Pilot and prototyping scale investigations were undertaken in order to evaluate the technical feasibility of producing value-added biopolymers (polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)) as a by-product to essential services of wastewater treatment and environmental protection. A commonly asked question concerns PHA quality that may be expected from surplus biomass produced during biological treatment for water quality improvement. This paper summarizes the findings from a collection of investigations. Alongside the summarized technical efforts, attention has been paid to the social and economic networks. Such networks are needed in order to nurture circular economies that would drive value chains in renewable resource processing from contaminated water amelioration into renewable value-added bioplastic products and services. We find commercial promise in the polymer quality and in the process technical feasibility. The next challenge ahead does not reside so much any more in fundamental research and development of the technology but, rather, in social-economic steps that will be necessary to realize first demonstration scale polymer production activities. It is a material supply that will stimulate niche business opportunities that can grow and stimulate technology pull with benefit of real life material product market combinations.
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Research Article|
September 01 2015
Value-added bioplastics from services of wastewater treatment
M. Arcos-Hernández;
M. Arcos-Hernández
aVeolia Water Technologies AB (AnoxKaldnes), Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47 Lund, Sweden
bSchool of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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L. Montaño-Herrera;
L. Montaño-Herrera
bSchool of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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O. Murugan Janarthanan;
O. Murugan Janarthanan
bSchool of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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L. Quadri;
L. Quadri
aVeolia Water Technologies AB (AnoxKaldnes), Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47 Lund, Sweden
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S. Anterrieu;
S. Anterrieu
aVeolia Water Technologies AB (AnoxKaldnes), Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47 Lund, Sweden
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M. Hjort;
M. Hjort
aVeolia Water Technologies AB (AnoxKaldnes), Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47 Lund, Sweden
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T. Alexandersson;
T. Alexandersson
aVeolia Water Technologies AB (AnoxKaldnes), Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47 Lund, Sweden
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A. Karlsson;
A. Karlsson
aVeolia Water Technologies AB (AnoxKaldnes), Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47 Lund, Sweden
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L. Karabegovic;
L. Karabegovic
aVeolia Water Technologies AB (AnoxKaldnes), Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47 Lund, Sweden
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P. Magnusson;
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P. Magnusson
aVeolia Water Technologies AB (AnoxKaldnes), Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47 Lund, Sweden
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P. Johansson;
P. Johansson
aVeolia Water Technologies AB (AnoxKaldnes), Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47 Lund, Sweden
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S. Bengtsson;
S. Bengtsson
aVeolia Water Technologies AB (AnoxKaldnes), Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47 Lund, Sweden
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F. Morgan-Sagastume;
F. Morgan-Sagastume
aVeolia Water Technologies AB (AnoxKaldnes), Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47 Lund, Sweden
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B. Laycock;
B. Laycock
bSchool of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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S. Pratt;
S. Pratt
bSchool of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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P. Halley;
P. Halley
bSchool of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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P. Lant;
P. Lant
bSchool of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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A. Werker
A. Werker
*
aVeolia Water Technologies AB (AnoxKaldnes), Klosterängsvägen 11A, 226 47 Lund, Sweden
bSchool of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
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Water Practice and Technology (2015) 10 (3): 546–555.
Citation
M. Arcos-Hernández, L. Montaño-Herrera, O. Murugan Janarthanan, L. Quadri, S. Anterrieu, M. Hjort, T. Alexandersson, A. Karlsson, L. Karabegovic, P. Magnusson, P. Johansson, S. Bengtsson, F. Morgan-Sagastume, O. de Vegt, B. Laycock, S. Pratt, P. Halley, P. Lant, A. Werker; Value-added bioplastics from services of wastewater treatment. Water Practice and Technology 1 September 2015; 10 (3): 546–555. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wpt.2015.063
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