Analysis of methanotrophic communities in landfill biofilters using diagnostic microarray

Biofilters operated for the microbial oxidation of landfill methane at two sites in Northern Germany were analysed for the composition of their methanotrophic community by means of diagnostic microarray targeting the pmoA gene of methanotrophs. The gas emitted from site Francop (FR) contained the typical principal components (CH4, CO2, N2) only, while the gas at the second site Müggenburger Strasse (MU) was additionally charged with non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs). Methane oxidation activity measured at 22 degrees C varied between 7 and 103 microg CH4 (g dw)(-1) h(-1) at site FR and between 0.9 and 21 microg CH4 (g dw)(-1) h(-1) at site MU, depending on the depth considered. The calculated size of the active methanotrophic population varied between 3 x 10(9) and 5 x 10(11) cells (g dw)(-1) for biofilter FR and 4 x 10(8) to 1 x 10(10) cells (g dw)(-1) for biofilter MU. The methanotrophic community in both biofilters as well as the methanotrophs present in the landfill gas at site FR was strongly dominated by type II organisms, presumably as a result of high methane loads, low copper concentration and low nitrogen availability. Within each biofilter, community composition differed markedly with depth, reflecting either the different conditions of diffusive oxygen supply or the properties of the two layers of materials used in the filters or both. The two biofilter communities differed significantly. Type I methanotrophs were detected in biofilter FR but not in biofilter MU. The type II community in biofilter FR was dominated by Methylocystis species, whereas the biofilter at site MU hosted a high abundance of Methylosinus species while showing less overall methanotroph diversity. It is speculated that the differing composition of the type II population at site MU is driven by the presence of NMVOCs in the landfill gas fed to the biofilter, selecting for organisms capable of co-oxidative degradation of these compounds.     

Stable-isotope-based labeling of styrene-degrading microorganisms in biofilters

Deuterated styrene ([(2)H(8)]styrene) was used as a tracer in combination with phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis for characterization of styrene-degrading microbial populations of biofilters used for treatment of waste gases. Deuterated fatty acids were detected and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The method was evaluated with pure cultures of styrene-degrading bacteria and defined mixed cultures of styrene degraders and non-styrene-degrading organisms. Incubation of styrene degraders for 3 days with [(2)H(8)]styrene led to fatty acids consisting of up to 90% deuterated molecules. Mixed-culture experiments showed that specific labeling of styrene-degrading strains and only weak labeling of fatty acids of non-styrene-degrading organisms occurred after incubation with [(2)H(8)]styrene for up to 7 days. Analysis of actively degrading filter material from an experimental biofilter and a full-scale biofilter by this method showed that there were differences in the patterns of labeled fatty acids. For the experimental biofilter the fatty acids with largest amounts of labeled molecules were palmitic acid (16:0), 9,10-methylenehexadecanoic acid (17:0 cyclo9-10), and vaccenic acid (18:1 cis11). These lipid markers indicated that styrene was degraded by organisms with a Pseudomonas-like fatty acid profile. In contrast, the most intensively labeled fatty acids of the full-scale biofilter sample were palmitic acid and cis-11-hexadecenoic acid (16:1 cis11), indicating that an unknown styrene-degrading taxon was present. Iso-, anteiso-, and 10-methyl-branched fatty acids showed no or weak labeling. Therefore, we found no indication that styrene was degraded by organisms with methyl-branched fatty fatty acids, such as Xanthomonas, Bacillus, Streptomyces, or Gordonia spp.     

