Comparative Evaluation of Bio-Hydrogen Production From Cheese Whey Wastewater Under Thermophilic and Mesophilic Anaerobic Conditions

Abstract

Hydrogen production from cheese whey wastewater via dark fermentation was conducted using mixed culture under mesophilic (36°C ± 1) and thermophilic (55°C ± 1) conditions, respectively. The hydrogen yields and specific hydrogen production rates were found as follows: mesophilic: 9.2 mmol H₂ /g COD (chemical oxygen demand) and 5.1 mL H₂ /g VSS h; thermophilic: 8.1 mmol H₂ / g COD and 1.1 mL H₂ /g VSS h. The reaction mixture for the mesophilic condition was composed of acetate (0.3–14.7%) and iso-butyrate (85–98%), plus other volatile fatty acids. On the other hand, the reactor mixture for the thermophilic condition was composed of acetate (1–43%) and iso-butyrate (29–46%).

Keywords:

• Anaerobic dark fermentation
• Cheese whey
• Granular sludge
• Hydrogen production
• Mesophilic
• Thermophilic
• pH effect

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to thank TUBITAK-CAYDAG for the financial support of this study under the grant No 104Y298. The data presented in this article was produced within the project above, however, it is only the authors of this article who are responsible for the results and discussions made herein.