No abstract

Anaerobic fermentation of food waste for hydrogen production was performed in serum bottles with various linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) dosages (7.1-21.4 g/l) and sodium concentrations (5.03-28.7 g/l). LAS can effectively inhibit the activity of hydrogen-consuming bacteria, and the maximum hydrogen yield of 109.2 ml/g volatile solid (VS) was obtained at an LAS dosage of 14.3 g/l without added sodium. The feasible pH for hydrogen production is 5.0-6.0, and the process will slow down or stop when the pH is below 5.0.The hydrogen production potential increased when the sodium concentration increased in the range 5.03-14.41 g/l. The maximum hydrogen yield was 154.8 ml/g VS, and then the hydrogen production began to decrease when the sodium concentration increased further. A sodium chloride concentration of 20 g/l and higher will enhance the osmotic pressure and make bacteria inert. In the effl uent, acetic acid is the major by-product. The results indicated that the hydrogen production from the anaerobic fermentation of food waste could clearly be increased with the additives and a sodium concentration less than 20 g/l.