Shear is used to control fouling in membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems. However, shear also influences the physicochemical and biological properties of MBR biomass. The current study examines the relationship between the level of shear and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production in MBRs. Two identical MBRs were operated in parallel where the biomass in one reactor was exposed to seven times greater shear forces. The concentrations of floc-associated and soluble EPS were monitored for the duration of the experiment. The stickiness of extracted floc-associated EPS from each reactor was also characterized using atomic force microscopy. A mathematical model of floc-associated and soluble EPS production was applied to quantitatively describe changes in EPS production with shear. Biomass grown in a high shear environment has lower floc-associated EPS production compared to biomass grown in a lower shear environment. This decrease in floc-associated EPS production also corresponds to a decrease in soluble EPS production, which can be explained by both the lower concentration of floc-associated EPS and the production of stickier floc-associated EPS that is more erosion resistant in the high shear reactor. This research suggests that mechanical stresses can have a significant impact on the production rates of floc-associated and soluble EPS-key parameters governing membrane fouling in MBRs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2009.06.052 | DOI Listing |
Environ Pollut
January 2025
Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Section Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 66 Blvd Carl-Vogt, CH 1211 Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address:
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly used in various consumer products and industrial applications, raising concerns about their environmental impact on aquatic ecosystems. This study investigated the physicochemical stability, trophic transfer, and toxic effects of citrate-coated AgNPs in a freshwater food chain including the diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana and the gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis. AgNPs remained stable in the exposure medium, with a minimal dissolution (<0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
January 2025
Environmental Science and Engineering Program, Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China.
Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) significantly influence the properties and performance of waste activated sludge. Various pretreatment protocols with different extraction efficiency and characteristics of EPS have been reported, which markedly impact subsequent treatment and disposal of sewage sludge. This study systematically assesses the EPS properties from twelve extraction pretreatment methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemosphere
January 2025
Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, USA.
In agricultural and waste management systems, dairy manure wastewater is often recycled for irrigation. However, a key challenge lies in handling suspended solids (SS) and effectively dewatering sludge. To address this, an innovative polycationic soybean protein-based flocculant (SPI+) was developed and applied to enhance flocculation and sludge dewatering efficiency.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Environ Manage
January 2025
School of Petrochemical Engineering & Environment, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316000, China; National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Harbor Oil & Gas Storage and Transportation Technology, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Environmental Pollution Control, Zhoushan, 316000, China. Electronic address:
The lack of cost-effective nutrient sources and harvesting methods is currently a major obstacle to the production of sustainable biofuels from microalgae. In this study, Chlorella pyrenoidosa was cultured with saline wastewater in a stirred photobioreactor, and lipid-rich flocculent microalgae particles were successfully constructed. As the influent salinity of the photobioreactor increased from 0% to 3%, the particle size and sedimentation rate of flocculent microalgae particles gradually increased, and the lipid accumulation of microalgae also increased gradually.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Environ Manage
January 2025
Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Ecology (LEnME), Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769 008, Odisha, India. Electronic address:
Increasing industrial pollution and certain hazardous agricultural practices have led to the discharge of heavy toxic metals into the environment. Among different bioremediation techniques, biomineralization is the synthesis of biomineral crystals extracellularly or intracellularly. Several bacteria, such as Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas stutzeri, Bacillus subtilis, and Lactobacillus sphaericus have been found to induce heavy metal precipitation and mineralization for bioremediation.
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