Delignification of disposable wooden chopsticks waste for fermentative hydrogen production by an enriched culture from a hot spring

• Published in: Journal of environmental sciences (China) 2014-06, Vol.26 (6), p.1361-1368
• Main Authors: Phummala, Kanthima, Imai, Tsuyoshi, Reungsang, Alissara, Chairattanamanokorn, Prapaipid, Sekine, Masahiko, Higuchi, Takaya, Yamamoto, Koichi, Kanno, Ariyo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: alkaline pretreatment; Bioreactors; Carbohydrate Metabolism; disposable wooden chopsticks waste; Feasibility Studies; Fermentation; fermentative hydrogen production; hot spring enriched culture; Hot Springs - microbiology; Hydrogen; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Lignin - chemistry; Phenols - metabolism; Wood; 一次性筷子; 发酵产氢; 废物; 温泉; 纤维素材料; 脱木素; 酶水解产物; 预处理条件
• ISSN: 1001-0742; 1878-7320
• DOI: 10.1016/S1001-0742(13)60612-9

Hydrogen （H2） production from lignocellulosic materials may be enhanced by removing lignin and increasing the porosity of the material prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. Alkaline pretreatment conditions, used to delignify disposable wooden chopsticks （DWC） waste, were investigated. The effects of NaOH concentration, temperature and retention time were examined and it was found that retention time had no effect on lignin removal or carbohydrate released in enzymatic hydrolysate. The highest percentage of lignin removal （41%） was obtained with 2% NaOH at 100℃, correlated with the highest carbohydrate released （67 mg/gpretreated DWC） in the hydrolysate. An enriched culture from a hot spring was used as inoculum for fermentative H2 production, and its optimum initial pH and temperature were determined to be 7.0 and 50℃, respectively. Furthermore, enzymatic hydrolysate from pretreated DWC was successfully demonstrated as a substrate for fermentative H2 production by the enriched culture. The maximum H2 yield and production rate were achieved at 195 mL H2/g total sugarsconsumed and 1 16 mL Hz/（L.day）, respectively.