A method of batch-purifying microalgae with multiple antibiotics at extremely high concentrations

Axenic microalgal strains are highly valued in diverse microalgal studies and applications. Antibiotics, alone or in combination, are often used to avoid bacterial contamination during microalgal isolation and culture. In our preliminary trials, we found that many microalgae ceased growing in antibiotics at extremely high concentrations but could resume growth quickly when returned to an antibiotics-free liquid medium and formed colonies when spread on a solid medium. We developed a simple and highly efficient method of obtaining axenic microalgal cultures based on this observation. First, microalgal strains of different species or strains were treated with a mixture of ampicillin, gentamycin sulfate, kanamycin, neomycin and streptomycin （each at a concentration of 600 mg/L） for 3 days; they were then transferred to antibiotics-free medium for 5 days; and finally they were spread on solid f/2 media to allow algal colonies to form. With this method, five strains ofNannochloropsis sp. （Eustigmatophyceae）, two strains of Cylindrotheca sp. （Bacillariophyceae）, two strains of Tetraselmis sp. （Chlorodendrophyceae） and one strain ofAmphikrikos sp. （Trebouxiophyceae） were purified successfully. The method shows promise for batch- purifying microalgal cultures.

Combined treatment of dyeing wastewater by a new sequential bi-cycling biological fluidized bed

A new wastewater treatment equipment, the bi-external recycling biological fluidized bed (BRBFB), which is an effective equipment, was investigated. Anaerobic digestion, aerobic aeration and settlement processes with a fixed sequential procedure were compacted into this reactor. By five different treatment courses, the optimization of the combined operation procedure in the system was determined to be a 12-hour cycle including an inflow process, a 4 h anaerobic digestion process, a 4 h aerobic aeration process, a 2 h settlement process and a 2 h recess process including effluent discharge process. By utilizing BRBFB to treat a synthetic dyeing wastewater, 90% of COD_ Cr is removed for a higher-concentration water (COD_ Cr 1 000-1 200 mg/L), and 82% of COD_ Cr is removed for a lower-concentration water (COD_ Cr 400-600 mg/L). Near 100% color is removal and discharging standards for industry wastewater are achieved.

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AFFINITY POLYMER BASIC MICROSPHERES BY SOAP-FREE EMULSION POLYMERIZATION

Poly(styrene-co-glycidyl methacrylate) latex microspheres with uniform size and high-density epoxy groups on the surface were prepared by soap-free emulsion polymerization with batch wise operation mode in the presence of 2.2′- azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride as an initiator.The kinetics of soap-free emulsion polymerization and the effects of polymerization factors were examined.In addition,the optimum polymerization conditions of poly(styrene-co- glycidyl methacrylate) latex microspheres for...

Aerobic granules cultivated and operated in continuous-flow bioreactor under particle-size selective pressure

A novel method based on the selective pressure of particle size （particle-size cultivation method, PSCM） was developed for the cultivation and operation of aerobic granular sludge in a continuous-flow reactor, and compared with the conventional method based on the selective pressure of settling velocity （settling-velocity cultivation method, SVCM）. Results indicated that aerobic granules could be cultivated in continuous operation mode by this developed method within 14 days. Although in the granulation process, under particle-size selective pressure, mixed liquor suspended solids （MLSS） in the reactor fluctuated greatly and filamentous bacteria dominated the sludge system during the initial operation days, no obvious difference in profile was found between the aerobic granules cultivated by PSCM and SVCM. Moreover, aerobic granules cultivated by PSCM presented larger diameter, lower water content and higher specific rates of nitrification, denitrifieation and phosphorus removal, but lower settling velocity. Under long term operation of more than 30 days, aerobic granules in the continuous-flow reactor could remain stable and obtain good chemical oxygen demand （COD）, NH4^＋-N, total nitrogen （TN） and total phosphorus （TP） removal. The results indicate that PSCM was dependent on the cultivation and maintenance of the stability of aerobic granules in continuous-flow bioreactors.