of the investigated substrate, the addition of a selected biomass source, the pH of the digestion system, in addition to other parameters that were not specifically focused in the present study. The mentioned process variables were found to dramatically affect to a varying extent numerous interrelated aspects of the fermentation process, including the H2 production potential, the type of the prevailing fermentation pathways, the nature and amount of the associated metabolic products, as well as the process kinetics.