Comparison of different mixed cultures for bio-hydrogen production from ground wheat starch by combined dark and light fermentation.

Composition of the mixed culture was varied in combined dark-light fermentation of wheat powder starch in order to improve hydrogen gas formation rate and yield. Heat-treated anaerobic sludge and pure culture of Clostridium beijerinckii (DSMZ 791T) were combined with two different light fermentation bacteria of Rhodobacter sphaeroides (RS-NRRL and RS-RV) in order to select a more suitable mixture resulting in high hydrogen yield and formation rate. A combination of the anaerobic sludge and RS-NRRL yielded the highest cumulative hydrogen (CHF = 140 ml), the highest yield (0.36 mol H2 mol(-1) glucose) and specific hydrogen formation rate (2.5 ml H2 g(-1) biomass h(-1)). During dark fermentation (70 h) hydrogen was produced simultaneously by the dark and light fermentation bacteria using glucose from hydrolyzed starch. However, only light fermentation bacteria produced hydrogen from VFA's derived from dark fermentation after a long adaptation period.