International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol.41, No.40, 17896-17906, 2016
Recovery of biohydrogen in a single-chamber microbial electrohydrogenesis cell using liquid fraction of pressed municipal solid waste (LPW) as substrate
The use of liquid fraction of pressed municipal solid waste (LPW) for hydrogen production was evaluated via electrohydrogenesis in a single-chamber microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). The highest hydrogen production (0.38 +/- 0.09 m(3) m(-3) d(-1) and 30.94 +/- 7.03 mmol CODadded) was achieved at an applied voltage of 3.0 V and pH 5.5, increasing by 2.17-fold than those done at the same voltage without pH adjustment (pH 7.0). Electrohydrogenesis was accomplished by anodic oxidation of fermentative end-products (i.e. acetate, as well as propionate and butyrate after their acetification), with overall hydrogen recovery of 49.5 +/- 11.3% of CODadded These results affirm for the first time that electrohydrogenesis can be a noteworthy alternative for hydrogen recovery from LPW and simultaneous organics removal. Electrohydrogenesis efficiency of this system has potential to improve provided that electron recycling, electromethanogenesis and deposition of non-conductive aggregates on cathode surface, etc. are effectively controlled. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords:Hydrogen;Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC);Electrohydrogenesis;Electromethanogenesis;Electron recycling