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Waste Activated Sludge as Biomass for Production of Commercial-Grade Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper presents an assessment of the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) in biomass sourced from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The purpose was to examine both the potential for more generic utilization of waste activated sludge as biomass for PHA production and the quality of the polymers produced.

Methods

Biomass was sourced from two full-scale WWTPs. A refined acetic and propionic acid feedstock was used to produce a P(3HB-co-3HV) (polyhydroxy-butyrate-valerate or PHBV) copolymer in a single-stage from this biomass as-received.

Results

The mean overall storage yield was 0.25 ± 0.03 gCOD of polymer per gCOD feedstock consumed. The average PHA cell content was 0.26 ± 0.08 gPHA gVSS−1. Microstructure and thermal properties analysis showed that the polymers produced were most likely a mixture of random copolymers, with polymer composition being mainly a function of substrate composition. The PHA recovered was of high purity and exhibited thermal characteristics similar to published values.

Conclusions

Based on published data, the overall yield for a conventional PHA production system, utilizing volatile fatty acid (VFA) feedstocks for biomass and biopolymer production, is 0.19 gPHA per gVFA(COD), which is similar to that obtained in this work. In other words, efficiency of VFA feedstock utilization is similar. Considering activated sludge biomass is abundantly available around the world, this work suggests that industrial scale PHA production could be achieved more generally in conjunction with sludge management rather than using purpose specific biorefineries where biomass is grown on high value feedstocks.

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Acknowledgments

The School of Chemical Engineering (UQ) for the tuition fee waiver scholarship and top-up scholarship and Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACYT) of Mexico for the scholarship granted for postgraduate studies (303754). Australian Research Council for funding through grant ARC LP0990917. From UQ: L. Lambert, B. Keller-Lehman, K. M. Leung and S. Cooke. From Queensland University of Technology (QUT): M. Nikolić, B. Radi and E. Martinez. From Anoxkaldnes: L. Karabegovic, F. Morgan-Sagástume, S. Bengtsson, A. Karlsson and P. Magnusson. From Veolia Environment: D. Cirne and E. Blanchet.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    M. V. Arcos-Hernandez, S. Pratt, B. Laycock & P. A. Lant

  2. Advanced Water Management Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    M. V. Arcos-Hernandez & S. Pratt

  3. AnoxKaldnes AB, Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47, Lund, Sweden

    P. Johansson & A. Werker

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  1. M. V. Arcos-Hernandez
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Correspondence to M. V. Arcos-Hernandez.

Appendix

Appendix

Extraction Method with Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate of PHA from Mixed Cultures

Immediately after accumulation, biomass was concentrated by centrifugation (3,500 rpm, 30 min) to obtain a cake. Non-PHA mass content was estimated as the difference between the weights of the estimated content of TSS in the concentrated cake and the estimated PHA mass content from IR spectra of biomass at the end of accumulation [16].

One gram of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) was used for each 0.72 g of non-PHA material [21] and dissolved in distilled water to 10 g L−1 concentration [20]. The concentrated biomass was then dissolved in this solution, and reacted for 40 min at 55 °C with powerful magnetic stirring. The solid phase was separated from solution by centrifugation (3,500 rpm, 30 min), and then washed with distilled water, resuspended and centrifuged again. After this treatment a thin layer of polymer over the non-PHA material was observed. Further treatment with chloroform was used to achieve better recovery [22].

The washed pellet was re-suspended in chloroform; 50 mL of CHCl3 per 1 g of estimated TSS content was used. The dispersion was incubated at 37 °C for 4 h with powerful magnetic stirring (700 rpm). The chloroform phase was then separated by settling, aided by centrifugation of the dispersion if needed. The chloroform phase was then concentrated until a polymer film was observed. A small volume of methanol was added to induce precipitation and purification. The purified films were then separated from the excess methanol by vacuum filtration and dried for 6 h at 70 °C, or until constant weight, and stored in a desiccator for further analysis (see Table 5).

Table 5 Sequence distribution of PHBV determined from 13C
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Arcos-Hernandez, M.V., Pratt, S., Laycock, B. et al. Waste Activated Sludge as Biomass for Production of Commercial-Grade Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). Waste Biomass Valor 4, 117–127 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-012-9165-z

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