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Corsino SF, Bruno F, Di Bella G. Nutrients removal in overloaded WWTP by intermittently aerated IFAS: Effects of biofilm carrier and intermittent aeration cycle. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 365:121516. [PMID: 38901318 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Updating of the current Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) will demand stricter regulations for nutrients removal. In this frame, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) of small-to-medium potential will face new challenges for achieving process intensification. Integrating intermittent aeration (IA) and integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) technologies could be a promising solution to meet such requirements. This study analyzed how IA cycles affected nutrients removal in IFAS reactors with different biofilm carriers (e.g., plastic and sponge media). The plants responses to different carbon/nitrogen/phosphorous (C/N/P) ratios were evaluated while operating under low sludge retention time (SRT) to simulate overloaded conditions. A short IA cycle (1 h) with an aeration/not aeration ratio of 2:1 enabled high organic carbon and nitrification performances when operating at high C/N/P (11.8/1/1), whereas low denitrification and phosphorous removal yields were obtained because of the short not-aerated phase. Decreasing C/N ratio (8.8/1/1) without changing the IA cycle resulted in nitrification worsening because of the reduced metabolic kinetics of biofilm. Under such load conditions, a higher IA cycle (2 h) was necessary to improve process performance. A longer not-aerated phase was also positive for denitrification and phosphorous removal because of the establishment of anoxic and anaerobic environments within the bulk and inner biofilm layers. Besides, results suggested that sponge carriers offered advantages over plastic ones, enabling a higher biofilm retention capacity, better nutrient removal, as well as robustness and resilience to operating condition changes. This would result in simpler management systems for implementing the IA process, thus reducing process complexity and costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santo Fabio Corsino
- Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Federica Bruno
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Enna ''Kore'', Cittadella Universitaria, 94100, Enna, Italy
| | - Gaetano Di Bella
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Enna ''Kore'', Cittadella Universitaria, 94100, Enna, Italy.
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Raj Deena S, Kumar G, Vickram AS, Rani Singhania R, Dong CD, Rohini K, Anbarasu K, Thanigaivel S, Ponnusamy VK. Efficiency of various biofilm carriers and microbial interactions with substrate in moving bed-biofilm reactor for environmental wastewater treatment. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 359:127421. [PMID: 35690237 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In a moving bed-biofilm reactor (MBBR), the fluidization efficiency, immobilization of microbial cells, and treatment efficiency are directly influenced by the shape and pores of biofilm carriers. Moreover, the efficacy of bioremediation mainly depends on their interaction interface with microbes and substrate. This review aims to comprehend the role of different carrier properties such as material shapes, pores, and surface area on bioremediation productivity. A porous biofilm carrier with surface ridges containing spherical pores sizes > 1 mm can be ideal for maximum efficacy. It provides diverse environments for cell cultures, develops uneven biofilms, and retains various cell sizes and biomass. Moreover, the thickness of biofilm and controlled scaling shows a significant impact on MBBR performance. Therefore, the effect of these parameters in MBBR is discussed detailed in this review, through which existing literature and technical strategies that focus on the surface area as the primary factor can be critically assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santhana Raj Deena
- Departemnt of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha University, India
| | - Gopalakrishnan Kumar
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - A S Vickram
- Departemnt of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha University, India
| | - Reeta Rani Singhania
- PhD Program of Aquatic Science and Technology & Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, College of Hydrosphere Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST), Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Di Dong
- PhD Program of Aquatic Science and Technology & Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, College of Hydrosphere Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST), Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan
| | - Karunakaran Rohini
- Unit of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Excellence in Biomaterials Engineering (CoEBE), AIMST University, 08100, Bedong, Kedah, Malaysia
| | - K Anbarasu
- Departemnt of Bioinformatics, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
| | - S Thanigaivel
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science & Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Vinoth Kumar Ponnusamy
- PhD Program of Aquatic Science and Technology & Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, College of Hydrosphere Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST), Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan; Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU), Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU), Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Deparment of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (KMUH), Kaohsiung City, Taiwan; Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