Estimating high-affinity methanotrophic bacterial biomass, growth, and turnover in soil by phospholipid fatty acid 13C labeling

A time series phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) 13C-labeling study was undertaken to determine methanotrophic taxon, calculate methanotrophic biomass, and assess carbon recycling in an upland brown earth soil from Bronydd Mawr (Wales, United Kingdom). Laboratory incubations of soils were performed at ambient CH4 concentrations using synthetic air containing 2 parts per million of volume of 13CH4. Flowthrough chambers maintained a stable CH4 concentration throughout the 11-week incubation. Soils were analyzed at weekly intervals by gas chromatography (GC), GC-mass spectrometry, and GC-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry to identify and quantify individual PLFAs and trace the incorporation of 13C label into the microbial biomass. Incorporation of the 13C label was seen throughout the experiment, with the rate of incorporation decreasing after 9 weeks. The delta13C values of individual PLFAs showed that 13C label was incorporated into different components to various extents and at various rates, reflecting the diversity of PLFA sources. Quantitative assessments of 13C-labeled PLFAs showed that the methanotrophic population was of constant structure throughout the experiment. The dominant 13C-labeled PLFA was 18:1omega7c, with 16:1omega5 present at lower abundance, suggesting the presence of novel type II methanotrophs. The biomass of methane-oxidizing bacteria at optimum labeling was estimated to be about 7.2 x 10(6) cells g(-1) of soil (dry weight). While recycling of 13C label from the methanotrophic biomass must occur, it is a slower process than initial 13CH4 incorporation, with only about 5 to 10% of 13C-labeled PLFAs reflecting this process. Thus, 13C-labeled PLFA distributions determined at any time point during 13CH4 incubation can be used for chemotaxonomic assessments, although extended incubations are required to achieve optimum 13C labeling for methanotrophic biomass determinations.     

Stable-Isotope-Based Labeling of Styrene-Degrading Microorganisms in Biofilters

Deuterated styrene ([²H₈]styrene) was used as a tracer in combination with phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis for characterization of styrene-degrading microbial populations of biofilters used for treatment of waste gases. Deuterated fatty acids were detected and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The method was evaluated with pure cultures of styrene-degrading bacteria and defined mixed cultures of styrene degraders and non-styrene-degrading organisms. Incubation of styrene degraders for 3 days with [²H₈]styrene led to fatty acids consisting of up to 90% deuterated molecules. Mixed-culture experiments showed that specific labeling of styrene-degrading strains and only weak labeling of fatty acids of non-styrene-degrading organisms occurred after incubation with [²H₈]styrene for up to 7 days. Analysis of actively degrading filter material from an experimental biofilter and a full-scale biofilter by this method showed that there were differences in the patterns of labeled fatty acids. For the experimental biofilter the fatty acids with largest amounts of labeled molecules were palmitic acid (16:0), 9,10-methylenehexadecanoic acid (17:0 cyclo9-10), and vaccenic acid (18:1 cis11). These lipid markers indicated that styrene was degraded by organisms with a Pseudomonas-like fatty acid profile. In contrast, the most intensively labeled fatty acids of the full-scale biofilter sample were palmitic acid and cis-11-hexadecenoic acid (16:1 cis11), indicating that an unknown styrene-degrading taxon was present. Iso-, anteiso-, and 10-methyl-branched fatty acids showed no or weak labeling. Therefore, we found no indication that styrene was degraded by organisms with methyl-branched fatty fatty acids, such as Xanthomonas, Bacillus, Streptomyces, or Gordonia spp.     

Effects of postnatal age and diet on the fatty acid composition of plasma lipid fractions in preterm infants

