Effect of genus Clostridium abundance on mixed-culture fermentation converting food waste into biohydrogen

This study examined the effect of various inocula on mixed-culture dark fermentative H2 production from food waste. Heat-treated and frozen H2-producing granular sludge (HPG) grown with monomeric sugars showed a higher H2 yield, production rate, and acidogenic efficiency along with a shorter lag phase than heat-treated methanogenic sludge. Among three different methods of methanogenic sludge inoculation, inoculation after centrifugation showed better H2 production performance. Propionic acid production and homoacetogenesis were regarded as major H2-consuming pathways when methanogenic sludge was used, whereas only homoacetogenesis was found in HPG-inoculated fermentation. During fermentation, the abundance of Clostridium increased greater than 48-fold for methanogenic sludge and greater than 108-fold for HPG, respectively. The initial abundance of Clostridium showed a linear relationship with the H2 production rate and lag-phase time. The use of inoculum with a high abundance of Clostridium is essential for H2 production from food waste.

Automated summary

The study found that heat-treated and frozen H2-producing granular sludge showed higher H2 yield and production rate compared to heat-treated methanogenic sludge in mixed-culture dark fermentative H2 production. Inoculation after centrifugation method demonstrated better H2 production performance. Homoacetogenesis was identified as a major H2-consuming pathway, and the abundance of Clostridium showed a linear relationship with H2 production rate and lag-phase time.