Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), derived from electronics, furniture, etc., are detected with high level in excess sludge (ES). In this work, the influence of PBDEs on ES dark fermentation (ESDF) hydrogen production and the related key mechanisms were explored. The result shows PBDEs exposure reduced hydrogen production, and hydrogen accumulation decreased from 17.6 mL/g in blank to 12.3 mL/g with 12.0 mg/Kg PBDEs. PBDEs induced the reactive oxygen species production, which directly led to cell inactivation and reduced hydrogen production. Furthermore, PBDEs decreased ES disintegration, hydrolysis, acidification and homoacetogenic processes and inhibited the activities of enzymes related to hydrogen production. PBDEs also affected the diversity and richness of microbial communities in dark fermentation systems, especially high doses of PBDEs reduced the relative abundance of microorganisms associated with hydrogen production. In conclusion, PBDEs reduce hydrogen generation from ES.

多溴二苯醚 (PBDE) 源自电子产品、家具等，在剩余污泥 (ES) 中检测到高浓度。本工作探讨了 PBDEs 对 ES 暗发酵 (ESDF) 产氢的影响及相关关键机制。结果显示 PBDEs 暴露减少了氢气的产生，氢气积累从空白的 17.6 mL/g 降低到 12.0 mg/Kg PBDEs 的 12.3 mL/g。PBDEs 诱导活性氧的产生，直接导致细胞失活和氢气产生减少。此外，多溴二苯醚降低了 ES 的分解、水解、酸化和同型产乙酸过程，并抑制了与产氢相关的酶的活性。PBDEs 还影响了黑暗发酵系统中微生物群落的多样性和丰富度，特别是高剂量的多溴二苯醚降低了与氢气生产相关的微生物的相对丰度。总之，PBDEs 减少了 ES 产生的氢气。