Immobilized Biofilm in Thermophilic Biohydrogen Production using Synthetic versus Biological Materials

Abstract

Biohydrogen production was studied from the vermicelli processing wastewater using synthetic and biological materials as immobilizing substrate employing a mixed culture in a batch reactor operated at the initial pH 6.0 and thermophilic condition (55 ± 1ºC). Maximum cumulative hydrogen production (1,210 mL H2/L wastewater) was observed at 5% (v/v) addition of ring-shaped synthetic material, which was the ring-shaped hydrophobic acrylic. Regarding 5% (v/v) addition of synthetic and biological materials, the maximum cumulative hydrogen production using immobilizing synthetic material of ball-shaped hydrophobic polyethylene (HBPE) (1,256.5 mL H2/L wastewater) was a two-fold increase of cumulative hydrogen production when compared to its production using immobilizing biological material of rope-shaped hydrophilic ramie (609.8 mL H2/L wastewater). SEM observation of immobilized biofilm on a ball-shaped HBPE or a rope-shaped hydrophilic ramie was the rod shape and gathered into group.