A preliminary study on the feasibility of industrialization for n-caproic acid recovery from food wastewater: From lab to pilot. (December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhu, Xiaoyu; Huang, Huanhuan; He, Yong; Wang, Xinyu; Jia, Jia; Feng, Xin; Li, Dong; Li, Haixiang
• Is Part Of: Bioresource technology. Volume 366(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-12
• Subjects: LBWW Liquor brewing wastewater -- CE chain elongation -- LF lactate fermentation -- AF anaerobic filter -- FAB fatty acid biosynthesis -- RBO reverse β oxidation; Food wastewater -- Lactate-driven chain elongation -- n-Caproate -- Caproiciproducens -- Metagenomic analysis; Biomass -- Periodicals; Biomass energy -- Periodicals; Bioremediation -- Periodicals; Agricultural wastes -- Periodicals; Factory and trade waste -- Periodicals; Organic wastes -- Periodicals; Bioénergie -- Périodiques; Déchets agricoles -- Périodiques; Déchets industriels -- Périodiques; Déchets organiques -- Périodiques; Déchets (Combustible) -- Périodiques; 662.88
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128154
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-8524

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: A pilot-scale process of n -caproate production from food wastewater was established. The highest production rate of n -caproate at lab-scale was 10.5 g/L/d. 14.5 g/L of n -caproate was achieved at pilot-scale without electron donor input. The concentration of n -caproic acid after extraction was 815.9 g/L. Caproiciproducens dominated the reactor microbiome. Abstract: Food wastewater is associated with greenhouse gas emission and has a significant water footprint. Here, the platform chemical n -caproate was recovered from liquor brewing wastewater at maximum and mean concentrations of 26.4 g/L and 17.0 ± 4.3 g/L, respectively, after 377 d operation. Laboratory-scale lactate-driven chain elongation (CE) process was implemented first. Taxonomic composition and metagenomic data analyses revealed that Caproiciproducens ( e.g ., Ruminococcaceae bacterium CPB6) and bacteria affiliated with Lachnospiraceae transformed lactate to n- caproate by reverse β-oxidation and/or fatty acid biosynthesis. The lactate-driven CE process was then scaled up from 2.5 L to 500 L and achieved a n -caproate production of 14.5 ± 0.6 g/L within 96 h. n -Caproic acid was extracted at a concentration and purity of 815.9 ± 8.3 g/L and 88.6 ± 8.9 %, respectively. The present study demonstrated a commercially viable strategy for resource recovery and carbon fixation from food waste streams.