Statistical optimization of biohydrogen production from palm oil mill effluent by natural microflora

• Main Authors: Rasdi, Zatilfarihiah, Abdul Rahman, Nor'aini, Abd. Aziz, Suraini, Phang, Lai Yee, Mohd Yusoff, Mohd Zulkhairi, Chong, Mei Ling, Hassan, Mohd Ali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bentham Open 2009
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/16838/1/Statistical%20optimization%20of%20biohydrogen%20production%20from%20palm%20oil%20mill%20effluent%20by%20natural%20microflora.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/16838/; http://benthamopen.com/ABSTRACT/TOBIOTJ-3-79
• Institution: Universiti Putra Malaysia

In this study, palm oil mill effluent (POME) was used as the substrate for biohydrogen production. Heat-treated POME sludge acclimated with POME incubated at 37°C for 24 hours was used as seed culture. Preliminary screening on the effects of inocula sizes, heat treatment, substrate concentration and pH of incubation by using a factorial design (FD) were conducted under mesophilic condition (37°C) using a serum vial (160 mL). The experimental results from two-level FD showed that pH and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of POME significantly affected biohydrogen production. Op-timizations of the specific hydrogen production (Ps) and the hydrogen production rate (Rm) were achieved by using a central composite design(CCD). The maximum Ps of 272 mL H2/g carbohydrate was obtained under optimum conditions of pH 5.75 and substrate concentration of 80 g/L. The maximum Rm of 98 mL H2/h was calculated under the optimum conditions of pH 5.98 and substrate concentration of 80 g/L. The optimized conditions obtained were subjected to a confirmation run and it showed reproducible data with a Ps of 226 mL H2/g carbohydrate and Rm of 72 mL H2/h.