title: Biohydrogen production from used diapers: Evaluation of effect of temperature and substrate conditioning.
abstract: This research assessed the viability to use disposable diapers as a substrate for the production of biohydrogen, a valuable clean-energy source. The important content of cellulose of disposable diapers indicates that this waste could be an attractive substrate for biofuel production. Two incubation temperatures (35 °C and 55 °C) and three diaper conditioning methods (whole diapers with faeces, urine, and plastics, WD; diapers without plastic components, with urine and faeces, DWP; diapers with urine but without faeces and plastic, MSD) were tested in batch bioreactors. The bioreactors were operated in the solid substrate anaerobic hydrogenogenic fermentation with intermittent venting mode (SSAHF-IV). The batch reactors were loaded with the substrate at ca. 25% of total solids and 10% w/w inoculum. The average cumulative bioH2production followed the order WD > MSD > DWP. The bio-H2production using MSD was unexpectedly higher than DWP; the presence of plastics in the first was expected to be associated to lower degradability and H2 yield. BioH2production at 55 °C was superior to that of 35 °C, probably owing to a more rapid microbial metabolism in the thermophilic regime. The results of this work showed low yields in the production of H2at both temperatures compared with those reported in the literature for municipal and agricultural organic waste. The studied process could improve the ability to dispose of this residue with H2generation as the value-added product. Research is ongoing to increase the yield of biohydrogen production from waste disposable diapers.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Energy, Sustainable Technologies Laboratory, México City, Mexico.
authors.forename: P X
authors.initials: PX
authors.lastname: Sotelo-Navarro
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, CINVESTAV del IPN, México City, Mexico.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Poggi-Varaldo
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Energy, Sustainable Technologies Laboratory, México City, Mexico.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Turpin-Marion
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Energy, Sustainable Technologies Laboratory, México City, Mexico.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vázquez-Morillas
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Energy, Sustainable Technologies Laboratory, México City, Mexico.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beltrán-Villavicencio
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Energy, Sustainable Technologies Laboratory, México City, Mexico.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Espinosa-Valdemar
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis*; D019149:Bioreactors; D002482:Cellulose / Q000032:analysis; D041381:Diapers, Infant; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D006859:Hydrogen; D002482:Cellulose
keywords: Biohydrogen production; dark fermentation; diaper conditioning; disposable diaper; temperature