Influence of Biofilm Density on Anaerobic Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor Treating Mustard Tuber Wastewater

Low-voltage stimulated denitrification performance of high-salinity wastewater using halotolerant microorganisms

Nitrate is a common contaminant in high-salinity wastewater, which has adverse effects on both the environment and human health. However, conventional biological treatment exhibits poor denitrification performance due to the high-salinity shock. In this study, an innovative approach using an electrostimulating microbial reactor (EMR) was explored to address this challenge. With a low-voltage input of 1.2 V, the EMR reached nitrate removal kinetic parameter (kNO3-N) of 0.0166-0.0808 h-1 under high-salinities (1.5 %-6.5 %), which was higher than that of the microbial reactor (MR) (0.0125-0.0478 h-1). The mechanisms analysis revealed that low-voltage significantly enhanced microbial salt-in strategy and promoted the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances. Halotolerant denitrification microorganisms (Pseudomonas and Nitratireductor) were also enriched in EMR. Moreover, the EMR achieved a NO3-N removal efficiency of 73.64 % in treating high-salinity wastewater (salinity 4.69 %) over 18-cycles, whereas the MR only reached 54.67 %. In summary, this study offers an innovative solution for denitrification of high-salinity wastewater.

Putting the electro-bugs to work: A systematic review of 22 years of advances in bio-electrochemical systems and the parameters governing their performance

Wastewater treatment using bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) can be considered as a technology finding application in versatile areas such as for renewable energy production and simultaneous reducing environmental problems, biosensors, and bioelectrosynthesis. This review paper reports and critically discusses the challenges, and advances in bio-electrochemical studies in the 21st century. To sum and critically analyze the strides of the last 20+ years on the topic, this study first provides a comprehensive analysis on the structure, performance, and application of BESs, which include Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs), Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs) and Microbial Desalination Cells (MDCs). We focus on the effect of various parameters, such as electroactive microbial community structure, electrode material, configuration of bioreactors, anode unit volume, membrane type, initial COD, co-substrates and the nature of the input wastewater in treatment process and the amount of energy and fuel production, with the purpose of showcasing the modes of operation as a guide for future studies. The results of this review show that the BES have great potential in reducing environmental pollution, purifying saltwater, and producing energy and fuel. At a larger scale, it aspires to facilitate the path of achieving sustainable development and practical application of BES in real-world scenarios.

Recent progress in microbial fuel cells using substrates from diverse sources

Increasing untreated environmental outputs from industry and the rising human population have increased the burden of wastewater and other waste streams on the environment. The most prevalent wastewater treatment methods include the activated sludge process, which requires aeration and is, therefore, energy and cost-intensive. The current trend towards a circular economy facilitates the recovery of waste materials as a resource. Along with the amount, the complexity of wastewater is increasing day by day. Therefore, wastewater treatment processes must be transformed into cost-effective and sustainable methods. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) use electroactive microbes to extract chemical energy from waste organic molecules to generate electricity via waste treatment. This review focuses use of MFCs as an energy converter using wastewater from various sources. The different substrate sources that are evaluated include industrial, agricultural, domestic, and pharmaceutical types. The article also highlights the effect of operational parameters such as organic load, pH, current, and concentration on the MFC output. The article also covers MFC functioning with respect to the substrate, and the associated performance parameters, such as power generation and wastewater treatment matrices, are given. The review also illustrates the success stories of various MFC configurations. We emphasize the significant measures required to fill in the gaps related to the effect of substrate type on different MFC configurations, identification of microbes for use as biocatalysts, and development of biocathodes for the further improvement of the system. Finally, we shortlisted the best performing substrates based on the maximum current and power, Coulombic efficiency, and chemical oxygen demand removal upon the treatment of substrates in MFCs. This information will guide industries that wish to use MFC technology to treat generated effluent from various processes.

