Biomonitoring of wastewaters in treatment plants using ciliates

The aim of this project has been to study and compare the ciliate populations present in roptating biological reactors treating three different wastewaters. Wastewaters chosen were a maize mill (nejayote), a sugarcane/ethyl alcohol plant (vinasses) and a recycled paper mill (whitewaters). The initial dissolved organic contents, measured as soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand in five days (BOD₅), were 2040±150 mg COD L^–1 and 585±5 mg BOD₅L^–1 for nejayote; 2000±20 mg COD L^–1 and 640±5 mg BOD₅ L^–1 for vinasses and 960±200 mg COD L^–1 and 120±10 mg BOD₅ L^–1 for whitewaters. Results obtained indicate that ciliated protozoa proliferated in the different chambers of each rotating biological reactor (RBR). Saprobity indices, as a quantitative evaluation parameter, indicate that there are no universal species of ciliates associated with specific BOD₅ concentrations. Therefore, the number of species of ciliates present in the effluent indicate qualitatively the efficiency of removal of pollution from the wastewaters during treatment in the rotating biological reactors.     

Kinetics of enzymatic degradation of cyanide

CYANIDASE(@) is a new enzyme preparation capable of degrading cyanide in industrial wastewaters to ammonia and formate in an apparently one-step reaction, down to very low concentrations. This enzyme has both a high selectivity and affinity toward cyanide. A granular form of the biocatalyst was used in a recirculation fixed bed reactor in order to characterize the new biocatalyst with respect to pH, ionic strength, common ions normally present in wastewaters, mass transfer effects, and temperature. Long term stability was investigated. The kinetics of the enzymatic degradation of cyanide were studied in a batch reactor using the powdered immobilized enzyme preparation and modeled using a simple Michaelis-Menten equation.     

Biotransformation of phosphogypsum in wastewaters from the dairy industry

The biotransformation of phosphogypsum by stationary cultures of sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) in dairy wastewaters (sterile and non-sterile) enriched in phosphogypsum, was studied SRB were isolated from soil contaminated with petroleum-derived products and from wastewaters from the petroleum-refining industry, taking into account that these environments are characteristic for the bacteria of the studied group. The biotransformation products formed were investigated using biological and mineralogical methods. Sulphides in the cultures were determined using the iodometric method, sulphates with the hot barium method, COD by the dichromate method. Determinations involving post-culture sediments and fluids, Ca, S, Sr and P were made using the following analytical procedures: IPC emission spectrometry with induced excitation in the medium and X-ray. Analysis of post-culture sediments was made using a DRON-2 X-ray diffractometer.

Eleven communities of microorganisms with varying degrees of effectiveness were obtained, biodegrading 58% to 98% of the organic contaminants in non-sterile wastewater, with simultaneous biotransformation of about 2.5 g phosphogypsum/L.     

Improved biological treatment of nitrogen-deficient wastewater by incorporation of N2-fixing bacteria

The N₂-fixing bacterium, Azotobacter vinelandii, was used both in single culture and in combination with activated sludge culture for the treatment of nitrogen-deficient wastewaters as an alternative to external nitrogen supplementation. Azotobacter-supplemented activated sludge culture removed more total organic carbon (TOC), especially at low initial TN/COD (total nitrogen/chemical oxygen demand) ratios, than the Azotobacter-free culture. Up to 95% TOC removal efficiencies were obtained with synthetic media of TN/COD<4 when Azotobacter was used singly or with activated sludge. The results indicated clear advantage of using Azotobacter in the activated sludge to improve TOC removal from nitrogen-deficient wastewaters.     

Enhancement glucose oxidase production by solid-state fermentation of Aspergillus niger on polyurethane foams using mussel processing wastewaters

In the present work, studies of glucose oxidase (GOD) production in solid-state fermentation on polyurethane foams, using mussel processing wastewaters (MPW) as culture media, were carried out. Initially, the results generated in this experimental modality were compared with those that were obtained in conventional submerged fermentation. Later on, cultures were tested in solid state with fed-batch performance, defining suitable conditions of operation. These conditions were finally corroborated in experiments with a bioreactor of own design, in which GOD production was improved 13 times regarding to the initial cultures.     

Continuous anaerobic treatment of wastewaters containing formaldehyde and urea

The toxicity of formaldehyde (FA) in batch assays, using volatile fatty acids (VFA) as co-substrate, and the continuous anaerobic treatment of wastewaters containing FA in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors was investigated. In batch studies, FA exerted a 50% methanogenic toxicity on VFA at concentrations of around 100 mg/l, 2.5 times lower than values reported with sucrose. Although at FA concentrations higher than 200 mg/l methanogenesis was completely inhibited, a partial recovery of the bacterial activity was observed after 250 h when the FA had been removed from the medium. The continuous anaerobic degradation of FA at concentrations up to 2 g/l, using 1.6 g/l of glucose as co-substrate, was studied in a UASB reactor. A stable and efficient operation was observed at organic loading rates (OLR) of 6.0 g COD/l·d and with a COD/FA ratio as low as 1.4. A synthetic substrate with the same characteristics as the effluents produced during fibreboard adhesives manufacturing (based on urea-FA), i.e. 0.95 g FA/l and 0.35 g urea/l, was treated in a UASB reactor. The applied OLR and nitrogen loading rate (NLR) were 3.45 g COD/l·d and 0.58 g N/l·d, respectively. COD removal efficiencies were maintained at 90–95%, FA and urea being completely degraded.     

Antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from freshwaters and hospital effluents in Belgium

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the level of antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli isolates in freshwaters and hospital effluents in Belgium. The samples were collected from 24 locations along the Ourthe, Vesdre, Amblève and Meuse rivers and in the wastewater effluents of several hospitals. The sampling stations in rivers were classified according to the dominant land covers of the rivers (rural, urban and forest areas). Two sampling campaigns were organized in May and October 2019 to highlight a possible seasonal effect. A total of 938 E. coli strains were isolated on Chromogenic Selective Tryptone Bile X-glucuronide (TBX) and TBX supplemented with amoxicillin (TBX+AMX) media. Disk diffusion assays were performed following the EUCAST's recommendations to assess the antimicrobial resistance against 12 antibiotics. A total of 32·7% of strains were at least resistant to one antibiotic and 24·6% were multiple antimicrobial resistant strains on TBX. The highest resistance rates were found for ampicillin (AMP), amoxicillin coupled with clavulanic acid (AMC) and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SXT). The lowest resistance rates were observed for meropenem (MEM) and ertapenem (ETP), which are last resort antibiotics. No significant difference was observed between both campaigns for the resistance rate to antibiotics.