초록
<P>Fermentative hydrogen production from wastes has many advantages compared to various chemical methods. Methodology for characterizing the hydrogen-producing activity of anaerobic mixed cultures is essential for monitoring reactor operation in fermentative hydrogen production, however there is lack of such kind of standardized methodologies. In the present study, a new index, i.e., the maximum specific hydrogen-producing activity (SHA<SUB>m</SUB>) of anaerobic mixed cultures, was proposed, and consequently a reliable and simple method, named SHA<SUB>m</SUB> test, was developed to determine it. Furthermore, the influences of various parameters on the SHA<SUB>m</SUB> value determination of anaerobic mixed cultures were evaluated. Additionally, this SHA<SUB>m</SUB> assay was tested for different types of substrates and bacterial inocula. Our results demonstrate that this novel SHA<SUB>m</SUB> assay was a rapid, accurate and simple methodology for determining the hydrogen-producing activity of anaerobic mixed cultures. Thus, application of this approach is beneficial to establishing a stable anaerobic hydrogen-producing system.</P>