A study on microbiology of biological film layer in rotating biological contactors

Removal of Cr, Mn, and Co from textile wastewater by horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor

Environmental pollution by industrial wastewaters polluted with toxic heavy metals is of great concern. Various guidelines regulate the quality of water released from industrial plants and of surface waters. In wastewater treatment, bioreactors with microbial biofilms are widely used. A horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor (HRTB) is a combination of a thin layer and a biodisc reactor with an interior divided by O-ring shaped partition walls as carriers for microbial biomass. Using a biofilm of heavy metal resistant bacteria in combination with this special design provides various advantages for wastewater treatment proven in a pilot study. In the presented study, the applicability of HRTB for removing metals commonly present in textile wastewaters (chromium, manganese, cobalt) was investigated. Artificial wastewaters with a load of 125 mg/L of each metal underwent the bioreactor treatment. Different process parameters (inflow rate, rotation speed) were applied for optimizing the removal efficiency. Samples were drawn along the bioreactor length for monitoring the metal contents on site by UV-vis spectrometry. The metal uptake of the biomass was determined by ICP-MS after acidic microwave assisted digestion. The maximum removal rates obtained for chromium, manganese, and cobalt were: 100%, 94%, and 69%, respectively.

Mathematical modeling of Fe(II), Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) removal in a horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor

Industrial wastewaters polluted with toxic heavy metals are serious ecological and environmental problem. Therefore, in this study multi-heavy metals (Fe(2+), Cu(2+), Ni(2+) and Zn(2+)) removal process with mixed microbial culture was examined in the horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor (HRTB) by different combinations of process parameters. Hydrodynamic conditions and biomass sorption capacity have main impact on the removal efficiency of heavy metals: Fe(2+) 95.5-79.0%, Ni(2+) 92.7-54.8%, Cu(2+) 87.7-54.9% and Zn(2+) 81.8-38.1%, respectively. On the basis of experimental results, integral mathematical model of removal heavy metals in the HRTB was established. It combines hydrodynamics (mixing), mass transfer and kinetics to define bioprocess conduction in the HRTB. Mixing in the HRTB was described by structured cascade model and metal ion removal by two combined diffusion-adsorption models, respectively. For Langmuir model, average variances between experimental and simulated concentrations of metal ions were in the range of 1.22-10.99 × 10(-3) and for the Freundlich model 0.12-3.98 × 10(-3), respectively. On the basis of previous facts, it is clear that developed integral bioprocess model with Freundlich model is more efficient in the prediction of concentration of metal ions in the HRTB. Furthermore, the results obtained also pointed out that the established model is at the same time accurate and robust and therefore it has great potential for use in the scale-up procedure.

Monitoring of Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn in wastewater during treatment in a horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor

The most appropriate systems for treatment of metal-contaminated waters are bioreactors with microbial biofilms. A horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor (HRTB) was studied for its applicability for removing copper, iron, nickel, and zinc (Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn) from wastewater. Monitoring of the concentrations of Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn by a fast, simple, onsite method was needed to make decisions for further optimization. The UV-VIS spectrophotometric quantification of Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn using sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, 1,10-phenathroline, dimethylglyoxime, and 2-{[alpha-(2-Hydroxy-5-sulfophenylazo)-benzylidene]-hydrazino}-benzoic acid monosodium salt (=zincon monosodium salt) as reagents, respectively, was optimized and validated. The limits of quantification were 0.14, 0.12, 0.21, and 0.03 mg/L for Cu, Fe, Ni and Zn, respectively. The recovery for all elements was between 98 and 104%, the uncertainty of measurement was less than 6%. Depending on the reactor parameters applied, metal removals from 40 to more than 90% could be obtained.

Microbial acetate oxidation in horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor

The aim of this work was to investigate the possibility of conducting a continuous aerobic bioprocess in a horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor (HRTB). Aerobic oxidation of acetate by the action of a mixed microbial culture was chosen as a model process. The microbial culture was not only grown in a suspension but also in the form of a biofilm on the interior surface of HRTB. Efficiency of the bioprocess was monitored by determination of the acetate concentration and chemical oxygen demand (COD). While acetate inlet concentration and feeding rate influenced efficiency of acetate oxidation, the bioreactor rotation speed did not influence the bioprocess dynamics significantly. Gradients of acetate concentration and pH along HRTB were more pronounced at lower feeding rates. Volumetric load of acetate was proved to be the most significant parameter. High volumetric loads (above 2 g acetate l-1 h-1) gave poor acetate oxidation efficiency (only 17 to 50%). When the volumetric load was in the range of 0.60-1.75 g acetate l-1 h-1, acetate oxidation efficiency was 50-75%. At lower volumetric loads (0.14-0.58 g acetate l-1 h-1), complete acetate consumption was achieved. On the basis of the obtained results, it can be concluded that HRTB is suitable for conducting aerobic continuous bioprocesses.

Bioprocess kinetics in a horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor

A horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor (HRTB) is a plug flow bioreactor whose interior is provided with O-ring-shaped partition walls that serve as carriers for microbial biomass. During this investigation, microbial biomass was grown in suspension and on the bioreactor inner surface as a microbial biofilm with average mass that was considerably higher than suspended biomass. The dynamics of bioprocess in HRTB was studied by different combinations of process parameters (bioreactor rotation speed and mean residence time) and it was monitored by withdrawing the samples from five positions along the bioreactor. During this investigation it was also observed that mean residence time had a more pronounced effect on the bioprocess dynamics than bioreactor rotation speed. For the description of bioprocess kinetics in HRTB an unstructured kinetic model was established that defines biomass growth, product formations and substrate consumption rate by using a modified Monod (Levenspiel) model. This kinetic model defines changes in suspension and in microbial biofilm, and it shows relatively good agreement with experimental data.

A study of the effect of isothiazolones on the performance and characteristics of a laboratory-scale rotating biological contactor

AIMS

To study the effect of the isothiazolone biocide (Kathon WT) on the performance of laboratory-scale rotating biological contactors (RBCs) and their component biofilms.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Biofilms were established on the RBCs and then exposed to 0.7-15 p.p.m. isothiazolones. Young, 1-week-old, biofilms were found to attain treatment efficiency equal to that of mature, 2-month-old, biofilms. Isothiazolone concentrations at 3 p.p.m. and above caused a progressive decline in treatment efficiency and 15 p.p.m. isothiazolones inhibited all microbial activity and resulted in the death of the biofilms. Bio-oxidation and the biodegradation of isothiazolones within the biofilms ontinued unhindered at concentrations which caused the total inhibition of planktonic bacteria.

CONCLUSION

There was at least a 10-fold difference in susceptibility of planktonic and biofilm bacteria to isothiazolones. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) test was shown to be a reliable tool for investigating the efficiency of wastewater treatment units when the influent contains isothiazolones, while the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) was unreliable due to the inhibition of bio-oxidation by the biocide.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The results show that RBCs can be used to treat effluents containing isothiazolones at concentrations up to 1.5 p.p.m.