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Crognale S, Stazi SR, Firrincieli A, Pesciaroli L, Fedi S, Petruccioli M, D'Annibale A. Time-Dependent Changes in Morphostructural Properties and Relative Abundances of Contributors in Pleurotus ostreatus/ Pseudomonas alcaliphila Mixed Biofilms. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1819. [PMID: 31447819 PMCID: PMC6695841 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pleurotus ostreatus dual biofilms with bacteria are known to be involved in rock phosphate solubilization, endophytic colonization, and even in nitrogen fixation. Despite these relevant implications, no information is currently available on the architecture of P. ostreatus-based dual biofilms. In addition to this, there is a limited amount of information regarding the estimation of the temporal changes in the relative abundances of the partners in such binary systems. To address these issues, a dual biofilm model system with this fungus was prepared by using Pseudomonas alcaliphila 34 as the bacterial partner due to its very fast biofilm-forming ability. The application of the bacterial inoculum to already settled fungal biofilm on a polystyrene surface coated with hydroxyapatite was the most efficient approach to the production of the mixed system the ultrastructure of which was investigated by a multi-microscopy approach. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the adhesion of bacterial cells onto the mycelial cell wall appeared to be mediated by the presence of an abundant layer of extracellular matrix (ECM). Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that ECM filaments of bacterial origin formed initially a reticular structure that assumed a tabular semblance after 72 h, thus overshadowing the underlying mycelial network. Across the thickness of the mixed biofilms, the presence of an extensive network of channels with large aggregates of viable bacteria located on the edges of their lumina was found by confocal laser scanning microscopy; on the outermost biofilm layer, a significant fraction of dead bacterial cells was evident. Albeit with tangible differences, similar results regarding the estimation of the temporal shifts in the relative abundances of the two partners were obtained by two independent methods, the former relying on qPCR targeting of 16S and 18S rRNA genes and the latter on ester-linked fatty acid methyl esters analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Crognale
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Silvia Rita Stazi
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Andrea Firrincieli
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Lorena Pesciaroli
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Stefano Fedi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maurizio Petruccioli
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Annibale
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
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Pesciaroli L, Petruccioli M, Federici F, D'Annibale A. Pleurotus ostreatus biofilms exhibit higher tolerance to toxicants than free-floating counterparts. BIOFOULING 2013; 29:1043-1055. [PMID: 23998200 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2013.825901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The MBEC(TM)-High Throughput Assay based on the Calgary Biofilm Device was used to produce and to characterize Pleurotus ostreatus biofilms. Hydroxyapatite coating of pegs was required to enable biofilm attachment; biofilm amounts and homogeneity of distribution were markedly improved upon removal of non-sessile biomass after 48 h from inoculation. Scanning electron microscopy showed surface-associated and multi-layered growth stabilized by the presence of an extracellular matrix (ECM). Biofilms had higher contents of total sugars and ECM than their free-floating counterparts. Tolerance to Cr(VI) in the former was about twice that of the latter as inferred by the respective inhibitory concentrations (48.4 vs 24.1 mM and 114.5 vs 61.0 mM in 4- and 7-d-old cultures, respectively). Biofilms also displayed superior olive-mill wastewater (OMW) treatment efficiency along 5 consecutive batches leading to chemical oxygen demand and total phenol removals higher than 50 and 90%, respectively. Laccase activity peaks in biofilm cultures grown on OMW were significantly higher than those in free-floating cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Pesciaroli
- a Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems , University of Tuscia , Viterbo , Italy
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Characterization of Pleurotus ostreatus biofilms by using the calgary biofilm device. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 79:6083-92. [PMID: 23892744 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02099-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The adequacy of the Calgary biofilm device, often referred to as the MBEC system, as a high-throughput approach to the production and subsequent characterization of Pleurotus ostreatus biofilms was assessed. The hydroxyapatite-coating of pegs was necessary to enable biofilm attachment, and the standardization of vegetative inocula ensured a uniform distribution of P. ostreatus biofilms, which is necessary for high-throughput evaluations of several antimicrobials and exposure conditions. Scanning electron microscopy showed surface-associated growth, the occurrence of a complex aggregated growth organized in multilayers or hyphal bundles, and the encasement of hyphae within an extracellular matrix (ECM), the extent of which increased with time. Chemical analyses showed that biofilms differed from free-floating cultures for their higher contents of total sugars (TS) and ECM, with the latter being mainly composed of TS and, to a lesser extent, protein. Confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis of 4-day-old biofilms showed the presence of interspersed interstitial voids and water channels in the mycelial network, the density and compactness of which increased after a 7-day incubation, with the novel occurrence of ECM aggregates with an α-glucan moiety. In 4- and 7-day-old biofilms, tolerance to cadmium was increased by factors of 3.2 and 11.1, respectively, compared to coeval free-floating counterparts.
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