Pollution potential reduction of cheese whey through yeast fermentation.

Batch and continuous pilot-scale aerobic fermenters of 4.8 L operating volume were designed and constructed from plexiglass materials. The fermenters were used to study the kinetics of cheese whey fermentation using the yeast K. fragilis for pollution potential reduction and single cell protein production. Four retention times (6, 12, 18, and 24 h) were used in this study. The fermentation process was successful in reducing the total chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 42%, the soluble COD by 65%, the total solids by 53%, and the ammonium nitrogen by 90%. There were also gains in the suspended solids and the organic nitrogen of 60 and 17%, respectively. The reductions in the COD, total solids, and ammonium nitrogen, and the gains in the suspended solids and organic nitrogen were affected by the hydraulic retention time. More soluble material was converted to insoluble microbial cells at the 12-h hydraulic retention time, whereas greater pollution potential reduction was achieved at the 24-h hydraulic retention time for both batch and continuous operations.