Production of hydrogen by microbial fermentation

Production of hydrogen by defined and undefined bacterial cultures was studied, using pure sugars (glucose and maltose) or natural sources rich in either pure sugars or polysaccharides. The latter included sugar cane juice, corn pulp (enzymatically treated or untreated), and enzymatically treated paper. Mixed microbial flora from sewage and landfill sediments, as well as pure and mixed cultures of known coliform bacteria produced mixtures of hydrogen and carbon dioxide at 37°C and 55°C, with hydrogen concentrations as high as 87%. In the case of the pure glucose substrate, an average yield of 0.7 mol hydrogen per mol glucose was obtained.