Aerobic degradation of tetrabromobisphenol-A by microbes in river sediment

This study investigated the aerobic degradation of tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) and changes in the microbial community in river sediment from southern Taiwan. Aerobic degradation rate constants (k₁) and half-lives (t_1/2) for TBBPA (50 μg g⁻¹) ranged from 0.053 to 0.077 d⁻¹ and 9.0 to 13.1 d, respectively. The degradation of TBBPA (50 μg g⁻¹) was enhanced by adding yeast extract (5 mg L⁻¹), sodium chloride (10 ppt), cellulose (0.96 mg L⁻¹), humic acid (0.5 g L⁻¹), brij 30 (55 μM), brij 35 (91 μM), rhamnolipid (130 mg L⁻¹), or surfactin (43 mg L⁻¹), with rhamnolipid yielding a higher TBBPA degradation than the other additives. For different toxic chemicals in the sediment, the results showed the high-to-low order of degradation rates were bisphenol-A (BPA) (50 μg g⁻¹) > nonylphenol (NP) (50 μg g⁻¹) > 4,4′-dibrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-15) (50 μg g⁻¹) > TBBPA (50 μg g⁻¹) > 2,2′,3,3′,4,4′,5,5′,6,6′-decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) (50 μg g⁻¹). The addition of various treatments changed the microbial community in river sediments. The results also showed that Bacillus pumilus and Rhodococcus ruber were the dominant bacteria in the process of TBBPA degradation in the river sediments.     

Roles of ATP-dependent N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) in aerobic granulation

Aerobic granules which form through a cell-to-cell self-immobilization process have been intensively studied and developed for wastewater biotreatment. However, the microbiological origin of this phenomenon is still largely unknown. This study investigated the possible role of metabolic energy in the development of aerobic granules. Results showed that aerobic granulation was positively related to ATP-dependent N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) production. Inhibited ATP synthesis by a chemical uncoupler, 3,3′,4′,5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide, led to significant reduction of AHLs and EPSs production, which in turn prevented aerobic granulation. This study for the first time demonstrated the involvement of ATP-dependent AHLs in aerobic granulation.     

Measuring biomass specific ammonium, nitrite and phosphate uptake rates in aerobic granular sludge

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) technology offers the possibility to remove organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in a single reactor system. The granular structure is stratified in such a way that both aerobic and anaerobic/anoxic layers are present. Since most of the biological processes in AGS systems occur simultaneously, the measurement and estimation of the capacity of specific conversions is complicated compared to suspended biomass. The determination of the activities of different functional groups in aerobic granular sludge allows for identification of the potential metabolic capacity of the sludge and aids to analyze bioreactor performance. It allows for comparison of different sludges and enables improved understanding of the interaction and competition between different metabolic groups of microorganisms. The most appropriate experimental conditions and methods to determine specific ammonium, nitrite and phosphate uptake rates under normal operation of AGS reactors were evaluated and described in this study. Extra biomass characterization experiments determining the maximum uptake rate of these compounds on optimized conditions were performed as well to see how much spare capacity was available. The methodologies proposed may serve as an experimental frame of reference for investigating the metabolic capacities of microbial functional groups in biofilm processes.     

Identification of surfactants emerged in aerobic granulation

In this study, aerobic granules were cultivated in sequencing batch reactors with activated sludge as the seed. The reactors were operated for 12 h per cycle with the organic loading rate (OLR) increasing in double stepwise from 0.5 to 4.0 g COD L⁻¹ d⁻¹. Within the 40 d running, black granules with regular and smooth morphology were cultivated, which had high wet density and high settling velocity. During the granulation process, foams emerged and disappeared in the reactor, coinciding with the proliferation of filamentous microorganisms in the granules, implying that surfactants might exist and play an important role in the granulation. Using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, the surfactants were identified as homologous compounds of polyethylene glycol (PEG) with molecular weights ranging mainly from 100 to 500 Da. Their general formulas were proposed as HO-[CH₂-CH₂-O]_n-H. The source of PEG still needs further investigation.     

Improved VOC bioremediation using a fluidized bed peat bioreactor

A gas–solid fluidized bed bioreactor was successfully used to treat air contaminated with a volatile organic compound (VOC). A bioreactor containing both a fluidized and packed bed of moist peat granules removed ethanol, a representative VOC, from an air stream. The fluidized bed operation mode of the bioreactor outperformed the packed bed mode. The maximum elimination capacity (EC) of ethanol in the fluidized mode was 1520 g m⁻³ h⁻¹, with removal efficiencies ranging between 45 and 100%, at loadings up to 3400 g m⁻³ h⁻¹. Maximum EC was 530 g m⁻³ h⁻¹ in the packed bed mode. Removal efficiency in the fluidized bioreactor was best at the lowest velocity, where the bubbling bed fluidization regime predominated. As gas velocity increased, the size and amount of large bubbles (slugs) increased and removal efficiency decreased while elimination capacity increased.     

