title: Biohydrogen production by mesophilic fermentation of food wastewater.
abstract: Batch experiments were conducted to convert molasses wastewater (10-160 g COD/L) into hydrogen at 35 degrees C at various pH (4-8). The maximum hydrogen productivity (HP) and hydrogen production rate (HPR) reached 47.1 mmol-H2/g COD(re) and 97.5 mmol-H2/L-day, respectively, at a substrate concentration of 40 g COD/L and pH 6.0. The methane-free biogas contained up to 50% (v/v) of hydrogen. Fermentation at wastewater concentrations higher than 60 g COD/L required a long acclimation period (more than 20 h). Though the fractions were substrate concentration and pH-dependent, acetate and butyrate were the two main liquid fermentation products. A comparison of the HP and HPR data indicates that defining a hydrogen yield indicator to evaluate hydrogen generation efficiency should be taken into consideration in practical fermentation operations.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Feng Chia University, P.O. Box 25-123, Taichung, Taiwan 407, Chinese Taiwan.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D019149:Bioreactors; D005285:Fermentation; D019649:Food Industry; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008965:Molasses; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006859:Hydrogen