Abstract

The preparation of hydrogen-producing microbial consortia from three anaerobic digested sludges were carried out by four different pretreatment methods (heat – shock, acid, base and aeration treatment) as well as untreatment. The obtained microbial seeds have been estimated for their stability in fermentative hydrogen production by three consecutive batch fermentations under the same conditions of pH 6.5, room temperature and cultivation time and also investigated the H2 fermentation from different concentrations of glucose and xylose. Three microbial seeds have the most effective H2 production at 5 g/l of glucose or xylose after 48 h cultivation time. The sewage sludge pretreated at 80oC for 30 minutes shows the hydrogen yield of 1.27 mol/mol glucose and 0.82 mol/mol xylose. The sludge in the biogas tank pretreated at 60oC for 30 minutes has the hydrogen yield of 1.27 mol/mol glucose and 0.71 mol/mol xylose. The sludge of the Hoa Binh waste treatment plant pretreated at 60oC for 30 minutes presents the hydrogen yield of 1.31 mol/mol glucose and 0.66 mol/mol xylose.