Diet and postnatal age effect the fatty acid composition of plasma and tissue lipids. This work was designed as a transversal study to evaluate the changes in the fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids, cholesteryl esters, triglycerides and free fatty acids in preterm infants (28-35 weeks gestational age), fed human milk (HM) and milk formula (MF) from birth to 1 month of life. Sixteen blood samples were obtained from cord, and 19 at 6-8 h after birth, 14 at 1 week and 9 at 4 weeks from HM-fed infants and 18 at 1 week and 14 at 4 weeks from MF-fed ones. Groups had similar mean birth weight, gestational age and sex ratio. The MF provided 69 kcal/dl and contained 16% of linoleic acid and 1.3% of alpha-linolenic acid on the total fat. Plasma lipid fractions were extracted and separated by thin-layer chromatography and fatty acid methyl esters were quantitated by gas liquid chromatography. In plasma phospholipids, linoleic acid (18:2 omega 6) continuously increased from birth to 1 month of age, but no changes were seen as related to type of diet; polyunsaturated fatty acids greater than 18 carbon atoms of both the omega 6 and omega 3 series (PUFA omega 6 greater than 18 C and omega 3 greater than 18 C) dropped from birth to 1 week and continued to decrease in MF-fed infants until 1 month; eicosatrienoic (20:3 omega 6), arachidonic (20:4 omega 6) and docosahexaenoic (22:6 omega 3) were the fatty acids implicated. In cholesteryl esters palmitoleic (16:1 omega 7) and oleic (18:1 omega 9) acids decreased from birth to 1 month and linoleic acid increased and arachidonic acid dropped, especially in MF fed infants. In triglycerides, palmitic, palmitoleic and stearic acid (18:0) decreased during the first month of life; oleic acid remained constant and linoleic acid increased in all infants, but arachidonic acid decreased only in those fed formula. Free fatty acids showed a similar behavior in fatty acids and in plasma triglycerides. Preterm neonates seem to have special requirements of long-chain PUFA and adapted MF should contain these fatty acids in similar amounts to those of HM to allow the maintenance of an adequate tissue structure and physiology.     

Relevance of Nitrospira for nitrite oxidation in a marine recirculation aquaculture system and physiological features of a Nitrospira marina-like isolate

In biofilters of recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS), nitrification by lithoautotrophic microorganisms is essential to prevent the cultivated organisms from intoxication with ammonium and nitrite. In moving-bed biofilters nitrifying microorganisms are immobilized together with heterotrophic bacteria in dense biofilms on carrier elements like plastic beads. Analyses of fatty acid profiles of these biofilms from a marine biofilter revealed a high abundance of Nitrospira-related lipid markers (8-12% of total fatty acids). Further results of a labeling experiment with (13) C-bicarbonate in mineral salts medium with 3 mM nitrite confirmed that Nitrospira is the major autotrophic nitrite oxidizer in the biofilter system. According to 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses the nitrite-oxidizing community in the biofilter consisted of at least two different representatives of Nitrospira, one of which could be successfully isolated. The marine isolate 'Ecomares 2.1' belongs to cluster IVa and showed 98.8% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Nitrospira marina, whereas the enrichment 'M1 marine' is only distantly related (94.0% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to N. marina). In laboratory experiments, the isolate exhibited remarkable tolerances against high substrate and product concentrations (30 mM nitrite and 80 mM nitrate) as well as ammonium (50 mM). During the isolation process a strong tendency of this strain to develop biofilms became apparent. Thus, Ecomares 2.1 seems to be well adapted to the attached lifestyle in biofilters and the nitrogenous load prevailing in the effluent waters of RAS. Both members of Nitrospira could be detected by PCR-based methods in environmental samples of marine and brackish RAS biofilters and are therefore considered to be characteristic for these engineered ecosystems.     

Radioactive fingerprinting of microorganisms that oxidize atmospheric methane in different soils.

Microorganisms that oxidize atmospheric methane in soils were characterized by radioactive labelling with (14)CH(4) followed by analysis of radiolabelled phospholipid ester-linked fatty acids ((14)C-PLFAs). The radioactive fingerprinting technique was used to compare active methanotrophs in soil samples from Greenland, Denmark, the United States, and Brazil. The (14)C-PLFA fingerprints indicated that closely related methanotrophic bacteria were responsible for the oxidation of atmospheric methane in the soils. Significant amounts of labelled PLFAs produced by the unknown soil methanotrophs coeluted with a group of fatty acids that included i17:0, a17:0, and 17:1omega8c (up to 9.0% of the total (14)C-PLFAs). These PLFAs are not known to be significant constituents of methanotrophic bacteria. The major PLFAs of the soil methanotrophs (73.5 to 89.0% of the total PLFAs) coeluted with 18:1 and 18:0 fatty acids (e.g., 18:1omega9, 18:1omega7, and 18:0). The (14)C-PLFAs fingerprints of the soil methanotrophs that oxidized atmospheric methane did not change after long-term methane enrichment at 170 ppm CH(4). The (14)C-PLFA fingerprints of the soil methanotrophs were different from the PLFA profiles of type I and type II methanotrophic bacteria described previously. Some similarity at the PLFA level was observed between the unknown soil methanotrophs and the PLFA phenotype of the type II methanotrophs. Methanotrophs in Arctic, temperate, and tropical regions assimilated between 20 and 54% of the atmospheric methane that was metabolized. The lowest relative assimilation (percent) was observed for methanotrophs in agricultural soil, whereas the highest assimilation was observed for methanotrophs in rain forest soil. The results suggest that methanotrophs with relatively high carbon conversion efficiencies and very similar PLFA compositions dominate atmospheric methane metabolism in different soils. The characteristics of the methane metabolism and the (14)C-PLFA fingerprints excluded any significant role of autotrophic ammonia oxidizers in the metabolism of atmospheric methane.     

