Removal of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Organic Pollutants From Water Using Seeding Type Immobilized Microorganisms

Objective To study the possibility of removing nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic pollutants using seeding type immobilized microorganisms. Methods Lakes P and M in Wuhan were chosen as the objects to study the removal of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic pollutants with the seeding type immobilized microorganisms. Correlations between the quantity of heterotrophic bacteria and the total nitrogen （TN）, total phosphorus （TP）, and total organic carbon （TOC） in the two lakes were studied. The dominant bacteria were detected, inoculated to the sludge and acclimated by increasing nitrogen, phosphorus and decreasing carbon source in an intermittent, time-controlled and fixed-quantity way. The bacteria were then used to prepare the seeding type immobilized microorganisms, selecting diatomite as the adsorbent cartier. The ability and influence factors of removing nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic pollutant from water samples by the seeding type immobilized microorganisms were studied. Results The coefficients of the heterotrophic bacterial quantity correlated with TOC, TP, and TN were 0.9143, 0.8229, 0.7954 in Lake P and 0.9168, 0.7187, 0.6022 in Lake M. Ten strains of dominant heterotrophic bacteria belonging to Pseudomonas, Coccus, Aeromonas, Bacillus, and Enterobateriaceae, separately, were isolated. The appropriate conditions for the seeding type immobilized microorgansims in purifying the water sample were exposure time=24 h, pH=7.0-8.0, and quantity of the immobilized microorganisms=0.75-1g/50 mL. The removal rates of TOC, TP, and TN under the above conditions were 80.2%, 81.6%, and 86.8%, respectively. Conclusion The amount of heterotrophic bacteria in the two lakes was correlated with TOC, TP, and TN. These bacteria could be acclimatized and prepared for the immobilized microorganisms which could effectively remove nitrogen, phosphorus, and mixed organic pollutants in the water sample.

Kinetic Model of Fixed Bed Reactor with Immobilized Microorganisms for Removing Low-Concentration SO_2

On the basis of the analysis of the process of treating low concentrations of sulfur dioxide （SO2） gas in a fixed bed reactor, a kinetic model is proposed for this process after taking into consideration the effects of internal diffusion, cell concentration, and production yield of microorganisms but ignoring the effect of external diffusion. The results obtained from the model simulation show that this model can indicate the influence of the process factors, Cin, η μmax, Cx, A, h, Kin, and Q, on the removal of SO2 and that the prediction of the results by this model is also satisfactory. This kinetic model can also provide some very important indications regarding the preparation of immobilized microorganisms, selection and domestication of proper species of microorganisms, as well as the design of bioreactors.

Preparation of Seeding Type Immobilized Microorganisms and Their Degradation Characteristics on Di-n-Butyl Phthalate

Objective To study the preparation of seeding type immobilized microorganisms and their degradation characteristics on di-n-butyl phthalate （DBP）. Methods Diatomite, clinoptilolite, silk zeolite, and coal fly ash were chosen as reserved materials and modified. Their adsorption capacity and intensity in the bacteria were determined and the best carrier was picked out. The seeding type immobilized microorganisms were prepared by the best carrier and then it degraded DBP under different primary concentration, vibration rate, pH, temperature in the presence of metal compounds. Results The adsorption capacity of the modified coal fly ash, silk zeolite, clinoptilolite and zeolite was 44.2%, 71.6%, 84.0%, and 94.4%, respectively, which was 1.66, 1.49, 1.37, and 1.16 times as high as that of their natural state. Their adsorption intensity was 72.1%, 90.5%, 90.1%, and 91.1% in turn. The modified diatomite was selected to prepare the seeding type immobilized microorganisms. When the primary DBP concentration was 100 to 500 mg/L, the DBP-degraded rate of the immobilized microorganisms could be above 80%. The degradation activity of both the dissociative and immobilized microorganisms was higher in vibration than in stillness. When pH was 6.0 to 9.0, the DBP-degraded rate of the immobilized microorganisms was above 82%, which was higher than the dissociative microorganisms. When the temperature was between 20~C and 40~C, the DBP-degraded rate could reach 84.5% in 24 h. The metal compounds could inhibit the degradation activity of both the dissociative and immobilized microorganisms. The degradation process of the immobilized microorganisms could be described by the first-order model. Conclusion The adsorption capacity of the diatomite, clinoptilolite, silk zeolite and coal fly ash on DBP-degrading bacteria can be improved obviously after they are modified. The modified diatomite is best in terms of its adsorption capacity and intensity. Its seeding type immobilized microorganisms could degrade DBP effectively and is more adaptable to DBP load, temperature, pH than the dissociative microorganisms. The metal compounds could inhibit the activity of both the immobilized and dissociative microorganisms. The degradation reaction of the immobilized microorganisms on DBP is consistent with the gust-order model.

