1. Engineered heat treated methanogenic granules: A promising biotechnological approach for extreme thermophilic biohydrogen production
- Author
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Abreu, Angela A., Alves, Joana I., Pereira, M. Alcina, Karakashev, Dimitar, Alves, M. Madalena, and Angelidaki, Irini
- Subjects
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HYDROGEN production , *FERMENTATION , *HEAT treatment , *ATOMIC hydrogen , *BIOREACTORS , *THERMOPHILIC bacteria , *HEAT engineering , *BIOTECHNOLOGY - Abstract
Abstract: In the present study, two granular systems were compared in terms of hydrogen production rate, stability and bacterial diversity under extreme thermophilic conditions (70°C). Two EGSB reactors were individually inoculated with heat treated methanogenic granules (HTG) and HTG amended with enrichment culture with high capacity of hydrogen production (engineered heat treated methanogenic granules – EHTG), respectively. The reactor inoculated with EHTG (R EHTG) attained a maximum production rate of 2.7l H2 l−1day−1 in steady state. In comparison, the R HTG containing the HTG granules was very unstable, with low hydrogen productions and only two peaks of hydrogen (0.8 and 1.5l H2 l−1day−1). The presence of active hydrogen producers in the R EHTG system during the reactor start-up resulted in the development of an efficient H2-producing bacterial community. The results showed that “engineered inocula” where known hydrogen producers are co-inoculated with HTG is an efficient way to start up biohydrogen-producing reactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
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