Transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs)-associated protobiofilm: A neglected contributor to biofouling during membrane filtration

• Bacteria could easily and quickly attached onto TEP to form protobiofilms. • TEP-protobiofilm facilitate the transport of bacteria to membrane surface. • More significant flux decline was observed in the presence of TEP-protobiofilms. • Membrane fouling shows higher sensitivity to protobiofilm not to bacteria level. Transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs) are a class of transparent gel-like polysaccharides, which have been widely detected in almost every kind of feed water to membrane systems, including freshwater, seawater and wastewater. Although TEP have been thought to be related to the membrane fouling, little information is currently available for their influential mechanisms and the pertinence to biofouling development. The present study, thus, aims to explore the impact of TEPs on biofouling development during ultrafiltration. TEP samples were inoculated with bacteria for several hours before filtration and the formation of “protobiofilm” (pre-colonized TEP by bacteria) was examined and its influence on biofouling was determined. It was observed that the bacteria can easily and quickly attach onto TEPs and form protobiofilms. Ultrafiltration experiments further revealed that TEP-protobiofilms served as carriers which facilitated and accelerated transport of bacteria to membrane surface, leading to rapid development of biofouling on the ultrafiltration membrane surfaces. Moreover, compared to the feed water containing independent bacteria and TEPs, more flux decline was observed with TEP-protobiofilms. Consequently, it appeared from this study that TEP-protobiofilms play a vital role in the development of membrane biofouling, but unfortunately, this phenomenon has been often overlooked in the literature. Obviously, these findings in turn may also challenge the current understanding of organic fouling and biofouling as membrane fouling caused by TEP-protobiofilm is a combination of both. It is expected that this study might promote further research in general membrane fouling mechanisms and the development of an effective mitigation strategy.     

辽宁某冶炼厂重金属污染对土壤中微生物的有效性影响

对某铜锌冶炼厂周边土壤微生物区系和土壤抗性细菌数进行了实验分析。结果表明,在冶炼厂周边土壤几种重金属含量与对照区土壤相比明显的增加。冶炼厂周边土壤中,土壤微生物的总数下降,土壤微生物各主要生理类群数量明显减少。抗性实验结果表明:由于土壤长期受重金属污染影响,土壤中细菌抗重金属水平提高,耐性菌种多。     

SSCP技术解析硫酸盐还原反应器中微生物群落结构

采用改进的单链构象多态性(SSCP)技术,以16SrRNA基因的V3区为靶对象,分析完全混合式硫酸盐还原反应器中微生物的群落结构以及硫酸盐还原菌(SRBs)与产酸菌(ABs)的种间关系.共得到13个可辨晰的SSCP条带,对其中的6条带(A1,A3,A4,A5,A9,A10)进行了测序分析,分别同嗜柠檬酸明串球菌(GenBank登录号:AY453065,下同)、未培养细菌(AJ318147,AF227834,AJ576427)、产乙醇杆菌(AY434722)、梭杆菌(AB084627)等相似性较大.为检测系统中的SRBs,以SRBs富集培养基,对反应器中的活性污泥进行选择性富集,培养的混合菌群同样采用SSCP分析,带型与前者相差较大,其中有2条带与Bacteroidetes(AB074606)和脱硫弧菌(Y12254,U42221)最为相似.分析表明,SRBs在总DNA中的含量可能不到1·5%,但是它们与大量的ABs形成很好的种间协作关系,从而维持工艺系统较高的硫酸盐去除率和运行稳定性.     

