The conversion of organic waste into volatile fatty acids (VFAs) offers a highly promising and sustainable alternative to petrochemical-derived products, strongly supporting circular economy principles. Recognized as versatile platform chemicals, VFAs were recently listed among the top 20 innovative bio-based products with significant commercial deployment potential in Europe over the next 5-10 years, owing to their advanced development, high degree of innovation, and substantial market prospects. However, literature studies remain mostly at laboratory or semi-pilot project scales, requiring significant advances to enable their large-scale application. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the critical factors and innovative strategies driving the advancement of sludge co-fermentation for enhanced short VFAs (C2-C5) production. As a sustainable approach to waste management and resource recovery, anaerobic co-fermentation of various organic waste (food and agro-industrial waste, manure, grass, etc) with sewage sludge offers significant potential for valorizing waste into valuable biochemicals, through synergetic effects of a diverse microbial community and improved buffering capacity. This study critically examines the feedstock characteristics, key operational parameters and microbial community dynamics that dictate process efficiency, products spectrum and conversion rate. Uniquely, this study establishes a robust dataset of short-chain VFAs yields, derived from the analyzed literature or authors calculations, and subjects it to statistical analysis and in-depth discussion to elucidate the key factors responsible for yield variation in batch and semicontinuous operation mode. Furthermore, it highlights cutting-edge insights, including novel pretreatment methods and additives types, aimed at overcoming existing limitations and optimizing VFAs selectivity and productivity.
A comprehensive review on criticalness and innovative insights to advance the development of sludge co-fermentation towards short chain volatile fatty acids / Angelini, Francesca; Sbicego, Michela; Gallipoli, Agata; Gianico, Andrea; Angelini, Stefania; Crognale, Simona; Tonanzi, Barbara; Rossetti, Simona; Braguglia, Camilla M.. - In: JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING. - ISSN 2213-3437. - 13:5(2025). [10.1016/j.jece.2025.118916]
A comprehensive review on criticalness and innovative insights to advance the development of sludge co-fermentation towards short chain volatile fatty acids
Michela Sbicego;
2025
Abstract
The conversion of organic waste into volatile fatty acids (VFAs) offers a highly promising and sustainable alternative to petrochemical-derived products, strongly supporting circular economy principles. Recognized as versatile platform chemicals, VFAs were recently listed among the top 20 innovative bio-based products with significant commercial deployment potential in Europe over the next 5-10 years, owing to their advanced development, high degree of innovation, and substantial market prospects. However, literature studies remain mostly at laboratory or semi-pilot project scales, requiring significant advances to enable their large-scale application. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the critical factors and innovative strategies driving the advancement of sludge co-fermentation for enhanced short VFAs (C2-C5) production. As a sustainable approach to waste management and resource recovery, anaerobic co-fermentation of various organic waste (food and agro-industrial waste, manure, grass, etc) with sewage sludge offers significant potential for valorizing waste into valuable biochemicals, through synergetic effects of a diverse microbial community and improved buffering capacity. This study critically examines the feedstock characteristics, key operational parameters and microbial community dynamics that dictate process efficiency, products spectrum and conversion rate. Uniquely, this study establishes a robust dataset of short-chain VFAs yields, derived from the analyzed literature or authors calculations, and subjects it to statistical analysis and in-depth discussion to elucidate the key factors responsible for yield variation in batch and semicontinuous operation mode. Furthermore, it highlights cutting-edge insights, including novel pretreatment methods and additives types, aimed at overcoming existing limitations and optimizing VFAs selectivity and productivity.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
