Bioplastics from Waste Activated Sludge-Batch Process
Publication: Practice Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management
Volume 12, Issue 4
Abstract
Activated sludge from a full-scale pulp-paper industry wastewater treatment plant was used as a source of microorganisms to produce biodegradable plastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates) (PHA) at , pH 7 and at different initial sludge suspended solids (SS) concentration (5, 10, 15, and ) in computer controlled fermentors. Acetate was used as sole carbon source at varying concentrations . The fresh sampled sewage sludge was found to contain PHA and the amount varied with the sampling date. The PHA productivity and concentration varied with intial sludge SS and acetate concentrations. Maximum accumulation of PHA ( of dry sludge SS) was observed at SS and acetate concentration. The sludge biomass increased during the process, however, the net amount of the sludge residual solids after extraction of PHA was decreased to varying degrees depending on sludge SS and acetate concentration . Acetate concentration above was found to be inhibitory for PHA accumulation and biomass growth. Copolymers (polyhydroxybutyrates and polyhydroxyvalerates) were produced by the sludge whose molar composition varied with the batch process time.
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Acknowledgments
Sincere thanks are due to the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Grant No. NRCA 4984, Canada Research Chair) for their financial support. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the writers and should not be construed as the opinions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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Published In
Practice Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management
Volume 12 • Issue 4 • October 2008
Pages: 239 - 248
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 15, 2007
Accepted: Sep 6, 2007
Published online: Oct 1, 2008
Published in print: Oct 2008
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