Enhanced biological wastewater treatment using sodium alginate-immobilized microorganisms in a fluidized bed reactor

In this study,a microbial consortium isolated from an activated sludge tank of a conventional wastewater treatment plant was immobilized using sodium alginate(SA)as a support material for contaminant biodegradation in wastewater.A volume of 500 mL of activated sludge was immobilized in the SA beads(with a mass concentration of 25 g/L).The resulting SA beads were characterized,introduced into a fluidized bed reactor,fed with 1000 mL of the sample,and characterized again after the treatment process.The SA-immobilized microorganisms were tested first for degradation of organic matter(expressed as chemical oxygen demand)and total phosphorous in domestic wastewater,achieving removal efficiencies of 71%and 93%,respectively,after 12 h.Subsequently,the SA-immobilized microorganisms were tested for degradation of a basic blue 9(BB9)textile dye in a condition that simulated textile wastewater.The efficiency of the BB9 degradation was found to be as high as 99.5%after 2 h.According to these results,SA-immobilized microorganisms were found to be an environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative for treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater effluents.

Biodegradation Characteristics of Environmental Endocrine Disruptor Di-n-butyl Phthalate

Objective The biodegradation characteristics of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), an environmental endocrine disruptor, were studied by the method of dominant bacteria and immobilized microorganisms. Methods Taking DBP as the only carbon source to acclimatize the collected activated sludge, the concentration of DBP increased progressively in the process of acclimatization. Plate streaking was used to separate 1 strain of the degradation dominant bacteria after acclimatization. Better conditions to degrade DBP by the bacterium could be obtained through orthogonal experiments and the bacterium was identified. Then the acclimated activated sludge was made to immobilize the microorganism using polyvinyl alcohol as entrapment agent. The immobilized microorganism degraded DBP at different conditions. Results The appropriate conditions to degrade DBP by the dominant bacteria were: degradation time, 32 h; DBP concentration, 200 mg/L; rate of shaking incubator, 100 r/min; pH, 7 and temperature, 30℃. DBP could be degraded by more than 95% under such conditions. The bacteria were identified as pseudomonas. The proliferated immobilized microorganisms degraded DBP more effectively and more adapted to temperature and pH than the free acclimated activated sludge. Conclusion One strain of DBP degradation dominant bacteria was separated from the acclimatized activated sludge. It could grow with DBP as the only carbon source and energy, and degraded DBP effectively. After having been immobilized and proliferated, the dominant bacteria could keep a higher biological activity and degrade DBP more effectively than activated sludge.

Experimental Study on Denitrification Using Coated Electrode of Immobilized Denitrifying Bacteria

Objective To develop a coated electrode of immobilized denitrificants and to evaluate the performance of a bioelectrochemical reactor to enhance and control denitrification, Methods Denitrifying bacteria were developed by batch incubation and immobilized with polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） on the surface of activated carbon fiber （ACF） to make a coated electrode. Then the coated electrode （cathode） and graphite electrode （anode） were transferred to the reactor to reduce nitrate. Results After acclimated to the mixtrophic and autotrophic denitrification stages, the denitrifying bacteria could use hydrogen as an electron donor to reduce nitrate, When the initial nitrate concentration was 30.2 mg NO3-N/L, the denitrification efficiency was 57.3% at an applied electric current of 15 mA and a hydraulic retention time （HRT） of 12 hours. Correspondingly, the current density was 0.083 mA / cm^2. The nitrate removal rate of the reactor was 34,4 g NO3-N / m^3,d, and the surface area loading was 1.34 g NO3-N / m^2.d. Conclusion The coated electrode may keep high quantity of blomass, thus achieving a high denitrification rate. Denitrification efficiencies are related to HRT, current density, oxidation reduction potential （ORP）, dissolved oxygen （DO）, pH value, and temperature,

Enhanced remediation of chlorpyrifos-contaminated soil by immobilized strain Bacillus H27

Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide widely used in agricultural production with a relatively long residual half-life in soil.Addressing the problem of residual chlorpyrifos is of universal concern.In this study,rice hull biochar was used as an immobilized carrier to prepare the immobilized strain H27 for the remediation of chlorpyrifos-contamination soil.Soil microorganisms after remediation were investigated by ecotoxicological methods.The immobilized strain H27 had the highest removal rate of chlorpyrifos when 10%bacterial solution was added to the liquid medium containing 0.075-0.109 mm diameter biochar cultured for 22 hr.This study on the removal of chlorpyrifos by immobilized strain H27 showed that the initial concentration of chlorpyrifos in solution was 25mg/L,and the removal rate reached 97.4%after 7 days of culture.In the soil,the removal rate of the immobilized bacteria group increased throughout the experiment,which was significantly higher than that of the free bacteria and biochar treatment groups.The Biolog-ECO test,T-RFLP and RT-RCR were used to study the effects of the soil microbial community and nitrogen cycling functional genes during chlorpyrifos degradation.It was found that ICP group had the highest diversity index among the four treatment groups.The microflora of segment containing 114 bp was the dominant bacterial community,and the dominant microflora of the immobilized bacteria group was more evenly distributed.The influence of each treatment group on ammonia-oxidizing bacteria(AOB)was greater than on ammonia-oxidizing archaea(AOA).This study offers a sound scientific basis for the practical application of immobilized bacteria to reduce residual soil pesticides.