• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.220-227
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• 2004

This study showed that thermophilic anaerobic acid fermentation of food wastes had an enhanced hydrolysis capability and improvement of acidification efficiency. Influence of pH on the anaerobic hydrolysis and acidogenesis was investigated to determine the proper alkalinity in the thermophilic fermentation of food wastes. The results of putting NaOH as alkali to evaluate hydrolysis and acid fermentation efficiency In acid fermentation process of food wastes showed that the food wastes pretreated with 0.05 g NaOH/g TS had the maximum 12,600 mg/L of VFAs concentration during HRT 3 days in $55^{\circ}C$ thermophilic condition and the maximum 9,700 mg/L of VFAs concentration during HRT 5 days in $35^{\circ}C$ mesophilic condition. The accomplishment of high VFAs concentration resulted from that the main component of food wastes such as cellulose, lignin and etc. is performed active chemical decomposition by alkali in thermophilic condition. The major components of VFAs produced from the thermophilic acid fermentation process of food wastes were the short chain fatty acids such as acetic acid, butyric acid, and propionic acid.