Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates in open, mixed cultures from a waste sludge stream containing high levels of soluble organics, nitrogen and phosphorus

In this study, the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from waste activated sludge (WAS) was evaluated. PHAs were produced from fermented WAS pretreated via high-pressure thermal hydrolysis, a stream characterised by high levels of nutrients (approximately 3.5 g N L−1 and 0.5 g P L−1) and soluble organics. PHA-storing organisms were successfully enriched at high organic loading rates (6 g CODsol L−1 d−1) under aerobic dynamic feeding in sequencing batch reactors at a sludge retention time of 6 d with a short feast length less than 20% of the cycle, and a maximum substrate concentration during feast of 1 g CODVFA L−1. The biomass enrichment, characterised by a decrease in species evenness based on Lorenz curves, provided a biomass that accumulated 25% PHA on a dry-biomass basis with yields on VFA of 0.4 Cmol Cmol−1 in batch tests. The PHA consisted of ∼70 mol% 3-hydroxybutyrate and ∼30 mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate, and presented high thermal stability (Td = 283–287 °C) and a molecular mass ranging from 0.7 to 1.0 × 106 g mol−1. Overall PHA storage was comparable to that achieved with other complex substrates; however, lower PHA storage rates (0.04–0.05 Cmol PHA−1 Cmol X−1 h−1) and productivities (3–4 Cmol PHA L−1 h−1) were probably associated with a biomass-growth and high-respiration response induced by high levels of non-VFA organics (40–50% of CODsol in feed) and nutrients. PHA production is feasible from pretreated WAS, but the enrichment and accumulation process require further optimisation. A milder WAS pretreatment yielding lower levels of non-VFA organics and readily available nutrients may be more amenable for improved performance.