Improving EGSB reactor performance for simultaneous bioenergy and organic acid production from cheese whey via continuous biological H2production.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and cheese whey (CW) substrate concentration (15 and 25 g lactose l-1) on the performance of EGSB reactors (R15 and R25, respectively) for H2production.


RESULTS
A decrease in the HRT from 8 to 4 h favored the H2yield and H2production rate (HPR) in R15, with maximum values of 0.86 ± 0.11 mmol H2g COD-1and 0.23 ± 0.024 l H2h-1l-1, respectively. H2production in R25 was also favored at a HRT of 4 h, with maximum yield and HPR values of 0.64 ± 0.023 mmol H2g COD-1and 0.31 ± 0.032 l H2h-1l-1, respectively. The main metabolites produced were butyric, acetic and lactic acids.


CONCLUSIONS
The EGSB reactor was evaluated as a viable acidogenic step in the two-stage anaerobic treatment of CW for the increase of COD removal efficiency and biomethane production.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, Rod Washington Luis, Km 235, São Carlos, SP, CEP 13565-905, Brazil.
Lucas Rodrigues
LR
Ramos
Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, Rod Washington Luis, Km 235, São Carlos, SP, CEP 13565-905, Brazil. edsilva@ufscar.br.
Edson Luiz
EL
Silva
D000693:Anaerobiosis; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D002611:Cheese; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D000067796:Whey / Q000378:metabolism*
D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D006859:Hydrogen
Cheese whey wastewater; Hydraulic retention time; Organic loading rate; Substrate concentration; Whey