High organic loading rate on thermophilic hydrogen production and metagenomic study at an anaerobic packed-bed reactor treating a residual liquid stream of a Brazilian biorefinery

Author(s)

Nunes Ferraz Junior, Antonio Djalma ^{[1, 2]} ; Etchebehere, Claudia ^[3] ; Zaiat, Marcelo ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos Sch Engn EESC, Ctr Res Dev & Innovat Environm Engn, Biol Proc Lab, BR-13563120 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[2] CNPEM, CTBE Brazilian Bioethanol Sci & Technol Lab, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Inst Invest Biol Clemente Estable, Lab Ecol Microbiana, Montevideo - Uruguay

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Bioresource Technology; v. 186, p. 81-88, JUN 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 27

Abstract

This study evaluated the influence of a high organic loading rate (OLR) on thermophilic hydrogen production at an up-flow anaerobic packed-bed reactor (APBR) treating a residual liquid stream of a Brazilian biorefinery. The APBR, filled with low-density polyethylene, was operated at an OLR of 84.2 kg-COD m(-3) d(-1). This value was determined in a previous study. The maximum values of hydrogen production and yield were 5,252.6 mL-H-2 d(-1) and 3.7 mol-H-2 mol(total carbohydrates)(-1), respectively. However, whereas the OLR remained constant, the specific organic load rate (sOLR) decreased throughout operation from 1.38 to 0.72 g-Total carbohydrates g-VS-1 h(-1), this decrease negatively affected hydrogen production. A sOLR of 0.98 g-Total carbohydrates g-VS-1 h(-1) was optimal for hydrogen production. The microbial community was studied using 454-pyrosequencing analysis. Organisms belonging to the genera Caloramator, Clostridium, Megasphaera, Oxobacter, Thermoanaerobacterium, and Thermohydrogenium were detected in samples taken from the reactor at operation days 30 and 60, suggesting that these organisms contribute to hydrogen production. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/15984-0 - Bioenergy production from wastewaters and environmental fitting of liquid and solid wastes generated
• Grantee: Marcelo Zaiat
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/15665-8 - Structure and functional dynamics of microbial community of anaerobic digesters applied to energy recovery and environmental framework of wastes generated in bioethanol production of 1st and 2nd generation
• Grantee: Antônio Djalma Nunes Ferraz Júnior
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral