Toward sustainable dairy waste utilization: enhanced VFA and biogas synthesis via upcycling algal biomass cultured on waste effluent

摘要

BACKGROUND: In 2012, 9.3 million head of dairy cows in the USA produced an estimated 20 million metric tons of manure solids, but little value was gained from this manure. There is a pressing need to enhance manure resource recovery efforts, as dairy manure has potentially significant environmental impacts. This study evaluated components of an integrated suite of biological processes designed to maximize resource recovery from dairy manure, in which algae grown on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production effluent (PHA-algae) were fermented and anaerobically digested to determine process impacts.