Brugia malayi: microfilarial polyunsaturated fatty acid composition and synthesis

The polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of Brugia malayi microfilariae was analyzed by gas chromatography and compared to that of sera from B. malayi-infected jirds. The essential fatty acid, linoleic acid (18:2 omega 6), was the most abundant fatty acid present in both microfilarial total lipids and phospholipids as well as in jird sera. In contrast, arachidonic acid (20:4 omega 6), as well as the 18:3 omega 6, 20:2 omega 6, and 20:3 omega 6 intermediates that are formed in the enzymatic conversion of linoleic acid to arachidonic acid, were proportionally more abundant in microfilariae than in jird sera. To assess the capacity of microfilariae to transform linoleic acid into arachidonic acid, B. malayi microfilariae were incubated with [14C]linoleic acid. Microfilarial lipids were extracted and resolved by high-pressure liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography. A portion of [14C]linoleic acid incorporated by microfilariae was converted to [14C]arachidonic acid. Thus, microfilariae can not only incorporate exogenous arachidonic acid, as previously demonstrated, but can also synthesize arachidonic acid from exogenous linoleic acid. The capacity of microfilariae to utilize specific host polyunsaturated fatty acids raises the possibility that intravascular filarial parasites may synthesize eicosanoid metabolites of arachidonic acid that could mediate filarial-host cell interactions.     

Comparative levels of arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid in Malaysian fish

Total lipids were extracted from 22 species of Malaysian fish and the constituent fatty acids were analysed by gas chromatography. Malaysian fish generally contained high levels of saturated fatty acids (range 36-55% total fatty acids) and contained variable amounts of monounsaturates, chiefly palmitic and stearic acids, but only trace levels of 20:1 and 22:1. Unlike fish caught in colder northern hemisphere waters, Malaysian fish were found to contain arachidonic acid (20:4 omega 6, range 2-12%) in addition to the expected eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 omega 3, range 1-13%) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 omega 3, range 6.6-40.4%).     

Responses of oxidation rate and microbial communities to methane in simulated landfill cover soil microcosms

CH4 oxidation capacities and microbial community structures developed in response to the presence of CH4 were investigated in two types of landfill cover soil microcosms, waste soil (fine material in stabilized waste) and clay soil. CH4 emission fluxes were lower in the waste soil cover over the course of the experiment. After exposure to CH4 flow for 120 days, the waste soil developed CH4 oxidation capacity from 0.53 to 11.25-13.48micromol CH4gd.w.(-1)h(-1), which was ten times higher than the clay soil. The topsoils of the two soil covers were observed dried and inhibited CH4 oxidation. The maximum CH4 oxidation rate occurred at the depth of 10-20cm in the waste soil cover (the middle layer), whereas it took place mainly at the depth of 20-30cm in the clay soil cover (the bottom layer). The amounts of the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarks 16:1omega8c and 18:1omega8c for type I and II methanotrophs, respectively, showed that type I methanotrophic bacteria predominated in the clay soil, while the type II methanotrophic bacteria were abundant in the waste soil, and the highest population in the middle layer. The results also indicated that a greater active methanotrophic community was developed in the waste soil relative to the clay soil.     

