Bio-hydrogen production from glycerol by immobilized Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048 on heat-treated UASB granules as affected by organic loading rate

Bio-hydrogen production from glycerol by immobilized Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048 on heat-treated upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) granules was examined in a UASB reactor. The organic loading rate (OLR) was optimized in order to maximize the hydrogen production rate (HPR). The maximum hydrogen content (37.1% and 24.2%) and HPR (9 and 6.2 mmol H₂/L h) were achieved at the optimum OLR of 50 g/L d using pure and waste glycerol as the substrate, respectively. The major soluble metabolite products (SMPs) were ethanol, 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD), formic acid, and acetic acid. The microbial community and microbial structure, analyzed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), revealed that the predominant hydrogen producers were E. aerogenes ATCC 13048 and firmicutes bacteria including Clostridium, Bacillus, and Dialister sp.