Biohydrogen production from food and beverage processing wastewater by enriching hydrogen-producing bacteria from sludge compost

The objective of this study was conducted to compare the feasibility of producing hydrogen from food and beverage processing wastewater by anaerobic microflora enriched of starch versus coconut milk sludge at initial pH 6.5 under mesophilic condition (35±2ºC) in a batch reactor. Biohydrogen production could be generated from food and beverage processing wastewater, except winery and brewery wastewater employing the enriching hydrogen-producing bacteria of coconut milk or starch sludge. Results revealed that the maximum cumulative hydrogen production (0.33 L H₂ L⁻¹ wastewater) was observed from coconut milk wastewater by enriching hydrogen-producing bacteria of coconut milk sludge. It was more than two-fold higher than that of enriching hydrogen-producing bacteria of starch sludge (0.15 L H₂ L⁻¹ wastewater). Composition of volatile fatty acid showed the presence of acetate, butyrate and the lower propionate concentration. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal was in the range of 4.70-64.98.