Effect of environmental and nutritional conditions on $H_2$ production from glucose by the chemoheterotropic facultative bacterium, Citrobacter sp. Y19

Citrobacter sp. Y19 was studied for $H_2$ production from glucose in batch culture. Important conditions studied include phosphate concentration, temperature, glucose concentration, and gas-phase replacement. Optimal $H_2$ production was observed at 140 - 180 mM of phosphate and $36^{\circ}C$. When glucose concentration increased from 0.1 to 5% (w/v), $H_2$ production increased up to 2% and remained constant thereafter. Intermittent purging of the reaction bottle with Ar gas stimulated the $H_2$ production by alleviating the inhibition by $H_2$. The maximum productivity was observed to be 113.2 ml $H_2$/h-1.