Abstract
This study was conducted for investigating a cost-effective temperature dependent control of the fermentation period through controlling the H-2 production rate and efficiency of the hydrogen over-producing Escherichia coli HD701 from acid hydrolyzed barley starch. A temperature range from 30 to 40 degrees C can be used for H-2 production by E. coli and the most apparent optimum was 35 degrees C where rising the fermentation temperature up to 40 degrees C increased the rate of H-2 production while decreasing the temperature down to 30 degrees C decreased the rate without significantly reducing the efficiency in both cases. Through such temperature dependency of the rate, the fermentation process can be controlled without affecting the hydrogen production efficiency. Controlling the rate of hydrogen production is often important for adjusting the gas concomitant collection and purification systems. As it was not affecting significantly the efficiency, the increase in the rate of E. coli H-2 production by such slight increase in the fermentation temperature from 35 to 40 degrees C would be cost-effective as it shorten the total fermentation period and hence save the energy consumed in prolonged heating and operation of the fermenter. For further enhancement of the feasibility of bacterial hydrogen production, the second part of the study was devoted for inspecting the use of the waste bacterial culture after H-2 production for bioremediation of the toxic chromium (VI) through its bioreduction to nontoxic Cr3+. After H-2 production, the waste bacterial E. coli culture could efficiently detoxify concentrations of Cr6+ significantly higher than minimum toxic level determined using human cell lines. The addition of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) to the waste E. coli culture significantly increased the bioreduction rate of Cr6+. The mechanism might occur through catalyzing Cr6+ reduction by the formate in the waste fermentation culture accumulated at the late phase of fermentation.
This is the first study investigating the control of the fermentation period without affecting the hydrogen production efficiency to decrease the cost, save time and hence increase the fermentation industrial rounds. Besides, the use of waste fermentation culture in Cr6+ bioremediation would increase the feasibility of both biotechnologies. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.