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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Sustainable Biofuels and Co-products Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #320070
Title: Hyperthermophilic hydrogen production from wastewater biosolids by caldicellulosiruptor bescii

Author
item YILMAZEL, YASEMIN - Villanova University
item Johnston, David
item DURAN, METIN - Villanova University

Submitted to: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/28/2015
Publication Date: 8/10/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61601
Citation: Yilmazel, Y.D., Johnston, D., Duran, M. 2015. Hyperthermophilic hydrogen production from wastewater biosolids by caldicellulosiruptor bescii. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 40(36):12177-12186.

Interpretive Summary: Wastewater biosolids are abundant renewable resources that are rich in nutrients and potentially offer a low cost starting material for biohydrogen production. The production rates from this type of material are known to be rather slow, making their use unfeasible. This work demonstrates for the first time that a type of bacteria (Caldicellulosiruptor bescii) that can grow at high temperatures can efficiently utilize biosolids and is capable of producing biohydrogen. The results of this study could potentially lead to the development of a commercially efficient process for the production of biohydrogen from wastewater biosolids or other low cost feedstock.

Technical Abstract: Wastewater biosolids are abundant renewable resources that are rich in organic matter and offer a low cost potential feedstock for biohydrogen production. Relevant literature indicates that biosolids conversion rates are relatively low and therefore this option is not considered feasible. This study showed that hyperthermophilic bacteria Caldicellulosiruptor bescii could efficiently utilize biosolids as the sole carbon source and produce hydrogen (H2) as metabolic end product for the first time in the literature. Degradability assessment studies were performed in 60 mL serum bottles at 78 +/- 2 degree C. The results of this study are very promising indeed owing to the superior H2 production characteristics of C. bescii, a yield of 86 mL of H2 per gram dry solids of biosolids added was achieved. This is the highest dark fermentative H2 yield obtained from biosolids so far. Various chromatographic methods were employed to identify the major fermentation end products other than H2 and it is found that acetic acid was the only major fermentation product in the biosolids reactors.