Analysis of polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of Strongyloides ratti in relation to development

The effect of linolenic acid (C18:3 omega 3) on the development of Strongyloides ratti first-stage larvae (L1) in culture was studied. The fatty acid composition of S. ratti free-living generations was analyzed by gas chromatography. L1 had abundant linoleic acid (C18:2 omega 6) but its proportion decreased with development. On the contrary, eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 omega 3) and C20:4 omega 3 were prominent in the filariform larva (L3). Because C20:5 omega 3 is generally synthesized from C18:3 omega 3 via C20:4 omega 3, the high ratio of C20:5 omega 3/C18:3 omega 3 of L3 in all the free-living generations suggested that polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism, particularly the omega-3 series, and eicosanoids produced had important roles in the development of S. ratti L1.     

Improving hexane removal by enhancing fungal development in a microbial consortium biofilter

The removal of hydrophobic pollutants in biofilters is often limited by gas liquid mass transfer to the biotic aqueous phase where biodegradation occurs. It has been proposed that the use of fungi may improve their removal efficiency. To confirm this, the uptake of hexane vapors was investigated in 2.6-L perlite-packed biofilters, inoculated with a mixed culture containing bacteria and fungi, which were operated under neutral or acid conditions. For a hexane inlet load of around 140 g.m-3.h-1, elimination capacities (EC) of 60 and 100 g.m-3.h-1 were respectively reached with the neutral and acid systems. Increasing the inlet hexane load showed that the maximum EC obtained in the acid biofilter (150 g.m-3.h-1) was twice greater than in the neutral filter. The addition of bacterial inhibitors had no significant effect on EC in the acid system. The biomass in the acid biofilter was 187 mg.g-1 (dry perlite) without an important pressure drop (26.5 mm of water.m-1reactor). The greater efficiency obtained with the acid biofilter can be related to the hydrophobic aerial hyphae which are in direct contact with the gas and can absorb the hydrophobic compounds faster than the flat bacterial biofilms. Two fungi were isolated from the acid biofilter and were identified as Cladosporium and Fusarium spp. Hexane EC of 40 g.m-3.h-1 for Cladosporium sp. and 50 g.m-3.h-1 for Fusarium sp. were obtained in short time experiments in small biofilters (0.230 L). A biomass content around 30 mg.g-1 (dry perlite) showed the potential for hexane biofiltration of the strains.     

Estimation of cell numbers of methanotrophic bacteria in boreal peatlands based on analysis of specific phospholipid fatty acids

Abstract: Concentrations of two phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) specific for methane-oxidizing bacteria (16:1 ω8 and 18:1 ω8), were used to estimate the biomass and cell numbers of this group of bacteria in two Sphagnum-dominated boreal peatlands. Concentration ranges of 16:1 ω8 and 18:1 ω8 were 0.0–73 and 1.0–486 pmol g⁻¹ of wet peat, respectively. Concentrations in the peat of each fatty acid were positively correlated with the potential methane oxidation activity ( V _max), which was used as an independent estimate of methanotrophic biomass. This correlation suggests that the two PLFAs are good biomarkers for the population of methanotrophic bacteria in peatlands. Concentrations of the two PLFAs were transformed to cell numbers using conversion factors for the cell content of PLFAs, average cell volume and percentage of cellular dry matter. The total cell number of methanotrophic bacteria in peat samples from a range of sites and depths ranged between 0.3 and 51 × 10⁶ cells g⁻¹ of wet peat, with similar proportions of type I and type II methanotrophic bacteria in most samples. Within particular peat profiles, numbers of methanotrophic bacteria were highest around the level of the water table, implying that the supplies of methane and oxygen largely determine the biomass distribution of methanotrophic bacteria in this type of peatlands.     

