Biohydrogen production by extractive fermentation and photofermentation

Electrodialysis (ED), an electrochemical membrane technique, prolonged and enhanced the production of biohydrogen and purified organic acids (OAs) via anaerobic fermentation of glucose and food wastes. In this extractive fermentation, pH was precisely controlled by the regulated extraction of acidic products. The solid particles and inorganic salts present in real wastes were not problematic when hydrothermal pre treatment was incorporated. The selective separation of OA from waste-fed fermentations provides a nitrogen free carbon source for further biohydrogen production in a parallel photofermentation. H2 yield could be up to 10 fold enhanced by combining extractive fermentation and photofermentation. Therefore, ED provides the key link in an integrated process (IP) for efficient bioH2 production from organic wastes.