Bacteria transport and deposition under unsaturated conditions: the role of the matrix grain size and the bacteria surface protein

Unsaturated (80% water saturated) packed column experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of grain size distribution and bacteria surface macromolecules on bacteria (Rhodococcus rhodochrous) transport and deposition mechanisms. Three sizes of silica sands were used in these transport experiments, and their median grain sizes were 607, 567, and 330 microm. The amount of retained bacteria increased with decreasing sand size, and most of the deposited bacteria were found adjacent to the column inlet. The deposition profiles were not consistent with predictions based on classical filtration theory. The experimental data could be accurately characterized using a mathematical model that accounted for first-order attachment, detachment, and time and depth-dependent straining processes. Visual observations of the bacteria deposition as well as mathematical modelling indicated that straining was the dominant mechanism of deposition in these sands (78-99.6% of the deposited bacteria), which may have been enhanced due to the tendency of this bacterium to form aggregates. An additional unsaturated experiment was conducted to better deduce the role of bacteria surface macromolecules on attachment and straining processes. In this case, the bacteria surface was treated using a proteolitic enzyme. This technique was assessed by examining the Fourier-transform infrared spectrum and hydrophobicity of untreated and enzyme treated cells. Both of these analytical procedures demonstrated that this enzymatic treatment removed the surface proteins and/or associated macromolecules. Transport and modelling studies conducted with the enzyme treated bacteria, revealed a decrease in attachment, but that straining was not significantly affected by this treatment.     

造纸用水中菌尘的控制探讨

分析了民丰造纸厂生产用水中存在菌尘的问题 ,认为水源污染、水温和浊度等因素是处理水菌类大量生长的原因。通过试验和实验运行 ,提出降低出水浊度和采用混合杀菌剂的解决办法 ,获得了很好的效果。     

含油废水处理过程中优势菌群的筛选

研究了用生物法处理含油废水的微生物净化效能，对整个处理装置的各反应池中的降解菌群进行了筛选。共分离出45株菌，分别属于14个属。并测定出芽孢杆菌在曝气池、二沉法和排水口三处占优势。     

光合细菌净水剂清除滇池草海蓝藻的试验研究

光合细菌净水剂对也草海蓝藻清除有较好效果，在滇池草海约８００ｍ＾３围栏水域的现场试验中，叶绿素－ａ去除率在７５％以上，藻量去除率在９０％以上，平均透明度从０．３ｍ增加到１．０６ｍ，基本上已达到试验验期目标，且有操作简便，无二次污染产物等特点。     

Three common metal contaminants of urban runoff (Zn, Cu & Pb) accumulate in freshwater biofilm and modify embedded bacterial communities

We investigated the absorption rates of zinc, copper and lead in freshwater biofilm and assessed whether biofilm bacterial populations are affected by exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of these metals in flow chamber microcosms. Metals were rapidly accumulated by the biofilm and then retained for at least 14 days after transfer to uncontaminated water. Changes in bacterial populations were assessed by Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA) and 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. Significant differences in bacterial community structure occurred within only three days of exposure to metals and remained detectable at least 14 days after transfer to uncontaminated water. The rapid uptake of stormwater-associated metals and their retention in the biofilm highlight the potential role of biofilms in the transfer of metals to organisms at higher trophic levels. The sensitivity of stream biofilm bacterial populations to metal exposure supports their use as an indicator of stream ecological health.     

Diversity of chlorobiphenyl-metabolizing bacteria and their biphenyl dioxygenases in contaminated sediment

Bacteria and bacterial communities in sites contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls have been extensively studied in the past decades. However, there are still major gaps in the knowledge of environmental processes, especially in the behavior of previously described bacteria in vitro, their real degradation abilities and the enzymes that are involved in the degradation processes.     

高效降解青霉素菌的筛选鉴定及降解效果研究

从哈尔滨制药总厂的青霉素发酵药渣中富集筛选出6株青霉素耐受菌株,经驯化后,采用高效液相色谱法检验其对青霉素的降解效率,经比较得到一株青霉素高效降解菌株,编号为JZ6。青霉素浓度300 mg/L,30℃,p H6.7,121 r/min条件下恒温震荡培养24 h后,在青霉素做唯一碳源情况下,青霉素几乎不被降解,外加碳氮源后降解率可达到99.98%。对其进行电镜扫描和16SrDNA序列分析,鉴定其属于洋葱伯克霍尔德菌属(Burkholderia cenocepacia),16SrDNA序列长度为1451bp,在Gen Bank登录号为KF826288。