A continuous biological process to decolorize bleach plant effluents

Microbial dechlorination of chloroorganics and simultaneous decolorization of pulp-paper mill effluent by Pseudomonas putida MTCC 10510 augmentation

The physicochemical analyses of pulp-paper mill effluent revealed that it was dark brown with 1761 ± 2.3 color PtCo units having slightly alkaline pH, high biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand values, and contained large quantities of organic and inorganic constituents, well above the prescribed standards. The bacterial growth, color reduction, and dechlorination were evident in all the four sets of experiments with different possible combinations of nutrient supplementation and Pseudomonas putida augmentation. A high degree of decolorization at 29.7% and 27.4% was observed by the effluent native microflora during 48 and 24 h, in unaugmented effluent supplemented with glucose + yeast extract and glucose + peptone, respectively. The extent of decolorization in glucose + yeast extract unaugmented effluent also corresponded with high degree of dechlorination (59.3%) during 60-h incubation (SET III). An appreciable level of growth, decolorization, and dechlorination was evident in nutrient unsupplemented P. putida augmented effluent as well as in the control natural effluent. However, a maximum level of growth response (OD 1.641-1.902) during 36-48 h, removal of color (39.72-48.2%) during 24-36 h, and chloride ions (80.1-83.5%) during 36 h was achieved in P. putida augmented effluent supplemented with glucose + yeast extract or peptone. Therefore, supplementation of effluent with glucose and yeast extract or peptone and concomitant augmentation with P. putida is required for efficient effluent decolorization and detoxification.

Enhanced chemical oxygen demand removal and flux reduction in pulp and paper wastewater treatment using laccase-polymerized membrane filtration

The purpose of this present study is to investigate the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from pulp and paper wastewater using laccase-polymerized membrane filtration process. The membranes with molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of 5000 and 10,000, 30,000 and 54,000 were used in a cross-flow module to treat the pulp and paper wastewater containing high phenolic constituents and COD. With 2.98 IU/L of activated laccase applied at room temperature for 180 min, the contaminants in raw wastewater and second effluent were polymerized to form larger molecules with average molecular weight of 1300 and 900 Da (Dalton), respectively. With laccase polymerization prior to filtration, over 60% removals of COD by the four investigated membranes were observed, compared with low COD removal without laccase polymerization. Moreover, the addition of laccase resulted in 4-14% reduction of membrane permeability during the first 180 min filtration operation due to gel layer formation by the polymerization. No further flux decline was observed afterwards indicating the steady state was reached and the membranes could be used to remove the polymerized pollutants without significant fouling. The maximum apparent resistance occurrence for raw wastewater treated with laccase also supported the effectiveness for COD removal with laccase polymerization before membrane filtration. Additionally, pretreatment by inactivated laccase only caused further flux reduction without additional removal of COD.

Roles of Lignin Peroxidase and Manganese Peroxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium in the Decolorization of Olive Mill Wastewaters

The relative contributions of lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP) to the decolorization of olive mill wastewaters (OMW) by Phanerochaete chrysosporium were investigated. A relatively low level (25%) of OMW decolorization was found with P. chrysosporium which was grown in a medium with a high Mn(II) concentration and in which a high level of MnP (0.65 (mu)M) was produced. In contrast, a high degree of OMW decolorization (more than 70%) was observed with P. chrysosporium which was grown in a medium with a low Mn(II) concentration but which resulted in a high level of LiP activity (0.3 (mu)M). In this culture medium, increasing the Mn(II) concentration resulted in decreased levels of OMW decolorization and LiP activity. Decolorization by reconstituted cultures of P. chrysosporium was found to be more enhanced by the addition of isolated LiP than by the addition of isolated MnP. The highest OMW decolorization levels were obtained at low initial chemical oxygen demands combined with high levels of extracellular LiP. These data, plus the positive effect of veratryl alcohol on OMW decolorization and LiP activity, indicate that culture conditions which yield high levels of LiP activity lead to high levels of OMW decolorization.

