Effect of dissolved gas on efficacy of sonochemical reactors for microbial cell disruption: Experimental and numerical analysis.

In the present work the effect of dissolved gases on the extent of ultrasonically induced microbial cell disruption has been explored using a mathematical model and it has been validated by experimental data from literature. Degassing experiments are carried out and a degassing kinetics model for horn type ultrasonic device is presented. An overall model combining hydrodynamic and kinetics of cell disruption for horn type reactor is then proposed.

Improving anaerobic and aerobic degradation by ultrasonic disintegration of biomass.

Biological cell lysis is known to be the rate-limiting step of anaerobic biosolids degradation. Due to the slow pace by which this reaction occurs, it is necessary to equip treatment plants with large digesters or alternatively incorporate technological aids. High-power ultrasound used to disintegrate bacterial cells has been utilized as a pre-treatment process prior to anaerobic digestion.

Symbiotic algal bacterial wastewater treatment: effect of food to microorganism ratio and hydraulic retention time on the process performance.

Algal incorporation into the biomass is important in an innovative wastewater treatment that exploits the symbiosis between bacterial activated sludge and microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris sp. Hamburg). It allows a good and easy algae separation by means of clarification.

Ultrasonic disintegration of biosolids for improved biodegradation.

Biological cell lysis is known to be the rate-limiting step of anaerobic biosolids degradation. Shear forces generated by low frequency ultrasound can be used to disintegrate bacterial cells in sewage sludge. Thus, the quantity of dissolved organic substrate is increased.

Bioflocculent algal-bacterial biomass improves low-cost wastewater treatment.

An innovative technology for the biological treatment of wastewater in regions with sufficient solar radiation based on the simultaneous growth and degradation processes of algal and bacterial biomass is presented. The aim of the work is the improvement of pond technology through the formation of stable algae-bacteria aggregates, which a) permit a simple separation of the algal biomass by gravity sedimentation, b) enable a high removal efficiency for organic carbon and nutrients, and c) are independent in terms of oxygen provision through algal photosynthesis. Algae-bacteria aggregates could be developed with a suitable algal species (Chlorella vulgaris, Strain Hamburg) as a 'model organism' in a wastewater environment.