Effects of pre-treatment technologies on dark fermentative biohydrogen production: A review

Electrochemical promotion of organic waste fermentation: Research advances and prospects

The current methods of treating organic waste suffer from limited resource usage and low product value. Research and development of value-added products emerges as an unavoidable trend for future growth. Electro-fermentation (EF) is a technique employed to stimulate cell proliferation, expedite microbial metabolism, and enhance the production of value-added products by administering minute voltages or currents in the fermentation system. This method represents a novel research direction lying at the crossroads of electrochemistry and biology. This article documents the current progress of EF for a range of value-added products, including gaseous fuels, organic acids, and other organics. It also presents novel value-added products, such as 1,3-propanediol, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, succinic acid, acrylic acid, and lysine. The latest research trends suggest a focus on EF for cogeneration of value-added products, studying microbial community structure and electroactive bacteria, exploring electron transfer mechanisms in EF systems, developing effective methods for nutrient recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus, optimizing EF conditions, and utilizing biosensors and artificial neural networks in this area. In this paper, an analysis is conducted on the challenges that currently exist regarding the selection of conductive materials, optimization of electrode materials, and development of bioelectrochemical system (BES) coupling processes in EF systems. The aim is to provide a reference for the development of more efficient, advanced, and value-added EF technologies. Overall, this paper aims to provide references and ideas for the development of more efficient and advanced EF technology.

Pretreatments of lignocellulosic and algal biomasses for sustainable biohydrogen production: Recent progress, carbon neutrality, and circular economy

Lignocellulosic and algal biomasses are known to be vital feedstocks to establish a green hydrogen supply chain toward achieving a carbon-neutral society. However, one of the most pressing issues to be addressed is the low digestibility of these biomasses in biorefinery processes, such as dark fermentation, to produce green hydrogen. To date, various pretreatment approaches, such as physical, chemical, and biological methods, have been examined to enhance feedstock digestibility. However, neither systematic reviews of pretreatment to promote biohydrogen production in dark fermentation nor economic feasibility analyses have been conducted. Thus, this study offers a comprehensive review of current biomass pretreatment methods to promote biohydrogen production in dark fermentation. In addition, this review has provided comparative analyses of the technological and economic feasibility of existing pretreatment techniques and discussed the prospects of the pretreatments from the standpoint of carbon neutrality and circular economy.

Integrative biohydrogen- and biomethane-producing bioprocesses for comprehensive production of biohythane

The production of biohythane, a combination of energy-dense hydrogen and methane, from the anaerobic digestion of low-cost organic wastes has attracted attention as a potential candidate for the transition to a sustainable circular economy. Substantial research has been initiated to upscale the process engineering to establish a hythane-based economy by addressing major challenges associated with the process and product upgrading. This review provides an overview of the feasibility of biohythane production in various anaerobic digestion systems (single-stage, dual-stage) and possible technologies to upgrade biohythane to hydrogen-enriched renewable natural gas. The main goal of this review is to promote research in biohythane production technology by outlining critical needs, including meta-omics and metabolic engineering approaches for the advancements in biohythane production technology.

A novel conversion of marine macroalgal biomass to biofuel (biohydrogen) via calcium hypochlorite induced dispersion

Environmental pollution due to the consumption of non-renewable energy lead the search for alternative eco-friendly renewable fuel. The study details the biohydrogen production efficiency by potential macroalgal (Ulva reticulata) biomass improved by a disperser combined with calcium hypochlorite pretreatment technology. Calcium hypochlorite was added to decrease the surface energy of the medium induced by sole disperser pretreatment. Optimum condition for algal disperser treatment was 10,000 rpm with 30 min as dispersion time. The specific energy spent for the disintegration of the macroalgal biomass was 1231.58 kJ/kg TS. COD solubilization rate of 11.79% was attained with mechanical pretreatment whereas increased to 20.23% with combined pretreatment. Combination of disperser with calcium hypochlorite significantly reduced the specific energy input spent to 500 kJ/kg TS. The amount of organic materials such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids released were 680 mg/L, 283 mg/L and 136 mg/L respectively. Thus, the combinative pretreatment with disperser rotor speed (10,000 rpm) for pretreatment time (12 min) and calcium hypochlorite dosage (0.1 g/g) derived as optimum condition for effective solubilization of macroalgal biomass. Biohydrogen production potential was maximum in the macroalgae pretreated with both disperser and calcium hypochlorite recorded highest yield (54.6 mL H₂/g COD) compared to the macroalgae pretreated with disperser alone (31.7 mL H₂/g COD) and untreated macroalgae (11.5 mL H₂/g COD).

