Hydrogen production from macroalgae by simultaneous dark fermentation and microbial cell

Hydrogen production from Saccharina Japonica by simultaneous dark fermentation (DF) and microbial electrolysis cell (MEC), called sDFMEC, was studied. In the novel sDFMEC process, substrates were converted to H-2 and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) by DF in the bulk phase, and VFAs are simultaneously oxidized by the exoelectrogens in the microbial film on anode electrode with further production of H-2 at the cathode. The sDFMEC process was compared with DF and a combined process of DF and MEC in series (DF-MEC) in terms of H-2 production. The overall H-2 production from S. Japonica in sDFMEC process was higher (438.7 +/- 13.3 mL/g-TS), than DF (54.6 +/- 0.8 mL/g-TS) and DF-MEC (403.5 +/- 7.9 mL/g-TS) process, respectively, which is approximately 3-times higher than those reported in the literature.