Inhibition and disinhibition of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in anaerobic fermentation: A review

Abstract Anaerobic fermentation is a clean production process for recycling of many agricultural and industrial wastes. During anaerobic fermentation, the existence of various inhibitors often leads to low efficiency or even failure of anaerobic digesters. 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is such an inhibitor which can be produced in the pretreatment of biomass for subsequent anaerobic digestion. This paper provides a review of various production methods of HMF and its effects on hydrogen production, methane production and ethanol production through fermentation. The conversion and removal of HMF were summarized from the aspects of biomass pretreatment, non-biological treatment and biological treatment. This article aims to provide new ideas and methods for reducing the inhibition effect of HMF on anaerobic fermentation of biomass and restoring the performance of the anaerobic fermentation.