Hypersaline Wastewater Produced from Pickled Mustard Tuber (Chinese Zhacai): Current Treatment Status and Prospects

Pickled mustard tuber, a worldwide condiment, is increasing at a fast growth rate. Its production generates a considerable amount of hypersaline wastewater containing NaCl of 7 wt.%, COD of 30,000 mg L−1, NH3-N of 400 mg L−1, and TP of 300 mg L−1. Pickled mustard tuber wastewater (PMTW) has severe effects on crops, deterioration of water quality, soil infertility and ecological systems. Due to the technic difficulties and insufficient support from the local governments; however, PMTW has not yet been widely investigated and well summarized. Therefore, this manuscript reviewed the relatively latest advances in PMTW. Physicochemical and biological hybrid processes mainly treat PMTW and the corresponding cost is 6.00 US dollars per ton. In the context of double carbon capture capacity in China and the development of the pickled mustard industry, PMTW sauce and sustainable reuse such as nutrient recovery, acid and alkaline regeneration and renewable energy may be bright prospects.

Advanced bioelectrochemical system for nitrogen removal in wastewater

Nitrogen (N) pollution in water has become a serious issue that cannot be ignored due to the harm posed by excessive nitrogen to environmental safety and human health; as such, N concentrations in water are strictly limited. The bioelectrochemical system (BES) is a new method to remove excessive N from water, and has attracted considerable attention. Compared with other methods, it is highly efficient and has low energy consumption. However, the BES has not been applied for N removal in practice due to lack of in-depth research on the mechanism and construction of high-performance electrodes, separators, and reactor configurations; this highlights a need to review and examine the efforts in this field. This paper provides a comprehensive review on the current BES research for N removal focusing on the reaction principles, reactor configurations, electrodes and separators, and treatment of actual wastewater; the corresponding performances in these realms are also discussed. Finally, the prospects for N removal in water using the BES are presented.

Nutrient removal from pickle industry wastewater by cultivation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa for lipid production

The present research examined the feasibility of cultivating Chlorella pyrenoidosa in pickle industry wastewater for simultaneous nutrient removal and lipid production. The characteristics of microalgae growth, nutrient removal, lipid accumulation and composition of C. pyrenoidosa cultivated in pickle wastewater with different dilution ratios were investigated. The results showed the maximum algae biomass concentration of 1.57 ± 0.12 g L^-1 was achieved in non-diluted pickle wastewater with the highest biomass productivity of 170.65 mg L^-1 day^-1. Maximum nutrient removal efficiency was observed in 20.0% pickle wastewater with removal rates of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN) and NH₄-N at 84.67%, 92.46%, 85.82% and 93.42%, respectively. The lipid content of C. pyrenoidosa growing in pickle wastewater ranged from 29.73% to 31.78%, with a highest lipid productivity of 57.23 mg L^-1 day^-1. The relative content of triolefinic acids (C16:3 and C18:3) decreased while the monoenoic acids (C16:1 and C18:1) increased synchronously with the pickle wastewater concentration. Unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters were the main components, ranging from 73.04% to 77.6%. The biodiesel properties satisfied the major specifications in US and European biodiesel standards. The results indicated that C. pyrenoidosa is a promising species for nutrient removal together with lipid production in pickle industry wastewater.

Simultaneous nutrient and carbon removal and electricity generation in self-buffered biocathode microbial fuel cell for high-salinity mustard tuber wastewater treatment

Mustard tuber wastewater (MTWW) was used as both anolyte and catholyte in biocathode microbial fuel cell (BMFC). The results showed simultaneous nutrient and carbon removal and electricity generation were realized in BMFC. Excellent Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal occurred in both anode (>90%) and cathode (>91%). Concerning nutrient removal, it was mainly removed in cathode. The maximum total phosphorus (TP) removal could reach 80.8 ± 1.0% by biological action. Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) was realized in cathode. The bacteria involved in nitrification were Nitrosomonas and SM1A02. Oceanimonas and Saprospiraceae_uncultured (anaerobic denitrifier), Thauera, Stenotrophomonas, Flavobacterium and Marinobacter (aerobic denitrifier), and Thioalkalispira (autotrophic denitrifier) were responsible for denitrification. Considering slight variation of anode and cathode pH, it could be concluded that MTWW was adequately self-buffered when used as electrolyte. Furthermore, electricity generation decreased with cathodic dissolved oxygen (DO) declining. These findings provide a novel method for MTWW resourceful treatment.

