On the potential of halophiles enriched from hypersaline sediments for biohydrogen production from saline wastewater

Halophiles are key microorganisms to potentially overcome the salinity-induced limitation in anaerobic bioremediation of organic pollutants and energy recovery when using conventional inoculums. This study aimed enrich halophiles from hypersaline sediment optimize their use as alternative inoculum for fermentative hydrogen production. Batch assays 15 combinations (i.e., pH 6–10, salinity 10–70 g-NaCl/L, iron concentration 0.2–1.0 g-FeSO4/L) were conducted glucose a substrate. To boost efficiency via optimization operational conditions, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed. The maximum obtained yield (HY) 151 mL/g-COD (1.29 mol-H2/mol-glucose) achieved at 6.0, 40 g-NaCL/L, 0.6 g-FeSO4/L. results further emphasize negative impacts <25 g-NaCl/L > 8, along with beneficial role supplementation (0.3–1.0 g-FeSO4/L). By validating multivariate model desirability function, towards HY, predicted value 155 6.65, 70 0.2 microbial community analysis revealed that enrichment raw enhanced biodiversity, then showed Halobacteroidaceae bacteria players producing H2 glucose. Overall, respect competitive HY mol/mol-glucose), halophiles-based is feasible limitations DF treating saline wastewater, future studies/implications real effluents worthy.