Polyhydroxyalkanoates production from cheese whey under near-seawater salinity conditions.

Treating saline streams presents considerable challenges due to their adverse effects on conventional biological processes, thereby leading to increased expenses in managing those side streams. With this in consideration, this study explores into the potential for valorizing fermented cheese whey (CW), a by-product of the dairy industry, into polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) using mixed microbial cultures (MMC) under conditions of near-seawater salinity (30 g/L). The selection of a PHA-accumulating MMC was successfully achieved using a sequential batch reactor operated under a feast and famine regime, with a hydraulic retention time of 14.

Anaerobic valorization of sewage sludge pretreated through hydrothermal carbonization: Volatile fatty acids and biomethane production.

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) emerged as an effective technology for the treatment of various types of wet biomass and organic residues, including sewage sludge, offering the potential for sludge reduction and resource recovery. HTC pretreatment impact on downstream sludge fermentation is investigated. Results obtained at optimal conditions for HTC pretreatment (170 °C for 30 min) indicated that soluble carbon was significantly increased in the liquid fraction, enhancing feedstock availability for fermentation.