Production Of Biofuel And Organic Acids For Adding Value To Cassava Wastewater

Agroindustrial wastes are rich in fermentable sugars and they are considered a promising source in biotechnological process to produce added value products like solvents and organic acids. The acetonebutanol-ethanol fermentation (ABE) has been increasingly studied in order to increase the production of acids and solvents from renewable sources. The aim of this study was to produce solvents and organic acids from two substrates, glucose and cassava wastewater (manipueira). The ABE fermentations were carried out with Clostridium beijerinckii (ATCC 10132) – CB and with three microbial consortia, as inocula, these being swine effluent SM; Sewage treatment plant UASB UB; bovine manure CM. These inocula was submitted a heat treatment before using. The solvent production by CB was higher using cassava wastewater as a carbon source, butanol (1.03 g L-1) and ethanol (2.31 g L-1), the others inocula except UB, produced more amount of butyric acid in the concentrations of 0.31 g L-1 (CM) and 0.13 g L-1 (SM) also with cassava wastewater as a carbon source. More acids were produced in these fermentations. The results showed a viability of cassava wastewater as a source of carbon in ABE fermentation for acids and solvents production, as well as promoting a way to add value to these wastes.