Use of immobilized phototrophic microorganisms for water water treatment and simultaneous production of hydrogen

Many phototrophic microorganisms were shown to be capable of immobilization on an activated glass surface. With the use of either standard culture media or lactate-containing waste waters as substrates, long-term (up to 900 h) light-induced production of H-2 was demonstrated in a photobioreactor with the Rhodospirillum fulvum and Rhodobacter sphaeroides cells immobilized on porous glass. The maximum rate of H-2 production (3.6 ml per h per ml porous glass) was obtained in the photobioreactor with Rb. sphaeroides GL1. Light-induced production of H2 was accompanied by a 60-80% decrease in the lactate concentration in the culture medium or waste water. The efficiency of lactate conversion to H-2 was 75%. Therefore, simultaneous H-2 production and waste water treatment are feasible.