Production of polyhydroxyalkanoate in activated sludge

Intensive research on microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) has been stimulated by the fact that PHAs are potential for biodegrad- able plastics synthesis. Activated sludges from wastewater treatment plant treating domestic waste aclimated with glucose and acetate as the main carbon sources, under anaerobic-aerobic condition produced polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). When acetate was used as the main carbon sources polyhydroxybutirate was found to be the major component of PHAs. Anaerobic-aerobic activated sludge processes appear to be effective method to produce PHAs and it could be used for reducing organic substances in wastewater effluent. Keywords: polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) synthesis, anaerobic-aerobic activated sludge process.