| Affiliation: | 1. Centre de recherche sur les matériaux lignocellulosiques, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7, Canada;2. Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada;1. Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA;2. Distillers Grain Technology Council, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA;1. Department of Environmental Science, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan;2. Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Agriculture and Biology Research Division, National Research Center, Cairo 12311, Egypt;3. State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China;4. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai 9808579, Japan;5. Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Xi''an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi''an 710055, China;1. Department of Environmental Science, Industrial Research Chair in Environment and Biotechnology, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Des Forges, Trois-Rivières, Québec G9A 5H7, Canada;2. Canada Research Chair in Earth Observation and Phytoplankton Ecophysiology, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 2R1, Canada |
| Abstract: | Pulp and paper industry primary sludge being largely composed of lignocellulosic fibres, it could be used as carbon source by bacteria having cellulolytic capability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of cellulose contained in this type of sludge for Clostridium thermocellum to produce ethanol, hydrogen and cellulases. In an ATCC 1191 medium containing 5 kg m?3 dry primary sludge from recycled paper mill, batch culture reached stationary phase after 2 days. All of the available cellulose was hydrolysed after 60 h of incubation, with a final pH of 5.83. Metabolites produced after 60 h of fermentation were acetate (8.50 mol m?3), ethanol (11.30 mol m?3), lactate (8.75 mol m?3), formate (0.27 mol m?3), hydrogen (11.20 mol m?3) and carbon dioxide (18.41 mol m?3). Cellulase activity was detected in the supernatant after 36 h, with a maximal activity of 0.25 U cm?3 at 72 h. Pulp and paper primary sludge appeared to be a readily usable substrate for C. thermocellum at this concentration, yielding both potential biofuels (hydrogen and ethanol) as well as active cellulases. |
