Utilization of a palladium-metal oxide semiconductor (Pd-MOS) sensor for on-line monitoring of dissolved hydrogen in anaerobic digestion

The use of a hydrogen-sensitive palladium-metal oxide semiconductor (Pd-MOS) sensor in combination with a membrane for liquid-to-gas transfer for the detection of dissolved hydrogen was investigated. The system was evaluated with known concentrations of dissolved hydrogen in water. The lowest concentration detected with this set-up was 160 nM. The method was applied to monitoring of a laboratory-scale anaerobic digestion process employing mixed sludge containing mainly food/industrial waste. Pulse loads of glucose were added to the system at different levels of microbial activity, and the microbial status of the culture was reflected in the dissolved hydrogen response. Simultaneous headspace hydrogen measurements were performed, and at the lower levels of dissolved hydrogen no corresponding headspace hydrogen could be detected. When glucose was added to a resting culture the dissolved hydrogen response was rapid and the first response could be detected 9 min after addition of glucose, whereas headspace hydrogen concentrations increased only after 80 to 110 min. This indicates limitations in the liquid-to-gas hydrogen transfer and illustrates the importance of hydrogen monitoring in the liquid. The sensor system developed is flexible, the membrane is easily replaceable, and the probe for liquid-to-gas hydrogen transfer can be adjusted easily to large-scale applications.