Characterisation of hexane-degrading microorganisms in a biofilter by stable isotope-based fatty acid analysis, FISH and cultivation

The hexane-degrading bacterial community of a biofilter was characterised by a combination of stable isotope-based phospholipid fatty acid analyses, fluorescence in situ hybridisation and cultivation. About 70 bacterial strains were isolated from a full-scale biofilter used for treatment of hexane containing waste gas of an oil mill. The isolation approach led to 16 bacterial groups, which were identified as members of the Alpha-, Beta- and Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. Three groups showed good growth on hexane as the sole source of carbon. These groups were allocated to the genera Gordonia and Sphingomonas and to the Nevskia-branch of the Gammaproteobacteria. Actively degrading populations in the filter material were characterised by incubation of filter material samples with deuterated hexane and subsequent phospholipid fatty acid analysis. Significant labelling of the fatty acids 16:1 cis10, 18:1 cis9 and 18:0 10methyl affiliated the hexane-degrading activity of the biofilter with the isolates of the genus Gordonia. In vitro growth on hexane and in situ labelling of characteristic fatty acids confirmed the central role of these organisms in the hexane degradation within the full-scale biofilter.     

Group-specific quantification of methanotrophs in landfill gas-purged laboratory biofilters by tyramide signal amplification-fluorescence in situ hybridization

The aim of this study was to quantitatively analyse methanotrophs in two laboratory landfill biofilters at different biofilter depths and at temperatures which mimicked the boreal climatic conditions. Both biofilters were dominated by type I methanotrophs. The biofilter depth profiles showed that type I methanotrophs occurred in the upper layer, where relatively high O(2) and low CH(4) concentrations were present, whereas type II methanotrophs were mostly distributed in the zone with high CH(4) and low O(2) concentrations. The number of type I methanotrophic cells declined when the temperature was raised from 15 degrees C to 23 degrees C, but increased when lowered to 5 degrees C. A slight decrease in type II methanotrophs was also observed when the temperature was raised from 15 degrees C to 23 degrees C, whereas cell numbers remained constant when lowered to 5 degrees C. The results indicated that low temperature conditions favored both type I and type II methanotrophs in the biofilters.     

Effects of nonmethane volatile organic compounds on microbial community of methanotrophic biofilter

Effects of nonmethane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) on methanotrophic biofilter were investigated. Laboratory-scale biofilters packed with pumice and granular-activated carbon (10:1, w/w) were operated with CH₄ and NMVOCs including dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and benzene/toluene (B/T). DMS alone exhibited a positive effect on the methanotrophic performance; however, the coexistence of B/T removed this effect. B/T alone exerted no effect on the performance. Pyrosequencing and quantitative PCR revealed that the NMVOCs strongly influenced the bacterial and methanotrophic communities but not the population density of methanotrophs. DMS alone diversified and changed both bacterial and methantrophic communities, but its effects were nullified by the presence of B/T. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed significant correlations between the NMVOCs and community composition and significant interaction between DMS and B/T. DMS did not affect the distribution of types I/II methanotrophs (60/40), while B/T increased the abundance of type I to 82 %. DMS and B/T favored the growth of the methanotrophic bacteria Methylosarcina and Methylomonas, respectively. These results suggest that NMVOCs can be a significant abiotic factor influencing methane biofiltration.     

Phospholipid and triacylglycerol fatty acid content and pattern in the cardiac endothelium of rats depleted in long-chain polyunsaturated omega 3 fatty acids

Rats depleted in long-chain polyunsaturated omega3 fatty acids (omega3-depleted rats) display several features of the metabolic syndrome including hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy. This coincides with alteration of the cardiac muscle phospholipid and triacylglycerol fatty acid content and/or pattern. In the present study, the latter variables were measured in the cardiac endothelium of normal and omega3-depleted rats. Samples derived from four rats each were obtained from 16 female normal fed rats and three groups of 36-40 female fed omega3-depleted rats each aged 8-9, 15-16 and 22-23 weeks. At comparable mean age, the ratio between the square root of the total fatty acid content of phospholipids and cubic root of the total fatty acid content of triacylglycerols was lower in omega3-depleted rats than in control animals. The total fatty acid content of triacylglycerols was inversely related to their relative content in C20:4omega6. Other differences between omega3-depleted rats and control animals consisted in a lower content of long-chain polyunsaturated omega3 fatty acids in both phospholipids and triacylglycerols, higher content of long-chain polyunsaturated omega6 fatty acids in phospholipids, higher activity of delta9-desaturase (C16:0/C16:1omega7 and C18:0/C18:1omega9 ratios) and elongase [(C16:0 + C16:1omega7)/(C18:0 + C18:1omega9) and C20:4omega6/C22:4omega6 ratios], but impaired generation of C22:6omega3 from C22:5omega3 in the former rats. These findings support the view that cardiovascular perturbations previously documented in the omega3-depleted rats may involve impaired heart endothelial function.     

