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1999 Progress Report: Biosynthesis of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymers from Industrial Wastewater
EPA Grant Number: R825370C071Subproject: this is subproject number 071 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R825370
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: EERC - National Center for Clean Industrial and Treatment Technologies (CenCITT)
Center Director: Crittenden, John C.
Title: Biosynthesis of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymers from Industrial Wastewater
Investigators: Noguera, Daniel R.
Institution: University of Wisconsin - Madison
EPA Project Officer: Karn, Barbara
Project Period: January 1, 1997 through January 1, 1999
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 1, 1998 through January 1, 1999
RFA: Exploratory Environmental Research Centers (1992)
Research Category: Center for Clean Industrial and Treatment Technologies (CenCITT) , Targeted Research
Description:
Objective:The main goal of this project is to explore the use of industrial wastewater as an inexpensive food source for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulating bacteria.
Specific objectives include:
1) evaluate the possibility of operating a biological process to maximize PHA
production without compromising the quality of waste treatment,
2) test two different types of industrial wastewater for their potential utilization
as raw material for PHA production, and
3) isolate and characterize efficient PHA-accumulating organisms from dual-purpose
biological processes.
PHAs are polymers of microbial origin that can be used for the manufacturing of biodegradable plastics. A significant cost in the commercial production of PHA-based plastics is the substrate used for the growth of the microorganisms. Thus, using industrial wastewater as the raw material could potentially reduce the cost of PHA production and increase the marketability of this environmentally benign product.
PHA accumulating bacteria are known to exist in biological wastewater treatment plants. The type of PHA stored depends on the characteristics of the food source. Thus, from biological processes fed with industrial wastewater it might be possible to isolate PHAaccumulating bacteria with unique PHA accumulating characteristics. These organisms might be of value for future biotechnological developments for PHA manufacturing.
The project is divided in four different tasks. During Task 1, analytical methods for PHA extraction and characterization will be implemented. Task 2 involves the operation of a bench-scale sequencing batch reactor to evaluate the operation of a biological process for the dual purpose of waste treatment and PHA recovery. The reactor will be maintained at a fixed solids retention time, but excess biomass will be removed at two different stages during the operational cycle, at the end of the anaerobic stage when cells are loaded with PHA, and at the end of the aerobic stage as is normally done in nutrient removal treatment processes.
During Task 3, the reactor will be operated with two different types of industrial wastewater, one simulating a carbon and nutrient-rich waste and the second one simulating a carbon-rich, nutrient-poor waste. During this operation, the accumulation of PHA will be characterized for different operational conditions (e.g., percent of wastage from anaerobic and aerobic stages will be varied). An alternative evaluation during this stage of the project will involve operation of the reactor with a pure culture of Ralstonia eutrophus, a known PHA-accumulating bacteria. The final task of the project is the isolation of microorganisms, from the bench-scale reactor, that are capable of storing PHA.
A gas chromatographic technique for PHA quantification and characterization has been implemented. The bench scale sequencing batch reactor has been designed and constructed. The reactor was seeded with mixed liquor from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (Madison, WI) and has been in operation for about 40 days using synthetic wastewater. This start-up time was longer than originally expected. Experiments to characterize PHA recovery when sludge wastage is from the anaerobic and aerobic stages have been recently initiated. Because of unexpected delays during start-up, the schedule for reactor operation during Tasks 2 and 3 of the project will be modified. The isolation of PHA-accumulating microorganisms has not been initiated.
Journal Articles:No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this subproject
Supplemental Keywords:Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, POLLUTANTS/TOXICS, Water, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, TREATMENT/CONTROL, Sustainable Industry/Business, Scientific Discipline, RFA, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Wastewater, Sustainable Environment, Chemical Engineering, Technology, Chemicals, Chemistry, computing technology, Environmental Engineering, cleaner production/pollution prevention, Environmental Chemistry, Engineering, pollution prevention, industrial wastewater, computer simulation modeling, clean technology, environmental simulation and design tools, pollution prevention design, clean manufacturing designs, modeling tool, cleaner production, clean technologies, pollution prevention design tool, computer science, data sharing, biosynthesis, environmental data, polymers, modeling, Clean Process Advisory System (CPAS), pollution control
Progress and Final Reports:
Original Abstract
Main Center Abstract and Reports:
R825370 EERC - National Center for Clean Industrial and Treatment Technologies (CenCITT)
Subprojects under this Center:
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R825370C032 Means for Producing an Entirely New Generation of Lignin-Based Plastics
R825370C042 Environmentally Conscious Design for Construction
R825370C046 Clean Process Advisory System (CPAS) Core Activities
R825370C048 Investigation of the Partial Oxidation of Methane to Methanol in a Simulated Countercurrent Moving Bed Reactor
R825370C054 Predictive Tool for Ultrafiltration Performance
R825370C055 Heuristic Reactor Design for Clean Synthesis and Processing - Separative Reactors
R825370C056 Characterization of Selective Solid Acid Catalysts Towards the Rational Design of Catalytic Reactions
R825370C057 Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing: Prediction of Processing Waste Streams for Discrete Products
R825370C064 The Physical Properties Management System (PPMS™): A P2 Engineering Aid to Support Process Design and Analysis
R825370C065 Development and Testing of Pollution Prevention Design Aids for Process Analysis and Decision Making
R825370C066 Design Tools for Chemical Process Safety: Accident Probability
R825370C067 Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing: Design for Disassembly (DFD) in De-Manufacturing of Products
R825370C068 An Economic Comparison of Wet and Dry Machining
R825370C069 In-Line Copper Recovery Technology
R825370C070 Selective Catalytic Hydrogenation of Lactic Acid
R825370C071 Biosynthesis of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymers from Industrial Wastewater
R825370C072 Tin Zeolites for Partial Oxidation Catalysis
R825370C073 Development of a High Performance Photocatalytic Reactor System for the Production of Methanol from Methane in the Gas Phase
R825370C074 Recovery of Waste Polymer Generated by Lost Foam Technology in the Metal Casting Industry
R825370C075 Industrial Implementation of the P2 Framework
R825370C076 Establishing Automated Linkages Between Existing P2-Related Software Design Tools
R825370C077 Integrated Applications of the Clean Process Advisory System to P2-Conscious Process Analysis and Improvement
R825370C078 Development of Environmental Indices for Green Chemical Production and Use