Increasing ibuprofen degradation in constructed wetlands by bioaugmentation with gravel containing biofilms of an ibuprofen-degrading .

The aim of this study was to investigate the removal of ibuprofen in laboratory scale constructed wetlands. Four (planted and unplanted) laboratory-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands were supplemented with ibuprofen in order to elucidate (i) the role of plants on ibuprofen removal and (ii) to evaluate the removal performance of a bioaugmented lab scale wetland. The planted systems showed higher ibuprofen removal efficiency than an unplanted one.

Evaluation of the applicability of the aquatic ascomycete sp. UHH 5-1-03 for the removal of pharmaceutically active compounds from municipal wastewaters using membrane bioreactors.

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) augmented with terrestrial white-rot basidiomycetes have already been tested for the removal of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) from wastewaters. Within the present study, an aquatic ascomycete ( sp.) was initially demonstrated to efficiently remove several PhACs at their real environmental trace concentrations from nonsterile municipal wastewater on a laboratory scale.

Carboxylic acid production from ensiled crops in anaerobic solid-state fermentation - trace elements as pH controlling agents support microbial chain elongation with lactic acid.

Background: For the production of carboxylic acid platform chemicals like medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) by anaerobic fermentation, pH control is required. However, adding buffer solutions is ineffective in leach-bed reactors.

Aim: In order to increase the MCFA production by maize silage fermentation and to engineer the process we investigated the effect of solid alkaline iron and manganese additives on the process performance and microbial community dynamics.

Bioaugmentation of anaerobic digesters treating lignocellulosic feedstock by enriched microbial consortia.

Three different bioaugmentation cultures enriched from natural and engineered cellulolytic environments (cow and goat rumen, a biogas reactor digesting sorghum biomass) were compared for their enhancement potential on the anaerobic digestion of wheat straw. Methane yields were determined in batch tests using the Automatic Methane Potential Test System operated for 30 days under mesophilic conditions. All cultures had positive effects on substrate degradation, and higher methane yields were observed in the bioaugmented reactors compared to control reactors set up with standard inoculum.

Overview of recent advances in phosphorus recovery for fertilizer production.

This Mini Review gives an overview of and respective references for the current situation regarding global phosphorus reserves and the legal situation for P recovery using Germany as the model. Apart from the well-known pilot up to industrial/full scale recovery techniques, emerging chemical and bio-based P recovery techniques are named without claiming to be all-encompassing. Special attention is paid to the biological systems for P recovery that reveal ways for use of renewable resources as raw materials.

Removal of dimethylphenols and ammonium in laboratory-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands.

Phenolic compounds in industrial wastewaters are toxic pollutants and pose a threat to public health and ecosystems. More recently, focus is being directed toward combining the treatment of these compounds with a cost-effective and environmentally sound technology. The removal efficiency of dimethylphenol and ammonium nitrogen was studied, for the first time, in three different laboratory-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands planted with .

Root exudate cocktails: the link between plant diversity and soil microorganisms?

Higher plant diversity is often associated with higher soil microbial biomass and diversity, which is assumed to be partly due to elevated root exudate diversity. However, there is little experimental evidence that diversity of root exudates shapes soil microbial communities. We tested whether higher root exudate diversity enhances soil microbial biomass and diversity in a plant diversity gradient, thereby negating significant plant diversity effects on soil microbial properties.

A simple method for the measurement of metabolic heat production rates during solid-state fermentations using β-carotene production with as a model system.

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) technology has been rapidly developed for the past 10 years as a production platform for secondary metabolites, biofuels, food, and pharmaceuticals. Yet, the main drawback of SSF is the local temperature rise of up to 20 K, which potentially reduces the strain activity and inactivates heat sensible products. Due to the low heat capacity and thermal conductivity of mixtures of air with plant material, in comparison to aqueous suspensions in submerged fermentations, heat from metabolic processes is less efficiently dissipated.