Enhanced biohydrogen production from leather fleshing waste co-digested with tannery treatment plant sludge using anaerobic hydrogenic batch reactor

Efficient conversion of leather solid waste into bio-hydrogen was evaluated using anaerobic hydrogenic activity in a batch reactor. Major performance indicators such as pH, total solids, volatile solids, chemical oxygen demand, specific hydrogen yield and degradation efficiency of the crude organic matter was investigated for the possibility of optimizing the bio-hydrogen potential. The optimum waste mixing ratio was found to be in LF:S:HS (2:1:1) with a pH of 5.5 at 37 degrees C with a removal rate of 92.3% volatile solids and the cumulative bio-hydrogen yield increased from 41 ml in the control to 323 mL, proving to be 8 times higher. This study proved to increase the efficiency of material and energy, and is definitely more economical for the waste utilization.