Biofiltration and disinfection codetermine the bacterial antibiotic resistome in drinking water: A review and meta-analysis

• Published data was used to analyze the fate of ARGs in water treatment. • Biomass removal leads to the reduction in absolute abundance of ARGs. • Mechanism that filter biofilm maintain ARB/ARGs was summarized. • Potential BAR risks caused by biofiltration and chlorination were proposed. The bacterial antibiotic resistome (BAR) is one of the most serious contemporary medical challenges. The BAR problem in drinking water is receiving growing attention. In this study, we focused on the distribution, changes, and health risks of the BAR throughout the drinking water treatment system. We extracted the antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) data from recent publications and analyzed ARG profiles based on diversity, absolute abundance, and relative abundance. The absolute abundance of ARG was found to decrease with water treatment processes and was positively correlated with the abundance of 16S rRNA (r² = 0.963, p<0.001), indicating that the reduction of ARG concentration was accompanied by decreasing biomass. Among treatment processes, biofiltration and chlorination were discovered to play important roles in shaping the bacterial antibiotic resistome. Chlorination exhibited positive effects in controlling the diversity of ARG, while biofiltration, especially granular activated carbon filtration, increased the diversity of ARG. Both biofiltration and chlorination altered the structure of the resistome by affecting relative ARG abundance. In addition, we analyzed the mechanism behind the impact of biofiltration and chlorination on the bacterial antibiotic resistome. By intercepting influent ARG-carrying bacteria, biofilters can enrich various ARGs and maintain ARGs in biofilm. Chlorination further selects bacteria co-resistant to chlorine and antibiotics. Finally, we proposed the BAR health risks caused by biofiltration and chlorination in water treatment. To reduce potential BAR risk in drinking water, membrane filtration technology and water boiling are recommended at the point of use.     

Toluene removal biofilter modeling: Optimization and case study

Based on the model proposed by De Visscher and Van Cleemput for methane oxidation in landfill cover soils, a simulation model for biofiltration of toluene-contaminated air has been developed for biofilters with substrate inhibition. A convenient way to optimize biofilter performance was developed assuming Haldane kinetics. It was calculated that for a typical oilsands operation emitting 200 ton of toluene annually, 90% of the toluene can be removed by a 740 m³ biofilter, if the waste gas sent to the biofilter has a toluene concentration of 2.25 g m⁻³. The optimal initial concentration increases with increasing target efficiency.     

Elimination of Methanol and Ethanol by Biofiltration: An Experimental Study

This study presents the experimental results obtained during long-term operation of two biofilters treating two alcohols: methanol and ethanol. The biofilters used for this purpose were previously packed with a compost material made from tobacco processing residues. The alcohols concentrations tested lay between 0.40 and 3.20 g/m³ for methanol, and 0.55 and 5.05 g/m³ for ethanol. The empty bed residence time in each biofilter was 60 s. Biofilter inlet loads of less than 190 and 300 g/m³/h for the methanol and ethanol additions respectively, were thereafter evaluated. In addition, the concentrations of nutrient nitrogen were also varied, from 0.1 to 2.0 g-N/l and from 0.3 to 11.3 g-N/l for the ethanol and the methanol, respectively. The results thus obtained have made it possible to select the optimal nitrogen concentrations which, for the cases examined, turn out to be 0.3 g-N/l and between 2 and 3.8 g-N/l for the ethanol and methanol substrates, respectively. The maximum elimination capacities obtained in this study were 82 and 150 g/m³/h, respectively for the methanol and ethanol cases. It was therefore concluded that, for a readily biodegradable compound such as ethanol, the nitrogen requirement is substantially lower than that needed for the methanol degradation, the latter appearing to be more difficult to degrade biologically under similar operating conditions. The production rate of the co-product carbon dioxide during methanol and ethanol biofiltration was also investigated. Also, a good correlation was found to exist between the temperature and the conversion achieved in the biofilter.     

