Author(s): Gonçalves, Marta R. ; Costa, J. C. ; Pereira, M. A. ; Abreu, A. A. ; Alves, M. M.
Date: 2014
Persistent ID: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/31625
Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Project/scholarship: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/5876-PPCDTI/126270/PT ;
Subject(s): Biohydrogen; Darkfermentation; Olive mill wastewater; Biomethane; Homoacetogenesis; Olive oil mill effluent; Methanogenic suppressor; Anaerobic digestion; Science & Technology
Anaerobic degradation of olive mill wastewater (OMW) at concentrations ranging from 2 to 100 g/L of chemical oxygen demand (COD) was assessed in batch assays. Methane was the main final product obtained for the lower concentrations tested. For 25 g COD/L, H2 was temporarily produced, albeit H2 depletion occurred, likely due to homoacetogenesis, since acetate was formed concomitantly. Hydrogen was produced and accumulated permanently in the assays containing 50 g COD/L of OMW. Methanogenesis and homoacetogenesis were naturally inhibited, suggesting that hydrogen recovery from OMW can be performed without the addition of methanogenic suppressors such as 2-bromoethanosulfonate. This fact opens new perspectives for the utilization of high OMW concentrations in a two-stage valorisation process combining biohydrogen and biomethane production.
The authors thank the FCT Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013, the FCT Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012, the Project "BioEnv - Biotechnology and Bioengineering for a sustainable world", REF. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000048, co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2 - O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER. Also through the project PTDC/ENR/69755/2006 and grants given to Marta Goncalves SFRH/BD/40746/2007, Jose Carlos Costa SFRH/BDP/48962/2008 and Angela A Abreu SFRH/BPD/82000/2011.
