Delignification of disposable wooden chopsticks waste for fermentative hydrogen production by an enriched culture from a hot spring.

Hydrogen (H2) production from lignocellulosic materials may be enhanced by removing lignin and increasing the porosity of the material prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. Alkaline pretreatment conditions, used to delignify disposable wooden chopsticks (DWC) waste, were investigated. The effects of NaOH concentration, temperature and retention time were examined and it was found that retention time had no effect on lignin removal or carbohydrate released in enzymatic hydrolysate.

Additional paper waste in pulping sludge for biohydrogen production by heat-shocked sludge.

Dark anaerobic fermentation is an interesting alternative method for producing biohydrogen (H(2)) as a renewable fuel because of its low cost and various usable organic substrates. Pulping sludge from wastewater treatment containing plentiful cellulosic substrate could be feasibly utilized for H(2) production by dark fermentation. The objective of this study was to investigate the optimal proportion of pulping sludge to paper waste, the optimal initial pH, and the optimal ratio of carbon and nitrogen (C/N) for H(2) production by anaerobic seed sludge pretreated with heat.