Process stability and microbial community structure in anaerobic hydrogen-producing microflora from food waste containing kimchi.
Hydrogen production by the dark fermentation of food wastes is an economic and environmentally friendly technology to produce the clean energy source as well as to treat the problematic wastes. However, the long-term operations of the continuous anaerobic reactor for fermentative hydrogen production were frequently unstable. In this study, the structure of microbial community within the anaerobic reactor during unstable hydrogen production was examined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) techniques. The changes in microbial community from H(2)-producing Clostridium spp. to lactic acid-producing Lactobacillus spp. were well coincident with the unexpected process failures and the changes of metabolites concentrations in the effluent of the anaerobic reactor. As the rate of hydrogen production decreased, effluent lactic acid concentration increased. Low rate of hydrogen production and changes in microbial community were related to the 'kimchi' content and storage temperature of food waste feed solution. After low temperature control of the storage tank of the feed solution, any significant change in microbial community within the anaerobic reactor did not occur and the hydrogen production was very stably maintained for a long time.
Jo
Ji Hye
JH
Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyoja-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 790-784, South Korea.
Jeon
Che Ok
CO
Lee
Dae Sung
DS
Park
Jong Moon
JM
D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000502:physiology*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007723:Korea; D008954:Models, Biological
D007220:Industrial Waste; D006859:Hydrogen