固体废物堆肥处理过程中生物过滤及其臭气处理技术

臭气控制与处理是堆肥过程不可缺少的环节，国际上对其重视程度越来越高。生物过滤技术是新型的堆肥臭气处理技术，十几年来各国研究人员对其进行了大量研究。介绍了该方法的发展和现状，并对各种生物过滤器的选材、结构和特点进行了归纳。同时总结了堆肥臭气的起因以及其它各种臭气控制与处理方法。     

矿化垃圾生物反应床处理NO_X废气的研究

矿化垃圾(稳定化垃圾)是一种良好的生物介质,可作为生物反应床的填料处理NOX废气。实验室研究表明,稳定化垃圾反应床可有效地处理NOX气体,其硝化能力(以N计)可达0.83g/(kg·d)(干重)。NOX去除率受停留时间的影响显著,NOX去除率随着停留时间的缩短而降低。当空床停留时间为1.5min时,NOX气体的平均去除率为76.7%;空床停留时间为15min时,NOX气体的平均去除率为91.0%。在NOX进气负荷低于110mmol/(m3·h)时,NOX消除能力随进气负荷的增加而线性增加。当进气流量一定时,NOX去除能力随着进气NOX浓度的增加而线性增加。     

Treatment of dynamic mixture of hexane and benzene vapors in a Trickle Bed Air Biofilter integrated with cyclic adsorption/desorption beds

One of the main challenges that face successful biofiltration is the erratic loading pattern and long starvation periods. However, such patterns are common in practical applications. In order to provide long-term stable operation of a biofilter under these conditions, a cyclic adsorption/desorption beds system with flow switching was installed prior to a biofilter. Different square waves of a mixture containing n-hexane and benzene at a 2:1 ratio were applied to the cyclic adsorption/desorption beds and then fed to a biofilter. The performance of this integrated system was compared to a biofilter unit receiving the same feed of both VOCs. The cyclic adsorption/desorption beds unit successfully achieved its goal of stabilizing erratic loading even with very sharp peaks at the influent concentration equalizing influent concentrations ranging from 10-470 ppmv for n-hexane to 30-1410 ppmv for benzene. The study included different peak concentrations with durations ranging from 6 to 20 min. The cyclic beds buffered the fluctuating influent load and the followed biofilter had all the time a continuous stable flow. Another advantage achieved by the cyclic adsorption/desorption beds was the uninterrupted feed to the biofilter even during the starvation where there was no influent in the feed. The results of the integrated system with regard to removal efficiency and kinetics are comparable to published results with continuous feed studies at the same loading rates. The removal efficiency for benzene had a minimum of 85% while for n-hexane ranged from 50% to 77% according to the loading rate. The control unit showed very erratic performance highlighting the benefit of the utilization of the cyclic adsorption/desorption beds. The biofilter was more adaptable to concentration changes in benzene than n-hexane.     

生物过滤法对水中铁去除的试验研究

随着生物技术在水处理工业中的推广应用,人们逐渐认识到生物除铁是将来替代接触氧化法除铁的新一代除铁方法。本文在国内外生物除铁研究的基础上,通过较低pH值条件培养铁细菌,最终检测不同实验条件下的过滤效果,以达到研究不同粒径滤料、pH值、溶解氧等条件对生物除铁的影响。实验结果表明：小粒径滤料有利于过滤过程的进行;生物除铁的效果不明显,尤其在高pH值和溶解氧条件下,几乎没有差别;随着pH值和溶解氧浓度的增加,亚铁的氧化效果加强了,但是生物除铁的效果却减弱了。     