Lignocellulose biohydrogen towards net zero emission: A review on recent developments

This review mainly determines novel and advance physical, chemical, physico-chemical, microbiological and nanotechnology-based pretreatment techniques in lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment for bio-H2 production. Further, aim of this review is to gain the knowledge on the lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment and its priority on the efficacy of bio-H2 and positive findings. The influence of various pretreatment techniques on the structure of lignocellulosic biomass have presented with the pros and cons, especially about the cellulose digestibility and the interference by generation of inhibitory compounds in the bio-enzymatic technique as such compounds is toxic. The result implies that the stepwise pretreatment technique only can ensure eventually the lignocellulosic biomass materials fermentation to yield bio-H2. Though, the mentioned pretreatment steps are still a challenge to procure cost-effective large-scale conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars along with low inhibitory concentration.

Improved biohydrogen production via graphene oxide supported granular system based on algal hydrolyzate, secondary sewage sludge and bacterial consortia

Biohydrogen production using renewable sources has been regarded as one of the most sustainable ways to develop low-cost and green production technology. In order to achieve this objective, herein biohydrogen production has been conducted using the combination of untreated secondary sewage sludge (Sss), algal biomass hydrolyzate (Abh), graphene oxide (GO) and bacterial consortia that forms a granular system. Thus, naturally formed granular system produced cumulative H₂ of 1520mL/L in 168h with the maximum production rate of 13.4mL/L/h in 96h at initial pH 7.0, and optimum temperature of 37^oC. It is noticed that the combination of Abh, Sss and GO governed medium showed 42.05% higher cumulative H₂ production along with 22.71% higher production rate as compared to Abh and Sss based H₂ production medium. The strategy presented herein may find potential applications for the low-cost biohydrogen production using waste biomasses including Sss and Abh.

Intensification of Acidogenic Fermentation for the Production of Biohydrogen and Volatile Fatty Acids—A Perspective

Utilising ‘wastes’ as ‘resources’ is key to a circular economy. While there are multiple routes to waste valorisation, anaerobic digestion (AD)—a biochemical means to breakdown organic wastes in the absence of oxygen—is favoured due to its capacity to handle a variety of feedstocks. Traditional AD focuses on the production of biogas and fertiliser as products; however, such low-value products combined with longer residence times and slow kinetics have paved the way to explore alternative product platforms. The intermediate steps in conventional AD—acidogenesis and acetogenesis—have the capability to produce biohydrogen and volatile fatty acids (VFA) which are gaining increased attention due to the higher energy density (than biogas) and higher market value, respectively. This review hence focusses specifically on the production of biohydrogen and VFAs from organic wastes. With the revived interest in these products, a critical analysis of recent literature is needed to establish the current status. Therefore, intensification strategies in this area involving three main streams: substrate pre-treatment, digestion parameters and product recovery are discussed in detail based on literature reported in the last decade. The techno-economic aspects and future pointers are clearly highlighted to drive research forward in relevant areas.

Biotechnological potential of rumen microbiota for sustainable bioconversion of lignocellulosic waste to biofuels and value-added products

Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant resource with untapped potential for biofuel, enzymes, and chemical production. Its complex recalcitrant structure obstructs its bioconversion into biofuels and other value-added products. For improving its bioconversion efficiency, it is important to deconstruct its complex structure. In natural systems like rumen, diverse microbial communities carry out hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis of lignocellulosic biomass through physical penetration, synergistic and enzymatic actions enhancing lignocellulose degradation activity. This review article aims to discuss comprehensively the rumen microbial ecosystem, their interactions, enzyme production, and applications for efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic waste to biofuels. Furthermore, meta 'omics' approaches to elucidate the structure and functions of rumen microorganisms, fermentation mechanisms, microbe-microbe interactions, and host-microbe interactions have been discussed thoroughly. Additionally, feed additives' role in improving ruminal fermentation efficiency and reducing environmental nitrogen losses has been discussed. Finally, the current status of rumen microbiota applications and future perspectives for the development of rumen mimic bioreactors for efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic wastes to biofuels and chemicals have been highlighted.