Is anammox a promising treatment process for nitrogen removal from nitrogen-rich saline wastewater?

Rapidly growing discharge of nitrogen-rich saline wastewater has significantly affect environment. However, due to the inhibition resulting from high salinity on microbes, it is still a challenge to treat nitrogen-rich saline wastewater efficiently. Anammox process, as a cost-effective and environment-friendly nitrogen removal approach, has shown a potential in treating nitrogen-rich saline wastewater. This review is conducted from a critical perspective and provides a comprehensive overview on the performance of anammox process treating nitrogen-rich saline wastewater. Two strategies including freshwater-derived anammox bacteria acclimatization and marine anammox bacteria enrichment are evaluated. Second, effects resulting from salinity on the performance of anammox reactor, the microbial communities and sludge characteristics are discussed. Third, salinity-tolerant mechanism of anammox bacteria is analyzed. This review also reveals some critical knowledge gaps and future research needs, which benefits application of anammox process to treat nitrogen-rich saline wastewater.

Start-up and microbial communities of a simultaneous nitrogen removal system for high salinity and high nitrogen organic wastewater via heterotrophic nitrification

In this study, a simultaneous nitrogen removal system for high salinity and high nitrogen organic wastewater was developed in a pressurized biofilm reactor. The result showed that under the air supply rate of 200Lh(-1), salinity of 3.0±0.2%, organic load of 10kgCODm(-3)d(-1) and nitrogen loading of 0.185kgm(-3)d(-1), the reactor started up rapidly and performed stably after 30days operation. Meanwhile, a simultaneous COD and nitrogen removal was achieved in the single-stage reactor, with COD, NH4(+)-N and TN removal efficiency of 97%, 99% and 98%, respectively. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profile demonstrated that simultaneous nitrogen removal could be achieved through heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification, and the pivotal microorganisms were Flavobacterium phragmitis and Paracoccus denitrificans. The microbial community of salt-tolerant halophilic microorganisms was developed successfully. This study can provide a more efficient and feasible solution to treat high salinity organic wastewater.

Effects of volumetric load in an anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm treating industrial saline wastewater

Mustard tuber wastewater is of high salinity ([Cl(-1)]=18∼23 g L(-1)), high organic content (chemical oxygen demand, COD=4000±100 L(-1)) and biodegradability (BOD5/COD≈0.5). The anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor (ASBBR) pre-treatment, an important step to meet national discharge standard, was applied to reduce much of the organics in mustard tuber wastewater. The experiment for the effect of the volumetric load on ASBBR treating mustard tuber wastewater was conducted at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and volumetric exchange ratios (λ). The ASBBR operating at 50% biomass density, 30 °C, influent COD concentration of 4000±100 mg L(-1) and pH value of 7.0±0.2, the effluent COD concentration increased from 0.22 to 4 kgCOD m(-3) d(-1) when the volumetric load increased from 100 to 1520 mg L(-1). The effluent COD concentration differed when adopted different HRT and λ under the same volumetric load. And given certain influent levels, a higher performance of ASBBR could be achieved at a lower value of HRT and λ. The optimal operational load could be determined by limiting the COD concentration under different discharge conditions, based on the results obtained in experiments.

Mustard tuber wastewater treatment and simultaneous electricity generation using microbial fuel cells

Mustard tuber wastewater (MTWW) was utilized as fuel in the typical dual-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to recover bio-energy and to obtain effluent treatment simultaneously. The whole experiment was divided into four phases characterized by increasing contents of primary clarifier effluent (PCE). Results showed substrate1, with which MFC generated a maximum power density of 246 mW/m(2), was the most appropriate fuel in terms of power recovery and the internal resistance and columbic efficiency were 121 Ω and 67.7±1%, respectively. When feeding MFCs with substrate4, 85±0% of COD could be removed, which was the highest COD removal, however, the power retrieve efficiency was much lower. Interestingly, significantly negative correlation (P<0.01, F-test) between contents of PCE and maximum cell voltages and positive correlation between the contents and internal resistances were found. It was the complexity and colloidal particulates present in PCE that gradually increased internal resistance and accordingly decreased power-generating performance.