title: Biological hydrogen production from nitrogen-deficient substrates.
abstract: Dark fermentation of biomass using mixed bacterial cultures is one approach to producing renewable H(2). The objective of this work was to determine if this approach could be applied to N-deficient feedstocks using an N(2)-fixing mixed culture. A mixed culture produced up to 240 mL H(2)/g glucose (1.9 mol H(2)/mol glucose) from a medium initially lacking combined N. Yields from sugarcane were also promising: 170 mL H(2)/g volatile solids (7.5 mmol H(2)/g volatile solids). This approach could reduce economic and environmental costs of fermentative H(2) production, provide combined N for subsequent bioconversion stages, and improve effluent suitability for subsequent uses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Riley-Robb Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. sdh11@cornell.edu
authors.forename: Sasha D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Hafner
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D005285:Fermentation; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D007218:Industrial Microbiology; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006859:Hydrogen; D009584:Nitrogen