Glucose fermentation with biochar amended consortium: Sequential fermentations

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study sequential batch fermentation of glucose with a biological consortium amended with nine different biochars or with an activated carbon. The glucose fermentation was enhanced by carbon amendment, with activated carbon being more effective than biochars as cell carriers and electron conductors between functional species. The volatile fatty acid distributions were shifted in the consumption of the produced H-2 and CO2. The types of biochars were irrelevant to glucose glycolysis and the subsequent H-2 and CO2 consumption reactions. Biofilm growth affects the detailed mechanisms occurred in fermentation broth to the yielded volatile fatty acid distributions.