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Dark co-fermentation of skim latex serum (SLS) and palm oil mill efflent (POME) under thermophilic conditions for effiient biohydrogen production

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Kullachat Sama, Rattana Jariyaboon and Prawit Kongjan

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The aim of this study was to investigate the optimum mixing ratio of skim latex serum (SLS) to palm oil mill effluent (POME) for biohydrogen production under thermophilic temperature (55oC) by using thermophilic mixed cultures. Batch co-fermentations were carried out at various mixing ratios of SLS to POME (95:5, 90:10, 85:15, 80:20, 75:25, 70:30, 65:35, 60:40, 55:45 and 50:50 (%v/v)) without supplementation of additional nutrients. The result shows that the optimum mixing ratio of SLS to POME was 75:25 (%v/v) with high hydrogen content, hydrogen production rate and hydrogen production yield of 27.1?0.8%, 19.6?0.3 mL H 2 /d and 35.0?1.2 mL H 2 /g-COD, respectively. In addition, the hydrogen production yield achieved from co-fermentation was 1 and 5 times higher than that achieved from individual fermentations of SLS and POME, respectively. Propionate and butyrate were the major soluble end-products with concentrations 38.20?0.63 mM and 24.35?0.00 mM, respectively. Therefore this research work demonstrated significant feasibility of anaerobic dark co-fermentation of SLS and POME to enhance biohydrogen production. However, further nutrient optimization could be investigated in order to further increase hydrogen production yield.

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Biohydrogen production, Skim latex serum (SLS), Palm oil mill effluent (POME), Dark co-fermentation.