IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i15p7160-d1719659.html

Study on the Effect of pH Modulation on Lactic Acid Production by Electro-Fermentation of Food Waste

Author

Listed:
  • Nuohan Wang

    (School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Jianguo Liu

    (College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, China)

  • Yongsheng Li

    (School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Yuanyuan Ren

    (School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Xiaona Wang

    (School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Tianlong Zheng

    (Research Center for Eco-Environmental sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China)

  • Qunhui Wang

    (School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China)

Abstract

Lactic acid (LA) synthesis through fermentation of food waste (FW) is an emerging techniques for utilizing perishable organic wastes with high value. Using food waste collected from a cafeteria as the substrate for fermentation, the current study was conducted by applying a micro electric field to the conventional LA fermentation process and performing open-ended electro-fermentation (EF) without sterilization and lactobacilli inoculation. Furthermore, the effects of pH adjustment on LA production were examined. The findings demonstrated that electrical stimulation enhances the electron transfer rate within the system, accelerates REDOX reactions, and thereby intensifies the lactic acid production process. The pH-regulated group produced LA and dissolved organic materials at considerably higher rates than the control group, which did not receive any pH modification. The maximum LA concentration and organic matter dissolution in the experimental group, where the pH was set to 7 every 12 h of fermentation, were 33.9 and 38.4 g/L, respectively. These values were 208 and 203% higher than those in the control group, indicating that the pH adjustment greatly aided the solubilization and hydrolysis of macromolecules. Among the several hydrolyzing bacteria ( Actinobacteriota ) that were enriched, Lactobacillus predominated, but Bifidobacterium also became a major genus in the neutral-acidic environment, and its abundance grew dramatically. This study provides a scientific basis for optimizing the LA process of FW.

Suggested Citation

  • Nuohan Wang & Jianguo Liu & Yongsheng Li & Yuanyuan Ren & Xiaona Wang & Tianlong Zheng & Qunhui Wang, 2025. "Study on the Effect of pH Modulation on Lactic Acid Production by Electro-Fermentation of Food Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:15:p:7160-:d:1719659
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/15/7160/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/15/7160/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Prasun Kumar & Kuppam Chandrasekhar & Archana Kumari & Ezhaveni Sathiyamoorthi & Beom Soo Kim, 2018. "Electro-Fermentation in Aid of Bioenergy and Biopolymers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-20, February.
    2. Djangbadjoa Gbiete & Satyanarayana Narra & Damgou Mani Kongnine & Mona-Maria Narra & Michael Nelles, 2024. "Insights into Biohydrogen Production Through Dark Fermentation of Food Waste: Substrate Properties, Inocula, and Pretreatment Strategies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-32, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Syaichurrozi, Iqbal & Hidayatullah, Muhammad Akbar & Nurullah, Alfan & Suhendi, Endang & Kustiningsih, Indar & Susanti, Devi Yuni & Darsono, Nono & Primeia, Sandia & Khaerudini, Deni Shidqi, 2025. "Enhanced biohydrogen production from palm oil mill effluent using single-stage process of dark fermentation and microbial electrolysis cell at various initial pHs," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    2. Anna Sekrecka-Belniak & Renata Toczyłowska-Mamińska, 2018. "Fungi-Based Microbial Fuel Cells," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-18, October.
    3. David Tian Hren & Andreja Nemet & Danijela Urbancl, 2025. "From Waste to Hydrogen: Utilizing Waste as Feedstock or Catalysts for Hydrogen Generation," Clean Technol., MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-33, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:15:p:7160-:d:1719659. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask MDPI Indexing Manager to update the entry or send us the correct address (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.