Magnesium improves hydrogen production by a novel fermentative hydrogen-producing bacterial strain B49

Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of magnesium on glucose metabolism, including growth and hydrogen-producing capacity of fermentative hydrogen-producing bacterial strain B49. These abilities were enhanced with an increase in magnesium concentration. At the end of fermentation from 10 g/L ratio of ethanol amount (mg/L) to acetate amount (mg/L) was 1.1, and the accumulated hydrogen volume hydrogen volume was increased to 2 360. 5 mL H2/L culture, the ratio of ethanol amount (mg/L) to acetate amount (mg/L) was increased to 1.3 and polysaccharide was decreased to 2. 5 mg/L. Moreover, the magnesium solution addition to the medium at different fermentation times affected hydrogen-producing ability. However,the later the addition time was postponed, the less the effect was on hydrogen evolution. Further experiments confirmed the enhancement was dependent on magnesium ions and not on the other inorganic ions such as SO42- or Cl-, which constituted the magnesium salts.