R, Maitra S, Tarafdar A, Alphy MP, Kumar AN, Madhavan A, Sirohi R, Awasthi MK, Sindhu R, Varjani S, Binod P. Waste-Derived Fuels and Renewable Chemicals for Bioeconomy Promotion: A Sustainable Approach

Bio-based fuels and chemicals through the biorefinery approach has gained significant interest as an alternative platform for the petroleum-derived processes as these biobased processes are noticed to have positive environmental and societal impacts. Decades of research was involved in understanding the diversity of microorganisms in different habitats that could synthesize various secondary metabolites that have functional potential as fuels, chemicals, nutraceuticals, food ingredients, and many more. Later, due to the substrate-related process economics, the diverse low-value, high-carbon feedstocks like lignocellulosic biomass, industrial byproducts, and waste streams were investigated to have greater potential. Among them, municipal solid wastes can be used as the source of substrates for the production of commercially viable gaseous and liquid fuels, as well as short-chain fattyacids and carboxylic acids. In this work, technologies and processes demanding the production of value-added products were explained in detail to understand and inculcate the value of municipal solid wastes and the economy, and it can provide to the biorefinery aspect.

Nanoparticle-associated single step hydrogen fermentation for the conversion of starch potato waste biomass by thermophilic Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius

In the present study, starch-based potato peel waste biomass (PWB) was utilized as a potential substrate for hydrogen production via dark fermentation by the thermophillic amylase producing strain Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius KCTC 33548. Supplementation of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (300 mg/L) led to a 4.15-fold increase in hydrogen production as compared to the control. The addition of optimized concentrations of both Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (300 mg/L) and L-cysteine (250 mg/L) during hydrogen fermentation using pure starch and PWB generated maximum cumulative hydrogen yields of 167 and 71.9 mL with maximum production rates of 2.81 and 1.26 mL/h, respectively. Further, the correlation between Fe₃O₄ and the expression of hydrogenase isoforms and the related hydrogenase activity was explored. The possible mechanisms of the action of Fe₃O₄ on enhanced hydrogenase activity and hydrogen production was elucidated. To our knowledge, there are no such studies reported on enhanced hydrogen production from PWB in a single step.

Direct Fermentative Hydrogen Production from Cellulose and Starch with Mesophilic Bacterial Consortia

Hydrogen produced from lignocellulose biomass is deemed as a promising fuel of the future. However, direct cellulose utilization remains an issue due to the low hydrogen yields. In this study, the long-term effect of inoculum (anaerobic sludge) heat pretreatment on hydrogen production from untreated cellulose and starch was evaluated during repeated batch processes. The inoculum pretreatment at 90°C was not sufficient to suppress H2 consuming bacteria, both for starch and cellulose. Although hydrogen was produced, it was rapidly utilized with simultaneous accumulation of acetic and propionic acid. The pretreatment at 100°C (20 min) resulted in the successful enrichment of hydrogen producers on starch. High production of hydrogen (1.2 l H2/lmedium) and H2 yield (1.7 mol H2/molhexose) were maintained for 130 days, with butyric (1.5 g/l) and acetic acid (0.65 g/l) as main byproducts. On the other hand, the process with cellulose showed lower hydrogen production (0.3 l H2/lmedium) with simultaneous high acetic acid (1.4 g/l) and ethanol (1.2 g/l) concentration. Elimination of sulfates from the medium led to the efficient production of hydrogen in the initial cycles - 0.97 mol H2/molhexose (5.93 mmol H2/gcellulose). However, the effectiveness of pretreatment was only temporary for cellulose, because propionic acid accumulation (1.5 g/l) was observed after 25 days, which resulted in lower H2 production. The effective production of hydrogen from cellulose was also maintained for 40 days in a repeated fed-batch process (0.63 mol H2/molhexose).

