title: Production of biohydrogen from crude glycerol in an upflow column bioreactor.
abstract: A continuous attached growth process for the production of biohydrogen from crude glycerol was developed. The process consisted of an anaerobic up-flow column bioreactor (UFCB), packed with cylindrical ceramic beads, which constituted the support matrix for the attachment of bacterial cells. The effect of crude glycerol concentration, pH and hydraulic retention time on glycerol conversion, hydrogen yield and metabolite distribution was investigated. It was shown that the most critical parameter for the efficient bioconversion was the pH of the influent, whereas the hydrogen yield increased with an increase in feed glycerol concentration and a decrease in the hydraulic retention time. The main soluble metabolite detected was 1,3-propanediol in all cases, followed by butyric and hexanoic acids. The latter is reported to be produced from glycerol for the first time. Acidification of the waste reached 38.5%, and the maximum H2 productivity was 107.3 ± 0.7 L/kg waste glycerol at optimal conditions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, 265 04 Patras, Greece; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 265 00 Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasios S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Dounavis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, 265 04 Patras, Greece. Electronic address: ntaikou@iceht.forth.gr.
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ntaikou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, 265 04 Patras, Greece; School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 157072 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Gerasimos
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lyberatos
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D019149:Bioreactors; D005990:Glycerol / Q000378:metabolism*; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D011409:Propylene Glycols / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D011409:Propylene Glycols; C041787:1,3-propanediol; D006859:Hydrogen; D005990:Glycerol
keywords: Attached growth; Biohydrogen; Hexanoate; PDO; Waste glycerol