Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol (ABE) Fermentation Wastewater Treatment by Oleaginous Yeast Trichosporon cutaneum.

In the present study, acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation wastewater with high chemical oxygen demand (COD) value (about 18,000 mg/L) was biologically treated by oleaginous yeast Trichosporon cutaneum without any pretreatment. During fermentation, most COD degradation was finished within 48 h and finally, a maximum COD degradation of 68% was obtained. The highest biomass and lipid content was 4.9 g/L and 14.7%, respectively. Various materials including sugars (glucose and xylose), organic acids (acetic acid and butyric acid), and alcohol compounds (ethanol and butanol) could be utilized as carbon sources by T. cutaneum simultaneously; thus, it has a broad carbon source spectrum and is a potential microorganism for biological treatment for various wastewaters. Overall, the lipid composition of microbial oils produced by this bioconversion is similar to that of vegetable oils, and thus, it could be used for biodiesel production.