Hydrogen production during the anaerobic acidogenic conversion of glucose

Experiments on hydrogen production using chemostat-type anaerobic digesters were conducted. The results indicate that the anaerobic acidogenic convers ion of glucose can produce hydrogen. The hydrogenic activity of acclimated anaerobic sewage sludge is high at a short solids retention time (SRT) and low pH. At pH 5.7, SRT 0.25 days and an organic loading rate of 416 mmol-gl ucose dm(-3) day(-l), each mole of glucose in the mesophilic acidogenic rea ctor can produce 1.7 mol of hydrogen; each gram of biomass produces 0.456 m ole of hydrogen per day. Moreover, the hydrogen productivity of the sludge is comparable to that of an enrichment culture. (C) 1999 Society of Chemica l Industry.