Biological removal of selenate in saline wastewater by activated sludge under alternating anoxic/oxic conditions

Removal of selenate in saline wastewater by activated sludge was examined. Sequencing batch reactor was operated under alternating anoxic/oxic conditions. Above 97% removal of soluble selenium (Se) was achieved continuously. Major Se removal mechanism varied depending on the length of aeration period. Various Se-reducing bacteria likely contributed to coordinately to Se removal. Selenium (Se)-containing industrial wastewater is often coupled with notable salinity. However, limited studies have examined biological treatment of Se-containing wastewater under high salinity conditions. In this study, a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) inoculated with activated sludge was applied to treat selenate in synthetic saline wastewater (3% w/v NaCl) supplemented with lactate as the carbon source. Start-up of the SBR was performed with addition of 1–5 mM of selenate under oxygen-limiting conditions, which succeeded in removing more than 99% of the soluble Se. Then, the treatment of 1 mM Se with cycle duration of 3 days was carried out under alternating anoxic/oxic conditions by adding aeration period after oxygen-limiting period. Although the SBR maintained soluble Se removal of above 97%, considerable amount of solid Se remained in the effluent as suspended solids and total Se removal fluctuated between about 40 and 80%. Surprisingly, the mass balance calculation found a considerable decrease of Se accumulated in the SBR when the aeration period was prolonged to 7 h, indicating very efficient Se biovolatilization. Furthermore, microbial community analysis suggested that various Se-reducing bacteria coordinately contributed to the removal of Se in the SBR and main contributors varied depending on the operational conditions. This study will offer implications for practical biological treatment of selenium in saline wastewater.     

Biosorption and Biovolatilization of Arsenic by Heat-Resistant Fungi (5 pp)

Goal, Scope and Background

The aim of this work is to show the ability of several fungal species, isolated from arsenic polluted soils, to biosorb and volatilize arsenic from a liquid medium under laboratory conditions. Mechanisms of biosorption and biovolatilization play an important role in the biogeochemical cycle of arsenic in the environment. The quantification of production of volatile arsenicals is discussed in this article.

Methods

Heat-resistant filamentous fungi Neosartorya fischeri, Talaromyces wortmannii, T. flavus, Eupenicillium cinnamopurpureum, originally isolated from sediments highly contaminated with arsenic (more than 1403 mg.l-1 of arsenic), and the non-heat-resistant fungus Aspergillus niger were cultivated in 40 mL liquid Sabouraud medium (SAB) enriched by 0.05, 0.25, 1.0 or 2.5 mg of inorganic arsenic (H3AsO4). After 30-day and 90-day cultivation under laboratory conditions, the total arsenic content was determined in mycelium and SAB medium using the HG AAS analytical method. Production of volatile arsenic derivates by the Neosartorya fischeri strain was also determined directly by hourly sorption using the sorbent Anasorb CSC (USA).

Results

Filamentous fungi volatilized 0.025–0.321 mg of arsenic from the cultivation system, on average, depending on arsenic concentrations and fungal species. The loss of arsenic was calculated indirectly by determining the sum of arsenic content in the mycelium and culture medium. The amount of arsenic captured on sorption material was 35.7 ng of arsenic (22nd day of cultivation) and 56.4 ng of arsenic (29th day of cultivation) after one hour's sorption. Biosorption of arsenic by two types of fungal biomass was also discussed, and the biosorption capacity for arsenic of pelletized and compact biomass of Neosartorya fischeri was on average 0.388 mg and 0.783 mg of arsenic, respectively.

Discussion

The biosorption and amount of volatilized arsenic for each fungal species was evaluated and the effect of initial pH on the biovolatilization of arsenic was discussed.

Conclusions

The most effective biovolatilization of arsenic was observed in the heat-resistant Neosartorya fischeri strain, while biotransformation of arsenic into volatile derivates was approximately two times lower for the non-heat-resistant Aspergillus niger strain. Biovolatilization of arsenic by Talaromyces wortmannii, T. flavus, Eupenicillium cinnamopurpureum was negligible. Results from biosorption experiments indicate that nearly all of an uptaken arsenic by Neosartorya fischeri was transformed into volatile derivates.

Recommendations and Perspective

. Biovolatilization and biosorption have a great potential for bioremediation of contaminated localities. However, results showed that not all fungal species are effective in the removal of arsenic. Thus, more work in this research area is needed.

     

Arsenic removal from contaminated soil via biovolatilization by genetically engineered bacteria under laboratory conditions

In Rhodopseudomonas palustris, an arsM gene, encoding bacterial and archaeal homologues of the mammalian Cyt19 As(III) S-adenosylmethionine methytransferase, was regulated by arsenicals. An expression of arsM was introduced into strains for the methylation of arsenic. When arsM was expressed in Sphingomonas desiccabilis and Bacillus idriensis, it had 10 folds increase of methyled arsenic gas compared to wild type in aqueous system. In soil system, about 2.2%–4.5% of arsenic was removed by biovolatilization during 30 days. This study demonstrated that arsenic could be removed through volatilization from the contaminated soil by bacteria which have arsM gene expressed. These results showed that it is possible to use microorganisms expressing arsM as an inexpensive, efficient strategy for arsenic bioremediation from contaminated water and soil.     

砷污染土壤生物挥发的研究

微生物的作用可以使土壤中砷转化为气态砷化物而挥发到大气中.研究了不同环境条件对砷污染土壤生物挥发的影响,结果表明:土壤中砷的含量越高,其生物挥发的速率越大,施加生物有机肥能促进砷的生物挥发,同时,砷的生物挥发速率也受到土壤含水量的影响,过高或过低的含水量都不利于土壤中砷生物挥发的进行.