Hydrogen produced from lignocellulose biomass is deemed as a promising fuel of the future. However, direct cellulose utilization remains an issue due to the low hydrogen yields. In this study, the long-term effect of inoculum (anaerobic sludge) heat pretreatment on hydrogen production from untreated cellulose and starch was evaluated during repeated batch processes. The inoculum pretreatment at 90°C was not sufficient to suppress H2 consuming bacteria, both for starch and cellulose. Although hydrogen was produced, it was rapidly utilized with simultaneous accumulation of acetic and propionic acid. The pretreatment at 100°C (20 min) resulted in the successful enrichment of hydrogen producers on starch. High production of hydrogen (1.2 l H2/lmedium) and H2 yield (1.7 mol H2/molhexose) were maintained for 130 days, with butyric (1.5 g/l) and acetic acid (0.65 g/l) as main byproducts. On the other hand, the process with cellulose showed lower hydrogen production (0.3 l H2/lmedium) with simultaneous high acetic acid (1.4 g/l) and ethanol (1.2 g/l) concentration. Elimination of sulfates from the medium led to the efficient production of hydrogen in the initial cycles – 0.97 mol H2/molhexose (5.93 mmol H2/gcellulose). However, the effectiveness of pretreatment was only temporary for cellulose, because propionic acid accumulation (1.5 g/l) was observed after 25 days, which resulted in lower H2 production. The effective production of hydrogen from cellulose was also maintained for 40 days in a repeated fed-batch process (0.63 mol H2/molhexose).

Enrichment Versus Bioaugmentation-Microbiological Production of Caproate from Mixed Carbon Sources by Mixed Bacterial Culture and Clostridium kluyveri

Chain elongation is a process that produces medium chain fatty acids such as caproic acid, which is one of the promising products of the carboxylate platform. This study analyzed the impact of bioaugmentation of heat-treated anaerobic digester sludge with Clostridium kluyveri (AS + Ck) on caproic acid production from a mixed substrate (lactose, lactate, acetate, and ethanol). It was compared with processes initiated with non-augmented heat-treated anaerobic digester sludge (AS) and mono-culture of C. kluyveri (Ck). Moreover, stability of the chain elongation process was evaluated by performing repeated batch experiments. All bacterial cultures demonstrated efficient caproate production in the first batch cycle. After 18 days, caproate concentration reached 9.06 ± 0.43, 7.86 ± 0.38, and 7.67 ± 0.37 g/L for AS, Ck, and AS + Ck cultures, respectively. In the second cycle, AS microbiome was enriched toward caproate production and showed the highest caproate concentration of 11.44 ± 0.47 g/L. On the other hand, bioaugmented culture showed the lowest caproate production in the second cycle (4.10 ± 0.30 g/L). Microbiome analysis in both AS and AS + Ck culture samples indicated strong enrichment toward the anaerobic order of Clostridia. Strains belonging to genera Sporanaerobacter, Paraclostridium, Haloimpatiens, Clostridium, and Bacillus were dominating in the bioreactors.

Enhanced hydrogen production from food waste dark fermentation by potassium ferrate pretreatment

Hydrogen generation from food waste anaerobic dark fermentation is identified as a promising strategy for resource recovery. In this work, an innovative strategy of using potassium ferrate (PF), a strong oxidant, to promote anaerobic dark fermentation of food waste to produce hydrogen has been reported. The experimental results revealed that PF enhanced the hydrogen production from food waste, the maximal hydrogen yield was 173.5 mL/g, and the optimal PF dosage was 0.4 g/g total suspended solids. PF shortened the lag phase for hydrogen generation from 120 to 96 h. Mechanisms investigation revealed that PF accelerated the disintegration of organic compounds and increased the soluble organic matter in the liquid phase. The strong oxidation of PF inhibited the processes of hydrolysis, acidification, acetogenesis, homoacetogenesis, and methanogenesis by using synthetic wastewater in the fermentation process. The inhibition of PF on these processes was further verified by the enzyme activity analysis. Economic analysis indicated that 0.1 g/g PF was the optimal dosage. PF treatment is a promising strategy to enhance the production of hydrogen from food waste dark fermentation.

