Selective fractionation of fermented food waste into nutrients, short-chain, and medium-chain volatile fatty acids via integrated electrodialysis, membrane contactor and supported liquid membrane

“Selectively fractionating fermented food waste (FFW) into multiple valuable products can promote manifold valorization of food waste, minimizing its environmental hazards. However, multiple (e.g. four) fractionations through a single or two-stage are currently unachievable because of overlapping physicochemical properties and FFW complexity. This study explored triple combinations of electrodialysis (ED), hydrophobic membrane contactor (HMC), and supported liquid membrane (SLM), i.e., ED-HMC-SLM to fractionate FFW into four streams, leveraging each stage’s advantages. ED (1st stage) separated 74-94% anionic nutrients (NO3−, H2PO4−, SO42−), 48-96% cationic nutrients (K+, NH4+, Ca2+, Mg2+), and 36-92% volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from FFW. HMC (2nd stage) separated 21-97% VFAs from the preceding ED concentrate, leaving behind >99.9% nutrients. SLM (3rd stage) selectively separated 60-91% valeric, caproic, caprylic acids (C5-C8) from the preceding HMC permeate leaving behind 82.3-98.5% acetic, propionic, and butyric acids (C2-C4). Overall, four fractions, thus, anionic nutrients, cationic nutrients, C2-C4, and C5-C8 VFAs were respectively separated into ED anode, cathode, HMC permeate, and SLM permeate. VFA selectivity via SLM were influenced by VFA partition coefficient in organic phase immobilized in SLM. ED-HMC-SLM in this study provides an effective pathway for valorizing organic waste into multiple high-value products, hence, advancing biorefineries.”

(Citation: Kotoka, F., Cui, Q., Gutierrez, L., Cornelissen, E.R. – Selective fractionation of fermented food waste into nutrients, short-chain, and medium-chain volatile fatty acids via integrated electrodialysis, membrane contactor and supported liquid membrane – Journal of Environmental Management 416(2026)130746 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130746)

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