Dark fermentation of complex waste biomass for biohydrogen production by pretreated thermophilic anaerobic digestate

Anish Ghimire; Luigi Frunzo; Ludovico Pontoni; Giuseppe d'Antonio; Piet N L Lens; Giovanni Esposito; Francesco Pirozzi

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.12.049

Dark fermentation of complex waste biomass for biohydrogen production by pretreated thermophilic anaerobic digestate

J Environ Manage. 2015 Apr 1:152:43-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.12.049. Epub 2015 Jan 21.

Authors

Anish Ghimire¹, Luigi Frunzo², Ludovico Pontoni¹, Giuseppe d'Antonio³, Piet N L Lens⁴, Giovanni Esposito⁵, Francesco Pirozzi³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, via Di Biasio 43, 03043 Cassino, FR, Italy; Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples, Italy.
² Department of Mathematics and Applications Renato Caccioppoli, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia, Monte S. Angelo, I-80126 Naples, Italy. Electronic address: luigi.frunzo@unina.it.
³ Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples, Italy.
⁴ UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, The Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, via Di Biasio 43, 03043 Cassino, FR, Italy.

PMID: 25617867
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.12.049

Abstract

The Biohydrogen Potential (BHP) of six different types of waste biomass typical for the Campania Region (Italy) was investigated. Anaerobic sludge pre-treated with the specific methanogenic inhibitor sodium 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid (BESA) was used as seed inoculum. The BESA pre-treatment yielded the highest BHP in BHP tests carried out with pre-treated anaerobic sludge using potato and pumpkin waste as the substrates, in comparison with aeration or heat shock pre-treatment. The BHP tests carried out with different complex waste biomass showed average BHP values in a decreasing order from potato and pumpkin wastes (171.1 ± 7.3 ml H2/g VS) to buffalo manure (135.6 ± 4.1 ml H2/g VS), dried blood (slaughter house waste, 87.6 ± 4.1 ml H2/g VS), fennel waste (58.1 ± 29.8 ml H2/g VS), olive pomace (54.9 ± 5.4 ml H2/g VS) and olive mill wastewater (46.0 ± 15.6 ml H2/g VS). The digestate was analyzed for major soluble metabolites to elucidate the different biochemical pathways in the BHP tests. These showed the H2 was produced via mixed type fermentation pathways.

Keywords: Biofuels; Biohydrogen; Dark fermentation; Waste biomass; Waste valorization.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Agriculture*
Alkanesulfonic Acids / metabolism
Anaerobiosis
Biomass
Environmental Restoration and Remediation / methods*
Fermentation*
Hydrogen / metabolism*
Industrial Waste / analysis*
Italy

Substances

Alkanesulfonic Acids
Industrial Waste
2-bromoethanesulfonic acid
Hydrogen