Energy production through the treatment of wastes by micro-organisms

Ecobiotechnological strategy to enhance efficiency of bioconversion of wastes into hydrogen and methane

Vegetable wastes (VW) and food wastes (FW) are generated in large quantities by municipal markets, restaurants and hotels. Waste slurries (250 ml) in 300 ml BOD bottles, containing 3, 5 and 7 % total solids (TS) were hydrolyzed with bacterial mixtures composed of: Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Exiguobacterium, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas and Sphingobacterium species. Each of these bacteria had high activities for the hydrolytic enzymes: amylase, protease and lipase. Hydrolysate of biowaste slurries were subjected to defined mixture of H2 producers and culture enriched for methanogens. The impact of hydrolysis of VW and FW was observed as 2.6- and 2.8-fold enhancement in H2 yield, respectively. Direct biomethanation of hydrolysates of VW and FW resulted in 3.0- and 1.15-fold improvement in CH4 yield, respectively. A positive effect of hydrolysis was also observed with biomethanation of effluent of H2 production stage, to the extent of 1.2- and 3.5-fold with FW and VW, respectively. The effective H2 yields were 17 and 85 l/kg TS fed, whereas effective CH4 yields were 61.7 and 63.3 l/kg TS fed, from VW and FW, respectively. This ecobiotechnological strategy can help to improve the conversion efficiency of biowastes to biofuels.