SCREENING FOR POTENTIAL FERMENTATIVE HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM BLACK WATER AND KITCHEN WASTE IN ON-SITE UASB REACTOR AT 20°C

• Published in: Environmental technology Vol. 29; no. 6; pp. 691 - 699
• Main Authors: Luostarinen, S., Pakarinen, O., Rintala, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Routledge 01.06.2008; Selper
• Subjects: Anaerobic treatment; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Chemical engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; heat treatment; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; on-site; Others; Pollution; Reactors; renewable energy; Various methods and equipments; renewable energy; Bioreactor; Heat treatment; Batchwise; Anaerobe; Upward flow; Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor; Bacteria; on-site; Hydrogen production; Biological purification; Anaerobic treatment
• ISSN: 0959-3330; 1479-487X
• DOI: 10.1080/09593330801987038

The potential of black water and a mixture of black water and kitchen waste as substrates for on-site dark fermentative hydrogen production was screened in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors at 20°C. Three different inocula were used with and without heat treatment. With glucose, the highest specific hydrogenogenic activity was 69 ml H 2 g volatile solids −1 d −1 in batch assays and the highest hydrogen yield 0.44 mol H 2 mol glucose −1 in upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactors. The mixture of black water and kitchen waste degraded readily into volatile fatty acids in the reactors, thus showing potential for hydrogen production. In the conditions applied, however, the highest end product was propionate and no hydrogen was produced. Black water alone apparently contained too little readily soluble carbohydrates for hydrogen producing bacteria, and little VFA and no hydrogen was produced.