Zero-Waste Poultry Processing with Sequential Membrane Separation and Anaerobic Digestion

The overall goal of our project is to develop and demonstrate a zero-waste poultry processing model to improve sustainability and food safety of poultry processing. In our research project, poultry processing wastewater (PPW) generated from poultry slaughterhouse is treated with a novel combination of sequential ultrafiltration (UF), forward osmosis (FO) and reverse osmosis (RO) processes, and the solids separated from the PPW treatment undergo 2-stage anaerobic digestion to produce methane and fertilizer. This goal is supported through the following objectives:1. Develop a sequential UF-FO-RO process for efficient and cost-effective treatment of PPW;2. Demonstrate the potential for a zero-waste discharge model of waste management in poultry processing;3. Estimate the renewable methane potential of solids from poultry processing, and evaluate the effect of biosolids on soils.4. Evaluate the life cycle environmental and economic impacts of the proposed zero-waste discharge system.