[Continuous bio-hydrogen production by mesophilic and thermophilic cultures]

Anaerobic biological hydrogen productions were achieved successfully in two lab-scale anaerobic hydrogen production reactors under mesophilic (37 degrees C) and thermophilic (55 degrees C) conditions, respectively. The mesophilic reactor, a CSTR, was operated over 4 months by seeding with river sediments and feeding with glucose solution, in which the highest hydrogen production rate was 8.6 L/(L x d) and the substrate hydrogen production molar ratio (H2/glucose) was 1.98. After seeded with anaerobic methanogenic granules, a UASB reactor was thermophilically operated by feeding with sucrose solution and during its steady operation period, the hydrogen production rate was 6.8 L/(L x d) and the substrate hydrogen production molar ratio (H2/sucrose) was 3.6. Within the produced gas, the H2 percentages were about 43% and others were CO2, no methane could be detected. Thermophilic hydrogen-producing granules were successfully cultivated in the UASB reactor, which were grey-white in color, the diameters were about 0.8 - 1.2 mm, and typical settling velocities were about 30 - 40 m/h. Through SEM a great number of bacilli could be found on the surface of the granules which made the surface rough. Total DNA of these two hydrogen production sludges were extracted and purified, and the PCR and DGGE process were conducted, the results indicate that most of the eubacteria in two sludges are the same, but the dominant species are obviously different with each other.