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Optimizing bacterial nanocellulose production from eucalyptus bark: A circular approach to wastewater management and resource recovery
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
ABSTRACT: The production cost of bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is a major limitation to its widespread use. However, this limitation can be addressed by using alternative low-cost substrates and high-yield strains. Agro-industrial wastederived substrates offer a cost-effective and sustainable solution, but their high organic load often requires additional downstream wastewater treatments. Here, we optimized static BNC production using eucalyptus bark hydrolysate (EBH) as a low-cost carbon source and proposed a circular approach for wastewater management. Optimization was performed using response surface methodology - central composite design. The optimized EBH medium yielded a 39.7-fold increase compared to standard medium, with a maximum BNC production of 8.29 f 0.21 g/L. Fermentation wastewater only (WaF) and combined with BNC washing streams (WaW) revealed high levels of organic matter, namely chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 159.0 f 2.0 and 41.1 f 0.3 g/L, and volatile solids (VS) of 99.5 f 0.9 and 26.3 f 0.2 g/L, respectively, requiring treatment before disposal. A sequential anaerobic-aerobic digestion was investigated for wastewater treatment and valorisation. Anaerobic digestion proved to be effective in treating the wastewater: methanization percentages over 87 % were achieved, and methane productions of 486 f 2 and 544 f 30 L/kg VS were obtained from WaF and WaW, respectively. Subsequent aerobic treatment was unsuccessful in further reducing COD levels (approximately 1.5 g/L). Notably, treated wastewater was recycled into the production process up to 45 % without affecting the BNC yield. This study provides valuable insights into the optimization of BNC production from lignocellulosic biomass and the management of wastewater streams, contributing to the development of a more sustainable and economically viable process.
Description
Keywords
Eucalyptus residues Waste valorization Wastewater treatment Lignocellulosic biomass Anaerobic digestion
Citation
Rodrigues, A.C., Martins, D., Duarte, M.S., Carvalho, R., Marques, S., Cavaleiro, A., Gama, M. & Dourado, F. (2025) Optimizing bacterial nanocellulose production from eucalyptus bark: A circular approach to wastewater management and resource recovery. In: Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2025, vol. 13 (2), article 115442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2025.115442
Publisher
Elsevier