Preparation of a mesoporous silica quorum quenching medium for wastewater treatment using a membrane bioreactor |
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| Authors: | Kibaek Lee Kwang-Ho Choo How Yong Ng |
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| Institution: | 1. NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore;2. Advanced Institute of Water Industry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea;3. Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea;4. Advanced Institute of Water Industry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea |
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| Abstract: | AbstractVarious quorum quenching (QQ) media have been developed to mitigate membrane biofouling in a membrane bioreactor (MBR). However, most are expensive, unstable and easily trapped in hollow fibre membranes. Here, a sol-gel method was used to develop a mesoporous silica medium entrapping a QQ bacterial strain (Rhodococcus sp. BH4). The new silica QQ medium was able to remove quorum sensing signalling molecules via both adsorption (owing to their mesoporous hydrophobic structure) and decomposition with an enzyme (lactonase), preventing MBR biofouling without affecting the water quality. It also demonstrated a relatively long life span due to its non-biodegradability and its relatively small particle size (<1.0?mm), which makes it less likely to clog in a hollow fibre membrane module. |
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| Keywords: | Mesoporous silica silica QQ media quorum sensing quorum quenching biofouling membrane bioreactor |
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