Duckweed harvested from a swine wastewater treatment system was evaluated for its
potential as a fermentation feedstock for the production of biohydrogen. The effects of
pretreatment and fermentation conditions on biohydrogen production were investigated
in laboratory-scale batch experiments. The results showed that mild acidic thermal pretreatment
(1% H2SO4 and 85 C for 1 h) was more effective in improving the fermentability
of duckweed than either thermal or mild alkaline thermal pretreatments. Fermentation of
acid-pretreated duckweed resulted in a biohydrogen production of up to 75 mL H2 per g dry
duckweed in 7 days (at a H2 concentration of 42%), which is comparable with other plant
biomass. Overall, the results show that small aquatic plants such as duckweed can be
promising substrate for biohydrogen production.
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