Optimisation and Modelling of Anaerobic Digestion of Whiskey Distillery/Brewery Wastes after Combined Chemical and Mechanical Pre-Treatment

Whiskey distillery waste streams consisting of pot ale (liquid residue) and spent grain (solid residue) are high strength organic wastes and suitable feedstock for anaerobic digestion (AD) from both economic and environmental stand points. Anaerobic digestion of pot ale and pot ale/spent grain mixtures (with mixing ratios of 1:1, 1:3, and 1:5 by wet weight) was performed after implementation of a novel hybrid pre-treatment (combined chemical and mechanical) in order to modify lignocellulosic structure and ultimately enhance digestion yield. Lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose fractions were determined before and after chemical pre-treatment. Effects of different inoculum rates (10–30–50% on wet basis) and beating times (0–7.5–15 min) on anaerobic digestion of pot ale alone and of pot ale/spent grain mixtures were investigated in lab scale batch mode with a major focus of optimising biogas yield by using response surface methodology (RSM) in Design Expert Software. The highest biogas yields of 629 ± 8.5 mL/g vs. (51.3% CH4) and 360 ± 10 mL/g vs. (55.0 ± 0.4) with anaerobic digestion of pot ale alone and spent grain mix after 1M NaOH and 7.5 min beating pre-treatments with 50% inoculum ratio respectively. The optimum digestion conditions to maximise the biogas quality and quantity were predicted as 10 and 13 min beating times and 32 and 38 °C digestion temperatures for anaerobic digestion of pot ale alone and spent grain mix respectively.

Electron flow of biological H2 production by sludge under simple thermal treatment: Kinetic study

Mixed culture sludge has been widely used as a microbial consortium for biohydrogen production. Simple thermal treatment of sludge is usually required in order to eliminate any H₂-consuming bacteria that would reduce H₂ production. In this study, thermal treatment of sludge was carried out at various temperatures. Electron flow model was then applied in order to assess community structure in the sludge upon thermal treatment for biohydrogen production. Results show that the dominant electron sink was acetate (150-217 e- meq/mol glucose). The electron equivalent (e- eq) balances were within 0.8-18% for all experiments. Treatment at 100 °C attained the highest H₂ yield of 3.44 mol H₂/mol glucose from the stoichiometric reaction. As the treatment temperature increased from 80 to 100 °C, the computed acetyl-CoA and reduced form of ferredoxin (Fd_red) concentrations increased from 13.01 to 17.34 e- eq (1.63-2.17 mol) and 1.34 to 4.18 e- eq (0.67-2.09 mol), respectively. The NADH₂ balance error varied from 3 to 10% and the term e-(Fd↔NADH₂) (m) in the NADH₂ balance was NADH₂ consumption (m = -1). The H₂ production was mainly via the Fd:hydrogenase system and this is supported with a good NADH₂ balance. Using the modified Gompertz model, the highest maximum H₂ production potential was 1194 mL whereas the maximum rate of H₂ production was 357 mL/h recorded at 100 °C of treatment.

Microbial Production of Hydrogen by Mixed Culture Technologies: A Review

With its high energy content and clean combustion, hydrogen is recognized as a renewable clean energy source with enormous potential. Biological hydrogen production is a promising alternative with significant advantages over conventional petroleum-derived chemical processes. Sustainable hydrogen production from renewable resources such as cassava, wastewater, and other agricultural waste is economically feasible for industrial applications. So far, the major bottlenecks in large-scale biological hydrogen production are the low production rate and yield. This review discusses the various factors that affect the metabolic pathways of dark hydrogen production, and highlights the state-of-the-art development of mixed culture technology. The aim of this review is to provide suggestions for the future directions of mixed culture technology, as well as by-product valorization in dark fermentation.

