Single-stage photofermentative biohydrogen production from sugar beet molasses by different purple non-sulfur bacteria


Sagir E., Ozgur E., GÜNDÜZ U., Eroglu I., YÜCEL A. M.

BIOPROCESS AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING, vol.40, no.11, pp.1589-1601, 2017 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 40 Issue: 11
  • Publication Date: 2017
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s00449-017-1815-x
  • Journal Name: BIOPROCESS AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.1589-1601
  • Keywords: Biohydrogen, Purple non-sulfur bacterium, Sucrose, Sugar beet molasses, Single-stage photofermentation, RHODOBACTER-CAPSULATUS JP91, BIO-HYDROGEN PRODUCTION, DARK-FERMENTATION, SEQUENTIAL DARK, WASTE-WATER, SPHAEROIDES, SUBSTRATE, SUCROSE, OPTIMIZATION, YIELD
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Biohydrogen production via fermentative routes offers considerable advantages in waste recycling and sustainable energy production. This can be realized by single-stage dark or photofermentative processes, or by a two-stage integrated process; the latter offering the higher production yields due to complete conversion of sugar substrates into H-2 and CO2. However, problems arising from the integration of these two processes limit its scale-up and implementation. Hence, high efficiency one-step fermentative biohydrogen production processes from sugar-rich wastes are preferable. In this study, different strains of purple non-sulfur bacteria were investigated for their biohydrogen production capacity on pure sucrose and sugar beet molasses, and the feasibility of single-stage photofermentative biohydrogen production was evaluated. A single-stage photofermentation process was carried out using four different strains of purple non-sulfur bacteria (Rhodobacter capsulatus DSM 1710, R. capsulatus YO3, Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U.001, and Rhodopseudomonas palustris DSM 127) on different initial sucrose concentrations. The highest hydrogen yield obtained was 10.5 mol H-2/mol of sucrose and the maximum hydrogen productivity was 0.78 mmol/L h by Rp. palustris on 5 mM sucrose. A hydrogen yield of 19 mol H-2/mol sucrose, which represents 79% of theoretical yield, and a maximum hydrogen productivity of 0.55 mmol/L h were obtained by Rp. palustris from sugar beet molasses. The yield was comparable to those values obtained in two-stage processes. The present study demonstrates that single-stage photofermentation using purple non-sulfur bacteria on sucrose-based wastes is promising.