Quantitative analysis of a high-rate hydrogen-producing microbial community in anaerobic agitated granular sludge bed bioreactors using glucose as substrate

Fermentative H₂ production microbial structure in an agitated granular sludge bed bioreactor was analyzed using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and polymerase chain reaction-denatured gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). This hydrogen-producing system was operated at four different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 4, 2, 1, and 0.5 h and with an influent glucose concentration of 20 g chemical oxygen demand/l. According to the PCR-DGGE analysis, bacterial community structures were mainly composed of Clostridium sp. (possibly Clostridium pasteurianum), Klebsiella oxytoca, and Streptococcus sp. Significant increase of Clostridium/total cell ratio (68%) was observed when the reactor was operated under higher influent flow rate. The existence of Streptococcus sp. in the reactor became more important when operated under a short HRT as indicated by the ratio of Streptococcus probe-positive cells to Clostridium probe-positive cells changing from 21% (HRT 4 h) to 38% (HRT 0.5 h). FISH images suggested that Streptococcus cells probably acted as seeds for self-flocculated granule formation. Furthermore, combining the inspections with hydrogen production under different HRTs and their corresponding FISH analysis indicated that K. oxytoca did not directly contribute to H₂ production but possibly played a role in consuming O₂ to create an anaerobic environment for the hydrogen-producing Clostridium.