A critical review of volatile fatty acids produced from waste activated sludge: enhanced strategies and its applications

This paper reviews the recent achievements in the enhanced production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from waste activated sludge (WAS). The enhanced strategies are divided into two approaches. The first strategy focuses on the regulation of carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio by co-digestion of WAS with carbon-rich substrates, including municipal solid wastes (MSW), marine algae, agricultural residues, and animal manures. The other strategy is to enhance the solubilization and hydrolysis of WAS or inhibit the methanogenesis by applying various pretreatments, such as mechanical, chemical, enzymatic, and thermal pretreatment. Finally, the applications of WAS-derived VFAs are discussed. The future researches in enhancing VFAs production and wide application of the VFAs from both technical and economic perspectives are proposed.

Pre-treating anaerobic mixed microflora with waste frying oil: A novel method to inhibit hydrogen consumption

An innovative method was introduced to inhibit methanogenic H₂ consumption during dark fermentative hydrogen production by anaerobic mixed cultures. Waste frying oil was used as an inhibitor for hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Simultaneous effect of waste frying oil concentrations (0-20 g/L) and initial pH (5.5, 6.5 and 7.5) on inhibition of methanogenic H₂ consumption and enhancement of H₂ accumulation were investigated using glucose as substrate. Enhanced hydrogen yields with decreased methane productions were observed with increasing the waste frying oil concentrations. On average, CH₄ productions from glucose in the cultures received 10 g/L WFO were reduced by 88%. Increased WFO concentration up to 20 g/L led to negligible CH₄ productions and in turn enhanced H₂ yields. Hydrogen yields of 209.26, 195.35 and 185.60 mL/g glucose_added were obtained for the cultures pre-treated with 20 g/L waste frying oil with initial pH of 5.5, 6.5 and 7.5 respectively. H₂ production by pre-treated cultures was also studied using a synthetic food waste. Anaerobic mixed cultures were pre-treated with 10 g/L WFO and varying durations (0, 24 and 48 h). A H₂ yield of 71.46 mL/g VS was obtained for cultures pre-treated with 10 g/L WFO for 48 h that was 475% higher than untreated control. This study suggests a novel and inexpensive approach for suppressing hydrogenotrophic methanogens during dark fermentative H₂ production.

Ultrasound-assisted biological conversion of biomass and waste materials to biofuels: A review

Ultrasound irradiation has been gaining increasing interests over the years to assist biological conversion of lignocellulosic biomass and waste materials to biofuels. As such, this study reviewed the different effects of sonication on pre-treatment of lignocellulosic biomass and waste materials prior to biofuel production. The mechanisms of ultrasound irradiation as a pre-treatment technique were initially described and the impacts of sonication on disruption of lignocellulosic materials, alteration of the crystalline lattice structure of cellulose molecules, solubilisation of organic matter, reducing sugar production and enzymatic hydrolysis were then reviewed. Subsequently, the influences of ultrasound irradiation on bio-methane, bio-hydrogen and bio-ethanol production were re-evaluated, with most studies reporting enhanced biofuel production from anaerobic digestion or fermentation processes. Nonetheless, despite its positive impacts on biofuel production, sonication was found to be energetically inefficient based on the lab-scale studies reviewed. To conclude, this study reviewed some of the challenges of ultrasound irradiation for enhanced biofuel production while outlining some areas for further research.

Anaerobic digestion of grass: the effect of temperature applied during the storage of substrate on the methane production

Within this research, biogas production, representation of methane in biogas and volatile solids (VSs) removal efficiency were compared using batch tests performed with the samples of intensively and extensively planted grasses originating from public areas. Before the batch tests, the samples were stored at different temperatures achievable on biogas plants applying trigeneration strategy (-18°C, +3°C, +18°C and +35°C). Specific methane production from intensively planted grasses was relatively high (0.33-0.41 m³/kg VS) compared to extensively planted grasses (0.20-0.33 m³/kg VS). VSs removal efficiency reached 59.8-68.8% for intensively planted grasses and 34.6-56.5% for extensively planted grasses. Freezing the intensively planted grasses at -18°C proved to be an effective thermal pretreatment leading to high biogas production (0.61 m³/kg total solid (TS)), high representation of methane (64.0%) in biogas and good VSs removal efficiency (68.8%). The results of this research suggest that public areas or sport parks seem to be available, cheap and at the same time very effective feedstock for biogas production.