The influence of storage on the morphology and physiology of phthalic acid-degrading aerobic granules

The precultured aerobic granules with special degradabilities could be used as a feasible bioseed for enhancement of aerobic granulation systems. In practice, the storage stability, physicochemical characteristics, and recovering efficiency of granules are crucial for a long-distance transportation and successful application. In this study, phthalic acid (PA)-degrading aerobic granules were cultivated and stored for 8 wk at 4 °C. The granular size, settling ability as well as structure integrity was found stable during the storage period. It was observed that the upper 1/3 part of granules stored in the reagent bottle turned to black color, while the lower 2/3 part granules did not significantly change color (brown–yellow) after the 8-wk storage. The black and brown–yellow color PA-degrading granules were manually separated and re-inoculated into two identical sequencing batch reactors for reviving the PA degradation capability. After a 7 d operation, both black and yellow granules restored their activities to the levels before storage, in terms of total organic carbon removal efficiency (100%), specific oxygen uptake rate (59 mg g VSS⁻¹ h⁻¹), and adenosine triphosphate content (0.016 mg g VSS⁻¹). This study demonstrated that aerobic granules grown on a complex substrate could tolerate storage conditions and rapidly restored their bioactivities toward the target pollutant. The results also shed the light on the future application of precultured aerobic granules with unique functions for biodegradation and bioremediation purpose.     

膜生物法降解TNT弹药销毁废水的重要影响因素

采用水解酸化一好氧膜生物工艺对弹药销毁废水中TNT进行降解试验研究。结果表明,共代谢外加碳源对TNT的生物降解影响显著。无共代谢外加碳源的情况下,HRT=40h,TNT的去除率仅为53．4％。有共代谢外加碳源的情况下,外加碳源COD与TNT提供COD比值宜大于4．8,系统对TNT的去除率可高达99％。温度对水解酸化影响重大,当温度低于15℃时,水解酸化对TNT去除率低于33．3％,而当温度高于20℃时,水解酸化对TNT的去除率不小于83％。     

Influence of dissolved organic matter on methylmercury transformation during aerobic composting of municipal sewage sludge under different C/N ratios

Current knowledge about the transformation of total mercury and methylmercury (MeHg) in aerobic composting process is limited. In this study, the composition and transformation of mercury and dissovled organic matter (DOM) in aerobic composting process of municipal sewage sludge were were comprehensively characterized, and the differences among the three C/N ratio (20, 26 and 30) were investigated. The main form of mercury in C/N 20 and 26 was organo-chelated Hg (F3, 46%-60%); while the main form of mercury in C/N 30 was mercuric sulfide (F5, 64%-70%). The main component of DOM in C/N 20 and 26 were tyrosine-like substance (C1, 53%-76%) while the main fractions in C/N 30 were tyrosine-like substance (C1, 28%-37%) and fulvic-like substance (C2, 17%-39%). The mercury and DOM varied significantly during the 9 days composting process. Compared to C/N 20 and 26, C/N 30 produced the less MeHg after aerobic composting process, with values of 658% (C/N 20), 1400% (C/N 26) and 139% (C/N 30) of the initial, respectively. Meanwhile, C/N 30 produced the best compost showed greater degree of DOM molecular condensation and humification. Hg fraction had been altered by DOM, as indicated by a significant correlation between mercury species and DOM components. Notably, C/N 30 should be used as an appropriate C/N ratio to control the methylation processes of mercury and degration of DOM.     

溶解氧对单级颗粒污泥自养脱氮系统影响的模拟

为了研究溶解氧对SBR单级颗粒污泥自养脱氮系统的影响,基于活性污泥ASM3模型和短程硝化-硝化-反硝化模型,将颗粒污泥传质过程与氨氧化菌（AOB）、厌氧氨氧化菌（AAOB）、亚硝酸盐氧化菌（NOB）、反硝化菌（DNF）的生长过程、好氧内源呼吸及缺氧内源呼吸过程等耦合,建立了单级自养脱氮颗粒污泥动力学模型,并对颗粒内部基质浓度分布进行预测.结果显示,当DO为0.4mg/L时,好氧区和缺氧区（厌氧区）的比例为0.4：1;当DO为0.6mg/L时,颗粒污泥好氧区与缺氧区（厌氧区）的比例为3：1.同时,根据基质反应速率方程,建立了颗粒污泥的单级自养脱氮系统动力学模型,对SBR系统运行效果进行预测,结果显示,DO为0.6mg/L时,氨氮反应完全,亚硝酸盐氮和硝酸盐氮在5mg/L以下,总氮去除率模拟值为89%左右,略低于实际测量脱氮率95%.     

Comparative study of polyhydroxyalkanoates production from acidified and anaerobically treated brewery wastewater using enriched mixed microbial culture

The production of polyhydroxyalkanoates(PHA) from wastewaters using microbial mixed cultures(MMC) has been attracting increased interest because of PHA's biodegradability characteristics. Production of PHA by an MMC enriched with PHA-accumulating bacteria was compared using anaerobically treated and acidified brewery wastewaters under various feeding strategies, namely pulse and batch feed addition. To obtain an enriched MMC, a sequencing batch reactor was inoculated with activated sludge fed with acetate and subjected to aerobic dynamic feeding. The enriched MMC was able to accumulate PHA up to 72.6% of cell dry weight(CDW) with pulse addition of acetate controlled by the dissolved oxygen(DO) concentration in the reactor. In a batch accumulation experiment with acetate,the PHA content achieved(28.5% CDW) was less than that of the pulse feeding strategy with the same amount of acetate(～2000 mg C/L). Using anaerobically treated and acidified brewery wastewater fed in pulses, the maximum PHA accumulated by the enriched MMC was similar for both wastewaters(45% CDW), in spite of the higher volatile fatty acid concentration in acidified brewery wastewater. The pulse feed addition controlled by the DO concentration was difficult to implement for wastewater as compared to acetate because the difference in DO concentration between substrate availability and depletion was low. For the batch addition of acidified wastewater, a slightly lower PHA content(39%CDW) was obtained. These results show that both brewery wastewaters can be utilized for PHA production with a similar maximum PHA storage capacity.