Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production potential of activated sludge from food industrial wastewater treatment process

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production by activated sludge treating food industrial wastewaters was evaluated. Influence of wastewater characteristics on PHA production activities of non-acclimatised and acclimatised sludge were determined. Acetate, glucose and butyrate were used for evaluating PHA production potential of sludge at different concentrations of 400, 800 and 1,200 mgC/l during 12 hours batch experiments under anaerobic or aerobic conditions. PHA production and accumulation in non–acclimatised sludge were 0.978 g/l (48.9% of dry sludge weight) 0.477 g/l (25.6%) and 0.696 g/l (34.8%) when using acetate, glucose and butyrate as substrate. The production of PHA was found higher under aerobic condition.