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Updated: Oct 3, 2026

Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge
Published on: September 26, 2016
[A review on polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesis in activated sludge system: the effects of dissolved organic compounds
Jinyun Dong1, Fang Fang1, Jialing Zhang1
1Key Laboratory of Integrates Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, Jiangsu, China.
Abstract:
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) synthesis by activated sludge using volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in fermentation liquid of excess sludge as carbon source is a hotspot in the field of environmental biotechnology. However, there is no unified conclusion on the effects of non-VFAs, mainly dissolved organic matter (DOM), on PHA production. Thus, this critical review mainly introduces the main characteristics and common analysis methods of DOM in anaerobic fermentation liquid. The effects of DOM on PHA production are analyzed from the aspects of microbiology, metabolic regulation and sludge properties. The results of different studies showed that high concentration of DOM is bad for PHA production, but an appropriate amount of DOM is conducive to the stability of sludge properties, reducing the final PHA purification cost. Finally, suitable strategies were proposed to regulate the PHA synthesis by activated sludge with DOM for PHA production by anaerobic fermentation liquid.
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