Issue 9, 2023

A review on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production through the use of lignocellulosic biomass

Abstract

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are aliphatic polyesters produced via bacterial fermentation of sugars and fatty acids and are considered to be a promising material to aid in mitigating plastic pollution due to their universal biodegradability. With an expected 12 billion metric tons of plastic to accumulate within landfills and ecosystems by 2050, this mitigation is desperately needed. The major bottleneck in the commercial feasibility of PHAs is the high cost compared to their non-biodegradable synthetic counterparts currently predominant throughout the packaging and single-use goods industry, with PHAs costing 3–12× more than traditional plastics. With approximately 50% of the production costs attributed to the fermentation substrate, a significant opportunity exists to dramatically cut the cost of PHA production through the use of a low or no-cost substrate. These biodegradable polymers can be sustainably produced from a variety of waste materials. Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant natural material on earth and can potentially be used for this purpose. This review includes an overview of the PHA production process such as metabolic pathways, reactor configurations, and pre-treatments for lignocellulosic biomass. The results from various studies using lignocellulosic biomass for PHA production were compared. Finally, potential drawbacks and opportunities are discussed for the viability of integrating the sustainable production of PHAs into the global circular economy. This work satisfies the UN's sustainability goal of responsible consumption and production (Sustainable Development Goal 12).

Graphical abstract: A review on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production through the use of lignocellulosic biomass

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
26 Apr 2023
Accepted
15 Sep 2023
First published
20 Sep 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Sustain., 2023,1, 2120-2134

A review on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production through the use of lignocellulosic biomass

P. Zytner, D. Kumar, A. Elsayed, A. Mohanty, B. V. Ramarao and M. Misra, RSC Sustain., 2023, 1, 2120 DOI: 10.1039/D3SU00126A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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