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Continuous Hydrogen Production from Agricultural Wastewaters at Thermophilic and Hyperthermophilic Temperatures

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) (8 to 0.5 h) and temperature (55 to 75 °C) in two anaerobic fluidized bed reactors (AFBR) using cheese whey (AFBR-CW = 10,000 mg sugars L−1) and vinasse (AFBR-V = 10,000 mg COD L−1) as substrates. Decreasing the HRT to 0.5 h increased the hydrogen production rates in both reactors, with maximum values of 5.36 ± 0.81 L H2 h−1 L−1 in AFBR-CW and 0.71 ± 0.16 L H2 h−1 L−1 in AFBR-V. The optimal conditions for hydrogen production were the HRT of 4 h and temperature of 65 °C in AFBR-CW, observing maximum hydrogen yield (HY) of 5.51 ± 0.37 mmol H2 g COD−1. Still, the maximum HY in AFBR-V was 1.64 ± 0.22 mmol H2 g COD−1 at 4 h and 55 °C. However, increasing the temperature to 75 °C reduced the hydrogen production in both reactors. Methanol and butyric, acetic, and lactic acids were the main metabolites at temperatures of 55 and 65 °C, favoring the butyric and acetic metabolic pathways of hydrogen production. The increased productions of lactate, propionate, and methanol at 75 °C indicate that the hydrogen-producing bacteria in the thermophilic inoculum were inhibited under hyperthermophilic conditions.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the CNPq—National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, CAPES—Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, and FAPESP—São Paulo Research Foundation.

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  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luis, km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil

    Lucas Rodrigues Ramos & Edson Luiz Silva

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Correspondence to Edson Luiz Silva.

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Ramos, L.R., Silva, E.L. Continuous Hydrogen Production from Agricultural Wastewaters at Thermophilic and Hyperthermophilic Temperatures. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 182, 846–869 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-016-2366-3

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