Hydrothermal Treatment of Kitchen Waste as a Strategy for Dark Fermentation Biohydrogen Production

Marlena Domińska (), Katarzyna Paździor, Radosław Ślęzak and Stanisław Ledakowicz ()
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Marlena Domińska: Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, 213 Wolczanska Street, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Katarzyna Paździor: Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, 213 Wolczanska Street, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Radosław Ślęzak: Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, 213 Wolczanska Street, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Stanisław Ledakowicz: Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, 213 Wolczanska Street, 90-924 Lodz, Poland

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 21, 1-18

Abstract: This study presents an innovative approach to the production of hydrogen from liquids following hydrothermal treatment of biowaste, offering a potential solution for renewable energy generation and waste management. By combining biological and hydrothermal processes, the efficiency of H 2 production can be significantly improved, contributing to a reduced carbon footprint and lower reliance on fossil fuels. The inoculum used was fermented sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, which had been thermally pretreated to enhance microbial activity towards hydrogen production. Kitchen waste, consisting mainly of plant-derived materials (vegetable matter), was used as a substrate. The process was conducted in batch 1-L bioreactors. The results showed that higher pretreatment temperatures (up to 180 °C) increased the hydrolysis of compounds and enhanced H 2 production. However, temperatures above 180 °C resulted in the formation of toxic compounds, such as catechol and hydroquinone, which inhibited H 2 production. The highest hydrogen production was achieved at 180 °C (approximately 66 mL H 2 /g TVSKW ). The standard Gompertz model was applied to describe the process kinetics and demonstrated an excellent fit with the experimental data (R 2 = 0.99), confirming the model’s suitability for optimizing H 2 production. This work highlights the potential of combining hydrothermal and biological processes to contribute to the development of sustainable energy systems within the circular economy.

Keywords: hydrogen; hydrothermal processes; biological processes; dark fermentation; clean energy; kitchen waste (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: 2025
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