Selective conversion of carbon monoxide to hydrogen by anaerobic mixed culture

A new method for the conversion of CO to H2 was developed by anaerobic mixed culture in the current study. Higher CO consumption rate was obtained by anaerobic granular sludge (AGS) compared to waste activated sludge (WAS) at 55 °C and pH 7.5. However, H2 was the intermediate and CH4 was the final product. Fermentation at pH 5.5 by AGS inhibited CH4 production, while the lower CO consumption rate (50% of that at pH 7.5) and the production of acetate were found. Fermentation at pH 7.5 with the addition of chloroform achieved efficient and selective conversion of CO to H2. Stable and efficient H2 production was achieved in a continuous reactor inoculated with AGS, and gas recirculation was crucial to increase the CO conversion efficiency. Microbial community analysis showed that high abundance (44%) of unclassified sequences and low relative abundance (1%) of known CO-utilizing bacteria Desulfotomaculum were enriched in the reactor.

Effect of solid-state NaOH pretreatment on methane production from thermophilic semi-dry anaerobic digestion of rose stalk

The effects of solid-state NaOH pretreatment on the efficiency of methane production from semi-dry anaerobic digestion of rose (Rosa rugosa) stalk were investigated at various NaOH loadings (0, 1, 2, and 4% (w/w)). Methane production, process stability and energy balance were analyzed. Results showed that solid-state NaOH pretreatment significantly improved biogas and methane yields of 30-day anaerobic digestion, with increases from 143.7 mL/g volatile solids (VS) added to 157.1 mL/g VS -192.1 mL/g VS added and from 81.8 mL/g VS added to 88.8 mL/g VS-117.7 mL/g VS added, respectively. Solid-state NaOH pretreatment resulted in anaerobic digestion with higher VS reduction and lower technical digestion time. The 4% NaOH-treated group had the highest methane yield of 117.7 mL/g VS added, which was 144% higher compared to the no NaOH-treated group, and the highest net energy recovery. Higher rate of lignocellulose breakage and higher process stability of anaerobic digestion facilitated methane production in the NaOH-pretreated groups.

Biological Processes for Hydrogen Production

Methane is produced usually from organic waste in a straightforward anaerobic digestion process. However, hydrogen production is technically more challenging as more stages are needed to convert all biomass to hydrogen because of thermodynamic constraints. Nevertheless, the benefit of hydrogen is that it can be produced, both biologically and thermochemically, in more than one way from either organic compounds or water. Research in biological hydrogen production is booming, as reflected by the myriad of recently published reviews on the topic. This overview is written from the perspective of how to transfer as much energy as possible from the feedstock into the gaseous products hydrogen, and to a lesser extent, methane. The status and remaining challenges of all the biological processes are concisely discussed.

Inoculum pre-treatment affects the fermentative activity of hydrogen-producing communities in the presence of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

To enhance the productivity of mixed microbial cultures for fermentative bio-hydrogen production, chemical-physical pre-treatments of the original seed are needed to suppress the activity of hydrogen (H2)-consuming microbes. This approach might influence negatively the composition and diversity of the hydrogen-producing community with consequences on the functional stability of the H2-producing systems in case of perturbations. In this study, we aimed at investigating the effect of different types of pre-treatment on the performance of hydrogen production systems in the presence of an inhibitor, such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The efficiency and the microbial community structure of batch reactors amended with HMF and inoculated with non-pretreated and pretreated (acid, heat shock, and aeration) anaerobic sludge were evaluated and compared with control systems. The type of pre-treatments influenced the microbial community assembly and activity in inhibited systems, with significant effect on the performance. Cumulative H2 production tests showed that the pre-aerated systems (control and HMF inhibited) were the most efficient, while the difference of the lag phase of the pre-acidified control and HMF-added test was negligible. Analyses of the structure of the enriched microbial community in the systems through PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) followed by band sequencing revealed that the differences in performance were mostly related to shifts in the metabolic pathways rather than in the predominant species. In conclusion, the findings suggest that the use of specific inoculum pre-treatment could contribute to regulate the metabolic activity of the fermentative H2-producing bacteria in order to enhance the bio-energy production.