New Zealand Forest Research Institute Limited

Alison Hyde Slade

Thomas Alan Clark

Nicola Maree Reid

Nicola Maree Frost

Trevor Raymond Stuthridge

Daniel James Gapes

A process for producing biopolymers comprises passing nitrogen deficient wastewater through a treatment system comprising micro-organisms which grow aerobically in nitrogen deficient wastewater, and controlling the environment in the treatment system by maintaining a sufficiently stable dissolved oxygen level to thereby encourage the growth and/or activity of micro-organisms which produce the biopolymers, and recovering the biomass produced and the biopolymers.

Process for production of biopolymers from nitrogen deficient wastewater

This invention relates to a wastewater treatment process for treating nitrogen-deficient wastewater. The process enables the production of a low soluble nitrogen processed wastewater, and avoids the need for nitrogen supplementation in the wastewater treatment process. The process includes providing a supply of nitrogen-deficient wastewater to a controlled environment. The conditions in the controlled environment encourage the proliferation of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in particular by control of the stability of the dissolved oxygen level. This process may be used alone or in conjunction with a conventional wastewater treatment process, relying on non-nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, without the need for nitrogen supplementation.

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Rotorua, New Zealand

Alison Hyde Slade