Assessment of Hydrogen and Volatile Fatty Acid Production from Fruit and Vegetable Waste: A Case Study of Mediterranean Markets

Ester Scotto di Perta, Alessandra Cesaro, Stefania Pindozzi, Luigi Frunzo, Giovanni Esposito and Stefano Papirio
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Ester Scotto di Perta: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
Alessandra Cesaro: Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy
Stefania Pindozzi: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
Luigi Frunzo: Department of Mathematics and Applications “Renato Caccioppoli”, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia, 80126 Naples, Italy
Giovanni Esposito: Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy
Stefano Papirio: Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 14, 1-15

Abstract: This study investigates the dark fermentation of fruit and vegetable waste under mesophilic conditions (30–34 °C), as a valorization route for H 2 and volatile fatty acids production, simulating the open market waste composition over the year in two Mediterranean countries. Specifically, the study focuses on the effect of the (i) seasonal variability, (ii) initial pH, and (iii) substrate/inoculum ratio on the yields and composition of the main end products. Concerning the seasonal variation, the summer and spring mixtures led to +16.8 and +21.7% higher H 2 production than the winter/autumn mixture, respectively. Further investigation on the least productive substrate (winter/autumn) led to 193.0 ± 7.4 NmL of H 2 g VS −1 at a pH of 5.5 and a substrate/inoculum of 1. With the same substrate, at a pH of 7.5, the highest acetic acid yield of 7.0 mmol/g VS was observed, with acetic acid corresponding to 78.2% of the total acids. Whereas a substrate/inoculum of 3 resulted in the lowest H 2 yield, amounting to 111.2 ± 7.6 NmL of H 2 g VS −1 , due to a decrease of the pH to 4.8, which likely caused an inhibitory effect by undissociated acids. This study demonstrates that dark fermentation can be a valuable strategy to efficiently manage such leftovers, rather than landfilling or improperly treating them.

Keywords: fruit and vegetable waste; dark fermentation; substrate/inoculum; initial pH; season variability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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