Sustainable Production of Biodegradable Thermoplastics Through Wastewater Treatment, and A New Theory on Biological Phosphorous Removal.

摘要

Biologically-derived polyesters known as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) represent a potentially sustainable replacement to fossil fuel-based thermoplastics. However, current production practices do not achieve this objective. Herein we report on the production of PHA with a mixed microbial consortium indigenous to a wastewater treatment process on carbon present in wastewaters in a unit-operation configuration congruent with wastewater treatment. PHA production averaged 85, 10, and 53% (w/w) on pulp-and-paper mill foul condensate, biodiesel, and municipal wastewaters, respectively.