Performance of Anaerobic Biotrickling Filter and Its Microbial Diversity for the Removal of Stripped Disinfection By-products
Citation:
Mezgebe, B., G. Sorial, E. Sahle-Demessie, A. Hasson, AND J. Lu. Performance of Anaerobic Biotrickling Filter and Its Microbial Diversity for the Removal of Stripped Disinfection By-products. WATER, AIR, & SOIL POLLUTION. Springer, New York, NY, 228:437, (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3616-x
Impact/Purpose:
Disinfection by-products (DBPs) are formed as the results of the reaction of free chlorine and a series of complex organic precursors. Many DBPs are carcinogens or have been known to cause other health risks. The precursors forming DBPs range from natural occurring humic and fulvic material to anthropological contaminants that persist in treated water. The highest concentrations of DBPs detected in drinking water constitute trihalomethanes (THMs) where chloroform is the major component. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that chloroform is possibly carcinogenic to humans. This study evaluated a low cost and effective method for reducing toxic disinfection byproducts from drinking water by using biotrickle filter for the degradation of chloroform under anaerobic condition. The biological community structure investigation, the presence of co-metabolite supports the growth of A. restrica species than others. The use of both co-metabolite and surfactant had effectively enhanced the biodegradation of chloroform due to providing more favorable conditions for the growth of bacteria colonies. This relates to the drinking water treatment industry.
Description:
The objective of this research was to evaluate the biodegradation of chloroform by using biotrickling filter (BTF) and determining the dominant bacteria responsible for the degradation. The research was conducted in three phases under anaerobic condition, namely, in the presence of co-metabolite (phase I), in the presence of co-metabolite and surfactant (phase II), and in the presence of surfactant but no co-metabolite (phase III). The results showed that the presence of ethanol as a co-metabolite provided 49% removal efficiency. The equivalent elimination capacity (EC) was 0.13 g/(m3 h). The addition of Tomadol 25-7 as a surfactant in the nutrient solution increased the removal efficiency of chloroform to 64% with corresponding EC of 0.17 g/(m3 h). This research also investigated the overall microbial ecology of the BTF utilizing culture-independent gene sequencing alignment of the 16S rRNA allowing identification of isolated species. Taxonomical composition revealed the abundance of betaproteobacteria and deltaproteobacteria with species level of 97%. Azospira oryzae (formally dechlorosoma suillum), Azospira restrica, and Geobacter spp. together with other similar groups were the most valuable bacteria for the degradation of chloroform.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Performance of Anaerobic Biotrickling Filter and Its Microbial Diversity for the Removal of Stripped Disinfection By-products
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11270-017-3616-x
Free access through PubMed Central