The effect of organic loading, protein and carbohydrate on biohydrogen production from soft shell of red pistachio, sugar beet pulp, and olive pulp cake

ABSTRACT

The production of hydrogen by dark fermentation from biomass sources is important for renewable energy sources. In this study, the effect of total protein, total carbohydrate, and biomass loading in the biological hydrogen production were investigated, and soft shell of red pistachio (SRP), sugar beet pulp (SBP), and olive pulp cake (OPC) were used as sources of biomass. The highest hydrogen yields among these three biomasses were measured as 1.63 mg/g or 19.87 mg/l the 50 g/L concentration of SBP. The amount of protein in the production of biohydrogen has been determined to be an important factor and the increase in protein has decreased gas efficiency. The highest hydrogen gas efficiencies for SRP and OPC loadings on different organic loading concentrations were, respectively, measured as 0.3 mg/g or 3.6 ml/g. Hydrogen gas efficiency obtained for SBP with the highest carbohydrate quantity was calculated as 1.63 mg/g or 19.87 mg/l. As carbohydrate concentrations of the biomass resources used have increased, the efficiency of bio-hydrogen has also increased.

KEYWORDS:

• Biohydrogen
• dark fermentation
• protein and carbohydrate
• biomass from agricultural waste
• biogas