Microbial community-based polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) production from wastewater: Techno-economic analysis and ex-ante environmental assessment.

摘要: This work investigates the potential for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production from wastewater, a techno-economic and an environmental perspective, examining scale-up opportunities bottlenecks prior to commercialisation. Conceptual process design, economic, impacts sensitivity analysis are developed one fermentation three downstream processing routes, based on alkali, surfactant-hypochlorite solvent treatments. Environmentally cost-wise, alkali treatment is most favourable with costs of 1.40€/kg PHB, global warming 2.4kgCO2-eq/kg PHB non-renewable energy use 106MJ/kg PHB. The solvent-based yields highest burdens: 1.95€/kg 4.30kgCO2-eq/kg 156MJ/kg wastewater identified as interesting alternative pure culture-polyhydroxyalkanoates sugars. However, these results not yet competitive those petrochemical counterparts. Additional performance improvements may be possible, through integration optimisation.