臭氧/高锰酸盐预氧化对生物过滤净水效能的影响

比较了臭氧(O3)和高锰酸盐复合药剂(PPC)对水源水预氧化的助凝效果及其对后续陶粒生物过滤净水效能的影响.结果表明,两种预氧化剂投加量均为2 mg/L时,PPC的助凝效果较为明显,浊度和溶解性有机碳(DOC)的去除率分别由未投加氧化剂时的85.7%和24.2%提高到88.3Z和35.2%;O3能够增加沉淀后水的可生化性,使特征紫外吸光度(SUVA)由0.97L/(m·mg)降至0.89 L/(m·mg).PPC预氧化有助于生物过滤对浊度的稳定去除,而O3预氧化则有助于生物过滤对DOC的去除.与O3预氧化相比,PPC预氧化有利于后续生物过滤运行初期对NH4 -N的去除,二者后续生物过滤在前3个月对NH4 -N的平均去除率分别为26.6%和73.1%,运行后期二者NH4 -N去除率接近.当进水NH4 -N大于2.0 mg/L时,DO是其去除的主要限制因素.     

Chemisorption of hydrogen sulphide and methanethiol by light expanded clay aggregates (Leca)

Removal of volatile sulphur compounds from livestock waste air by biological air filtration may be enhanced by application of packing materials with reactive properties. In this study, light expanded clay aggregates (Leca®) was tested with respect to sorption and potential chemical degradation of H₂S, Methanethiol (MT) and Dimethyl sulphide (DMS). Leca was selected due to its content of minerals, including iron, and due to its high specific surface area. The performance of Leca was evaluated based on breakthrough curves and by comparing the difference between the inlet and outlet gas concentrations. Whereas DMS did not appear to be removed by Leca, both H₂S and MT were removed with variable efficiency depending on the specific conditions. Dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) and dimethyl trisulphide (DMTS) were demonstrated to be produced during the degradation process in relatively high yields. A comparison between ambient air and nitrogen gas conditions showed that the chemisorption of H₂S and MT did not necessarily need oxygen to be present. X-ray analysis of Leca showed an abundance of Fe₂O₃. It is therefore hypothesized that Fe₂O₃ in Leca can remove H₂S and MT by chemisorption. Both air velocity and moisture content clearly affected the capacity of Leca for removal of H₂S and MT. Lower removal is seen at higher air velocities, whereas higher moisture content enhances removal. However, chemisorption of MT by Leca appears to be limited above a threshold moisture level. Potential reaction mechanisms are discussed in relation to the observed effects. The results implicate that Leca can be used as a filter material with reactive properties provided that moisture content is controlled and that an adequate air velocity is used.     

n-Hexane Biodegradation in Trickle Bed Air Biofilters

While hydrophilic compounds are degraded easily in Trickling bed air biofilters (TBABs), hydrophobic compounds are retarded until biological cultures produce a sufficient RNA or enzyme/protein to utilize this compound. Hydrophobic compounds are not readily bio-available which makes them reluctant to biodegradation as mass transfer between the gas and liquid phases is a rate limiting step. To enhance the destruction of hydrophobic compounds in TBABs, the utilization of surfactant was introduced to increase the solubility which helps overcoming the rate limiting step. The surfactant was used as well to limit the growth of excess biomass ensuring smooth flow through the biofilter bed and preventing short circuits. Two different non-ionic non-toxic surfactants were used in this study: Triton X-100 and Tomadol® 25-7. Two lab-scale controlled TBABs were operated for investigating the performance difference for n-Hexane as an example of hydrophobic volatile organic compound (VOC) with and without the addition of surfactant. Operating conditions in both TBABs were as follows: nutrient feed rate (2L/day), air flowrate (1.4L/min), bed depth (60cm), empty bed retention time (120s), bed material (diatomaceous earth pellets) and room-temperature. The inlet concentration was changed from 50 to 100ppmv. Acclimation period, removal profile along biofilter depth, nitrogen consumption, and CO₂ production were compared under continuous loading operation condition. The optimum concentration of surfactant in the nutrient feed was determined by a batch experiment. The effect of different surfactant concentrations on VOC water solubility with time was studied by considering different VOC concentration sets within the TBAB loading rate range.