Role of sub-fraction in Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) in attached growth systems for biohydrogen production

Abstract

This study investigates extracellular polymer substances (EPS) for its contribution towards the biofilm adhesion and cohesion for anaerobic hydrogen fermentation. This study shows that the mode of operation (repeated batch) significantly affects microbial diversity and hydrogen production. Hydrogen is considered a very clean energy source also for the environment that releases water as a production response and it also has the benefit of having the highest energy density when compared with others. Hydrogen can be produced biologically by fermentation from renewable resources. Based on this fact, the work is done to examine the hydrogen production via dark fermentation. Conversion reaction of hydrogen has evaluated at temperature 50 ° C and 60 ° C. EPS sub- fractions and mechanisms involved in cell adhesion of microbes were successful in producing biohydrogen in dark fermentation process. The protocol of EPS extraction were conducted to produce the solution EPS, tightly (TB-EPS) and loosely (LB-EPS) to examine the role of EPS. EPS also contains carbohydrates and protein derivatives. Concentration of glucose will use as a standard for identify the total carbohydrate consume for sample. The carbohydrate test and protein test also conduct to know the microbe or bacteria absorbance the sugar for growth system. Because bacteria need sugar to produce good hydrogen gas and maintain the fermentation growth system. The total sugar that microbe used for fermentation is increase by each of day and produce the stable biohydrogen gas. The functional groups from FTIR analysis of EPS extraction at temperature 50°C and 60°C had identified absorption range at 3100 – 3600 cmˉ¹ that correlates with the presence of alcohol that aid the formation of attached growth systems for biohydrogen production.