INVENTION

Green and sustainable approach to valorise high saline and oily fish processing effluents for production of nutraceuticals

Project team: Alok Kumar Patel (project leader), Christakopoulos Paul, Eleni Krikigianni, Leonidas Matsakas, Ulrika Rova

Partners: Chalmers

Duration: 2021-2024

Funded by Formas

Wastewater from the fish processing industry poses a significant environmental challenge, drawing increasing public concern due to its adverse effects. The discharge of untreated wastewater, characterized by high salinity and organic content (including fat, oil, and grease), has detrimental impacts on aquatic ecosystems, water quality, and agricultural activities. INVENTION addresses the challenges with using conventional treatment methods, by developing sustainable technologies that can harness the potential of high saline and oily fish processing effluents for nutraceutical production, notably omega-3 fatty acids and squalene. To achieve this, oleaginous marine thraustochytrids, a group of eukaryotic protists, will be employed for their remarkable ability to tolerate a wide range of salinity levels and utilize hydrophobic substrates in treating high saline and oily wastewater. Additionally, the residual protein- and carbohydrate-rich deoiled biomass generated from microbial cultivations will be utilized as fish feed, contributing to a zero-waste scenario. By integrating advanced technologies and innovative approaches, INVENTION aims to mitigate environmental impacts while maximizing resource utilization within the fish processing industry.