Reduction of selenite to elemental Se(0) with simultaneous degradation of phenol by co-cultures of Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Delftia lacustris.

The simultaneous removal of phenol and selenite from synthetic wastewater was investigated by adopting two different co-culturing techniques using the fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium and the bacterium Delftia lacustris. Separately grown biomass of the fungus and the bacterium (suspended co-culture) was incubated with different concentrations of phenol (0-1,200 mg/L) and selenite (10 mg/L). The selenite ions were biologically reduced to extracellular Se(0) nanoparticles (3.

Anaerobic treatment of LCFA-containing synthetic dairy wastewater at 20 °C: Process performance and microbial community dynamics.

Facilitating anaerobic degradation of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) is key for tapping the high methane production potential of the fats, oil and grease (FOG) content of dairy wastewaters. In this study, the feasibility of using high-rate granular sludge reactors for the treatment of mixed LCFA-containing synthetic dairy wastewater (SDW) was assessed at 20 °C. The effects of the LCFA concentration (33-45% of COD) and organic loading rates (2-3 gCOD/L·d) were determined using three parallel expanded granular sludge bed reactors.

Chemical composition of extracellular polymeric substances and evolution of microbial community in activated sludge exposed to ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen (IBU) containing wastewater with a concentration of 1-5 mg/L was treated in an activated sludge sequencing batch reactor (SBR), for 60 days, in order to investigate the overall performance of the SBR, the parameter variations during a typical cycle, the chemical composition and content of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and the evolution of microbial community. The average removal efficiencies of COD, NH-N and TN were >85%, while >40% of the IBU was removed and the removal efficiencies of TP fluctuated around ~ 75%. The EPS content increased significantly with IBU addition (p < 0.

Transient-state operation of an anoxic biotrickling filter for HS removal.

The application of an anoxic biotrickling filter (BTF) for HS removal from contaminated gas streams is a promising technology for simultaneous HS and NO removal. Three transient-state conditions, i.e.

Electricity production enhancement in a constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell system for treating saline wastewater.

The use of constructed wetlands in combination with microbial fuel cells (CW-MFC) to treat saline wastewater may enhance electricity production by increasing the ionic strength, reducing internal resistance and stimulating microbes to accelerate electron transfer. In this study, salinity did not significantly inhibit the removal of TP and COD, but TN and NH-N removal efficiencies during saline wastewater treatment (ST) were significantly lower than during non-saline wastewater treatment (NT). However, salinity significantly increased the power density (16.

Influence of recirculation over COD and N-NH removals from landfill leachate by horizontal flow constructed treatment wetland.

Treatment of landfill leachate is a challenge due to its complex chemical composition and high recalcitrance and because of high costs for conventional wastewater treatment. In our study, leachate from the Landfill, Sao Paulo Metropolitan Region, Brazil, was treated at a laboratory scale with a horizontal subsurface flow constructed treatment wetland (HF-CTW) operating under a recirculation regime. Two units planted with (HP) and (CP), and one unplanted control unit were assessed.

Activated red mud as a permeable reactive barrier material for fluoride removal from groundwater: parameter optimisation and physico-chemical characterisation.

The main aim of this work is to test the performance of red mud as a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) material for fluoride removal from water. Batch experiments were carried out to optimise the fluoride removal efficiency (RE) of activated red mud (ARM) based on four selected parameters, namely, the initial fluoride concentration (3-40 mg/L), adsorbent dose (0.5-5 g/L), pH (3.

Performance of a biofilter with compost and activated carbon based packing material for gas-phase toluene removal under extremely high loading rates.

The main aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of a biofilter packed with a mixture of compost and activated carbon, for gas-phase toluene removal under very high loading rates. Plaster of Paris was used as a binder to improve the mechanical strength and durability of the packing media. The biofilter was operated continuously for a period of ∼110 days and at four different flow rates (0.

Microbial transformation of Se oxyanions in cultures of Delftia lacustris grown under aerobic conditions.

Delftia lacustris is reported for the first time as a selenate and selenite reducing bacterium, capable of tolerating and growing in the presence of ≥ 100 mM selenate and 25 mM selenite. The selenate reduction profiles of D. lacustris were investigated by varying selenate concentration, inoculum size, concentration and source of organic electron donor in minimal salt medium.

Lactate- and acetate-based biohydrogen production through dark co-fermentation of tequila vinasse and nixtamalization wastewater: Metabolic and microbial community dynamics.

The aim of this work was to study the metabolic and microbial community dynamics during dark co-fermentation of 80% tequila vinasse and 20% nixtamalization wastewater (w/w). Batch co-fermentations were performed in a 3-L well-mixed reactor at 35 °C and pH 5.5.

Investigation of architecture development and phosphate distribution in Chlorella biofilm by complementary microscopy techniques.

Microalgae biofilms may play an important role in the mitigation and prevention of eutrophication caused by domestic, agricultural and industrial wastewater effluents. Despite their potential, the biofilm development and role in nutrient removal are not well understood. Its clarification requires comprehensive studies of the complex three-dimensional architecture of the biofilm.