Use of Bacillus pumilus CBMAI 0008 and Paenibacillus sp. CBMAI 868 for colour removal from paper mill effluent

Bacillus pumilus and Paenibacillus sp. were applied on the paper mill effluent to investigate the colour remotion. Inocula were individually applied in effluent at pH 7.0, 9.0 and 11.0. The real colour and COD remotion after 48h at pH 9.0 were, respectively, 41.87% and 22.08% for B. pumilus treatment and 42.30% and 22.89% for Paenibacillus sp. Gel permeation chromatography was used to verify the molar masses of compounds in the non-treated and treated effluent, showing a decrease in the compounds responsible for the paper mill effluent colour.

Amaranth decoloration by Trametes versicolor in a rotating biological contacting reactor

Sequential batch and continuous operation of a rotating biological contacting (RBC) reactor and the effects of dissolved oxygen on the decoloration of amaranth by Trametes versicolor were evaluated. Amaranth belongs to the group of azo dyes which are potential carcinogens and/or mutagens that can be transformed into toxic aryl amines under anaerobic conditions. Cultivation of T. versicolor in a stirred tank reactor was found to be unsuitable for amaranth decoloration due to significant biomass fouling and increase in medium viscosity. Assuming that decoloration follows first-order kinetics, amaranth was decolorized more rapidly when T. versicolor was immobilized on jute twine in a RBC reactor operated either in a sequential batch (k=0.25 h(-1)) or in a continuous (0.051 h(-1)) mode compared to a stirred tank reactor (0.015 h(-1)). Oxygen was found to be essential for decoloration with the highest decoloration rates occurring at oxygen saturation. Although longer retention times resulted in more decoloration when the RBC was operated in the continuous mode (about 33% amaranth decoloration), sequential batch operation gave better results (>95%) under similar nutrient conditions. Our data indicate that the fastest decoloration should occur in the RBC using nitrogen-free Kirk's medium with 1 g/l glucose in sequential batch operation at rotational speeds and/or aeration rates which maintain oxygen saturation in the liquid phase.

Decolorization of olive mill waste-waters by free and immobilized Phanerochaete chrysosporium cultures. Effect of the high-molecular-weight polyphenols

This paper describes the decolorization and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of olive mill waste-waters (OMW) by Phanerochaete chrysosporium grown in agitated submerged cultures. When P. chrysosporium was cultivated in the form of pellet, no decolorization of crude OMW was observed. Decolorization occurred only after removing by ultrafiltration, the high-mol-wt (HM) polyphenolic fraction (> 60 kDa). The use of high lignin peroxidase (LiP) producing medium yielded the highest levels of OMW decolorization and COD removal. In this case, extensive depolymerization and subsequent accumulation of phenolics with intermediates molecular weight were observed. Furthermore, increasing the concentration of the HM fraction decreased the color and COD removals. The decolorizing activity was lost when the concentration of the HM fraction reached 25% (v/v). Consequently, LiP activity was found to be completely inhibited in the presence of HM fraction, but not with the low-mol-wt (LM) polyphenolic fraction (< 8 kDa). The use of P. chrysosporium immobilized on polyurethane foam resulted in efficient decolorization of crude OMW. Moreover, the addition of an induction medium was shown to perform several repeated batch cultures for OMW decolorization and COD removal.

Oxidative degradation of high molecular weight chlorolignin by manganese peroxidase of Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Phanerochaete chrysosporium was able to degrade high molecular weight chlorolignins (Mr greater than 30,000) from bleach plant effluents, although a direct contact between ligninolytic enzymes and chlorolignin was prevented by a dialysis tubing. In the absence of the enzymes, Mn3+ depolymerized chlorolignin when complexed with lactate causing the color, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dry weight to decrease by 80%, 60% and 40%, respectively. Manganese peroxidase effectively catalyzed the depolymerization of chlorolignin in the presence of Mn2+ and H2O2. It can be concluded from these results that manganese peroxidase plays the major role in the initial breakdown and decolorization of high molecular weight chlorolignin in bleach plant effluents by P. chrysosporium in vivo.