A sustainable bioprocess to produce bacterial cellulose (BC) using waste streams from wine distilleries and the biodiesel industry: evaluation of BC for adsorption of phenolic compounds, dyes and metals

Erminta Tsouko; Sotirios Pilafidis; Konstantina Kourmentza; Helena I Gomes; Giannis Sarris; Panagiota Koralli; Aristeidis Papagiannopoulos; Stergios Pispas; Dimitris Sarris

doi:10.1186/s13068-024-02488-3

A sustainable bioprocess to produce bacterial cellulose (BC) using waste streams from wine distilleries and the biodiesel industry: evaluation of BC for adsorption of phenolic compounds, dyes and metals

Biotechnol Biofuels Bioprod. 2024 Mar 12;17(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s13068-024-02488-3.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Ave., 11635, Athens, Greece. tsoukoe@eie.gr.
² Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Ave., 11635, Athens, Greece.
³ Laboratory of Physico-Chemical & Biotechnological Valorization of Food By-Products, Department of Food Science & Nutrition, School of Environment, University of the Aegean, Leoforos Dimokratias 66, 81400, Lemnos, Greece.
⁴ Food, Water, Waste Research Group, Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
⁵ Green Chemicals Beacon of Excellence, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
⁶ Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 11635, Athens, Greece.

Abstract

Background: The main challenge for large-scale production of bacterial cellulose (BC) includes high production costs interlinked with raw materials, and low production rates. The valorization of renewable nutrient sources could improve the economic effectiveness of BC fermentation while their direct bioconversion into sustainable biopolymers addresses environmental pollution and/or resource depletion challenges. Herein a green bioprocess was developed to produce BC in high amounts with the rather unexplored bacterial strain Komagataeibacter rhaeticus, using waste streams such as wine distillery effluents (WDE) and biodiesel-derived glycerol. Also, BC was evaluated as a bio-adsorbent for phenolics, dyes and metals removal to enlarge its market diversification.

Results: BC production was significantly affected by the WDE mixing ratio (0-100%), glycerol concentration (20-45 g/L), type of glycerol and media-sterilization method. A maximum BC concentration of 9.0 g/L, with a productivity of 0.90 g/L/day and a water holding capacity of 60.1 g water/g dry BC, was achieved at 100% WDE and ≈30 g/L crude glycerol. BC samples showed typical cellulose vibration bands and average fiber diameters between 37.2 and 89.6 nm. The BC capacity to dephenolize WDE and adsorb phenolics during fermentation reached respectively, up to 50.7% and 26.96 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry BC (in-situ process). The produced BC was also investigated for dye and metal removal. The highest removal of dye acid yellow 17 (54.3%) was recorded when 5% of BC was applied as the bio-adsorbent. Experiments performed in a multi-metal synthetic wastewater showed that BC could remove up to 96% of Zn and 97% of Cd.

Conclusions: This work demonstrated a low-carbon approach to produce low-cost, green and biodegradable BC-based bio-adsorbents, without any chemical modification. Their potential in wastewater-treatment-applications was highlighted, promoting closed-loop systems within the circular economy era. This study may serve as an orientation for future research towards competitive or targeted adsorption technologies for wastewater treatment or resources recovery.

Keywords: BC-based adsorbent; Dephenolization; Heavy metals; Low-cost feedstock; Wastewater treatment; Wine industry.

Grants and funding

7664/Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I)