Calcium hypochlorite-coupled aged refuse promotes hydrogen production from sludge anaerobic fermentation

This work investigated the effect of calcium hypochlorite (CH) coupled aged refuse (AR) treatment on the enhanced hydrogen generation from sludge anaerobic dark fermentation (SADF). The enhanced mechanism was systematically revealed through sludge disintegration, organic matter biotransformation, and microbial community characteristics, etc. The experimental data showed that CH coupled AR increased the hydrogen yield to 18.1 mL/g, significantly higher than that in the AR or CH group alone. Mechanistic analysis showed that CH-coupled AR significantly promoted sludge disintegration and hydrolysis processes, providing sufficient material for hydrogen-producing bacteria. Microbiological analysis showed that CH-coupled AR increased the relative abundance of responsible hydrogen-producing microorganisms. In addition, CH-coupled AR was very effective in reducing phosphate content in the fermentation liquid and fecal coliforms in the digestate, thus facilitating the subsequent treatment of fermentation broth and digestate. CH coupled AR is an alternative strategy to increase hydrogen production from sludge.