Effect of biomass adaptation to the degradation of anionic surfactants in laundry wastewater using EGSB reactors

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2014-02, Vol.154, p.114-121
• Main Authors: Delforno, T.P., Moura, A.G.L., Okada, D.Y., Varesche, M.B.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation; Alkanesulfonic Acids - chemistry; Anaerobic reactor; Anions; Applied sciences; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Bioreactors; Biotechnology; Cluster Analysis; Degradation; Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis; Desulfobulbus; Exact sciences and technology; Expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB); Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS); Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Particle Size; Pollution; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Pyrosequencing; Reactors; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sewage - microbiology; Strategy; Surface-Active Agents - isolation & purification; Surfactants; Various methods and equipments; Waste water; Waste Water - chemistry; Wastes; Wastewaters; Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.11.102

•Two EGSB reactors (adapted biomass and not adapted biomass) were operated.•The biomass was adapted with standard LAS before being fed with real wastewater.•The adaptation did not favor surfactant removal in real wastewater.•With standard LAS the removal was 63% and with real wastewater was 76%.•By means of pyrosequencing were identified genera that degrade aromatic compounds. Two expanded granular sludge bed reactors were operated. RAB (adapted biomass) was operated in two stages: Stage I, with standard LAS (13.2mgL−1); and Stage II, in which the standard LAS was replaced by diluted laundry wastewater according to the LAS concentration (11.2mgL−1). RNAB (not adapted biomass) had a single stage, using direct wastewater (11.5mgL−1). Thus, the strategy of biomass adaptation did not lead to an increase of surfactant removal in wastewater (RAB-Stage II: 77%; RNAB-Stage I: 78%). By means of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, an 80% similarity was verified in the phases with laundry wastewater (sludge bed) despite the different reactor starting strategies. By pyrosequencing, many reads were related to genera of degraders of aromatic compounds and sulfate reducers (Syntrophorhabdus and Desulfobulbus). The insignificant difference in LAS removal between the two strategies was most likely due to the great microbial richness of the inoculum.