Effect of Lactate on the Microbial Community and Process Performance of an EBPR System.

Accumulibacter phosphatis is in general presented as the dominant organism responsible for the biological removal of phosphorus in activated sludge wastewater treatment plants. Lab-scale enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) studies, usually use acetate as carbon source. However, the complexity of the carbon sources present in wastewater could allow other potential poly-phosphate accumulating organism (PAOs), such as putative fermentative PAOs (e.

Thermophilic anaerobic digestion of model organic wastes: Evaluation of biomethane production and multiple kinetic models analysis.

The main aim of this work was to test various organic wastes, i.e. from a livestock farm, a cattle slaughterhouse and agricultural waste streams, for its ability to produce methane under thermophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) conditions.

Effect of ammonium, electron donor and sulphate transient feeding conditions on sulphidogenesis in sequencing batch bioreactors.

This work aimed to study the effect of transient feeding conditions on sulphidogenesis in 8 sequencing batch bioreactors (SBR). SBR L1 and H1, operated under steady-state conditions were used as the control reactors, while four SBR were tested under transient feeding conditions using moderate (L2 and L3, feast and famine: 2.5 and 0 g SO·L) and high (H2 and H3, feast and famine: 15 and 0 g SO·L) loads.

HS removal and microbial community composition in an anoxic biotrickling filter under autotrophic and mixotrophic conditions.

Removal of HS from gas streams using NO-containing synthetic wastewater was investigated in an anoxic biotrickling filter (BTF) at feed N/S ratios of 1.2-1.7 mol mol with an empty bed residence time of 3.

Effect of process parameters on enhanced biohydrogen production from tequila vinasse via the lactate-acetate pathway.

In this study, a lactate-type fermentation entailing the consumption of lactate and acetate (lactate-acetate pathway) is proposed to deal with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inhibition during the production of biohydrogen (bioH) from tequila vinasse. The effects of total solids content, substrate concentration, nutrient formulation and inoculum addition on bioH production performance were investigated. Batch experiments were performed in a 3-L completely mixed reactor at 35 °C and pH 6.

Effect of feed glucose and acetic acid on continuous biohydrogen production by Thermotoga neapolitana.

This study focused on the effect of feed glucose and acetic acid on biohydrogen production by Thermotoga neapolitana under continuous-flow conditions. Increasing the feed glucose concentration from 11.1 to 41.

Enrichment of a solventogenic anaerobic sludge converting carbon monoxide and syngas into acids and alcohols.

An anaerobic granular sludge was acclimatized to utilise CO in a continuously gas-fed stirred tank bioreactor by applying operating conditions expected to stimulate solventogenesis, i.e. the production of alcohols, and allowing to enrich for solventogenic populations.

Comparison of sulphide and nitrate removal from synthetic wastewater by pure and mixed cultures of nitrate-reducing, sulphide-oxidizing bacteria.

In this study, the activities of hydrogen sulphide (HS) oxidation and nitrate (N-NO) reduction by three pure and mixed strains of nitrate-reducing, sulphide oxidizing bacteria (NR-SOB) were determined. Batch experiments were performed at 35 °C and pH 7.0-8.

Hydrodynamics and mathematical modelling in a low HRT inverse fluidized-bed reactor for biological sulphate reduction.

Biological reduction of sulphate at low hydraulic retention time (HRT) is presented in this paper. A sulphidogenic inverse fluidized-bed bioreactor (IFBB) was operated successfully at a progressively decreasing HRT from 1 to 0.125 days for a total of 155 days.

Vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands for the removal of petroleum contaminants from secondary refinery effluent at the Kaduna refining plant (Kaduna, Nigeria).

Typha latifolia-planted vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands (VSSF CWs) and an unplanted microcosm constructed wetland were used for treating secondary refinery wastewater from the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC, Nigeria). Cow dung was applied to the planted wetlands at the start of the experiment and after 3 months to enhance plant growth and petroleum degradation. The T.

Biological treatment of selenium-laden wastewater containing nitrate and sulfate in an upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactor at pH 5.0.

This study investigated the removal of selenate (SeO), sulfate (SO) and nitrate (NO) at different influent pH values ranging from 7.0 to 5.0 and 20 °C in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor using lactate as an electron donor.

Cyanide degradation kinetics during anaerobic co-digestion of cassava pulp with pig manure.

Anaerobic co-digestion of cassava pulp (CP) and pig manure (PM) under cyanide inhibition conditions was investigated and modeled. Batch experiments were performed with initial cyanide concentrations ranging from 1.5 to 10 mg/L.

Pretreatment technologies for industrial effluents: Critical review on bioenergy production and environmental concerns.

The implementation of different pretreatment techniques and technologies prior to effluent discharge is a direct result of the inefficiency of several existing wastewater treatment methods. A majority of the industrial sectors have known to cause severe negative effects on the environment. The five major polluting industries are the paper and pulp mills, coal manufacturing facilities, petrochemical, textile and the pharmaceutical sectors.