Symbiotic zooxanthellae provide the host-coral Montipora digitata with polyunsaturated fatty acids

We compared the fatty acid composition of the host-coral Montipora digitata with the fatty acid composition in the coral's endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae). Fatty acids as methyl esters were determined using gas chromatography (GC) and verified by GC-mass spectrometry. We found the main difference between the fatty acids in the host and their symbionts were that zooxanthellae supported higher proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The presence of fatty acids specific to dinoflagellates (i.e. 18:4omega3, 22:5omega3 and 22:6omega3) in the host tissue suggests that zooxanthellae provide the coral host not only with saturated fatty acids, but also with diverse polyunsaturated fatty acids.     

Biofiltration of ethylbenzene vapours: influence of the packing material

In order to investigate suitable packing materials, a soil amendment composed of granular high mineralized peat (35% organic content) locally available has been evaluated as carrier material for biofiltration of volatile organic compounds in air by comparison with a fibrous peat (95% organic content). Both supports were tested to eliminate ethylbenzene from air streams in laboratory-scale reactors inoculated with a two-month conditioned culture. In pseudo-steady state operation, experiments at various ethylbenzene inlet loads (ILs) were carried out. Maximum elimination capacity of about 120 g m(-3) h(-1) for an IL of 135 g m(-3) h(-1) was obtained for the fibrous peat. The soil amendment reactor achieved a maximum elimination capacity of about 45 g m(-3) h(-1) for an inlet load of 55 g m(-3) h(-1). Ottengraf-van den Oever model was applied to the prediction of the performance of both biofilters. The influence of gas flow rate was also studied: the fibrous peat reactor kept near complete removal efficiency for empty bed residence times greater than 1 min. For the soil amendment reactor, an empty bed residence time greater than 2 min was needed to achieve adequate removal efficiency. Concentration profiles along the biofilter were also compared: elimination occurred in the whole fibrous peat biofilter, while in the soil amendment reactor the biodegradation only occurred in the first 65% part of the biofilter. Results indicated that soil amendment material, previously selected to increase the organic content, would have potential application as biofilter carrier to treat moderate VOC inlet loads.     

Feasibility of atmospheric methane removal using methanotrophic biotrickling filters

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential ~23 times that of carbon dioxide. Here, we describe the modeling of a biotrickling filtration system composed of methane-consuming bacteria, i.e., methanotrophs, to assess the utility of these systems in removing methane from the atmosphere. Model results indicate that assuming the global average atmospheric concentration of methane, 1.7 ppmv, methane removal is ineffective using these methanotrophic biofilters as the methane concentration is too low to enable cell survival. If the concentration is increased to 500–6,000 ppmv, however, similar to that found above landfills and in concentrated animal feeding operations (factory farms), 4.98–35.7 tons of methane can be removed per biofilter per year assuming biotrickling filters of typical size (3.66 m in diameter and 11.5 m in height). Using reported ranges of capital, operational, and maintenance costs, the cost of the equivalent ton of CO₂ removal using these systems is $90–$910 ($2,070–$20,900 per ton of methane), depending on the influent concentration of methane and if heating is required. The use of methanotrophic biofilters for controlling methane emissions is technically feasible and, provided that either the costs of biofilter construction and operation are reduced or the value of CO₂ credits is increased, can also be economically attractive.