Fermentative hydrogen production from fresh leachate in batch and continuous bioreactors.
This research for the first time investigated hydrogen production from the fresh leachate originated from municipal solid wastes. We found that fermentation of the leachate generated H(2) and was very much enhanced in the presence of extra phosphate in the batch reactor. The continuous expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor started to generate H(2) at day 20 and continued to 176 days with 120 mg/l of extra phosphate present. The highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency (66.9%) was achieved at liquid up-flow velocity of 3.7 m/h and hydraulic retention time of 12h. Under proposed optimal operation conditions, the mean H(2) production rate reached up to 2155 ml/(l day). We also found that over 80% liquid metabolites were acetic acid and ethanol, suggesting the ethanol-type fermentation was dominant in the bioreactor. These findings indicate that the fresh leachate can be used as the source for continuous hydrogen production.
School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, No. 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, PR China. qliu@shu.edu.cn
Qiang
Q
Liu
Xiaolei
X
Zhang
Lijia
L
Yu
Aihua
A
Zhao
Jun
J
Tai
Jianyong
J
Liu
Guangren
G
Qian
Zhi Ping
ZP
Xu
D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019149:Bioreactors; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D005285:Fermentation; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
D056804:Biofuels; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D012722:Sewage; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D006859:Hydrogen