Article
Agricultural Engineering
A. S. Sanchez-Zurano, S. Rossi, J. M. Fern, G. Aci, E. Molina-Grima, E. Ficara
Summary: This study proposed a respirometric procedure to estimate bacterial kinetics in both activated sludge and algae-bacteria consortia under different conditions. The results showed that bacteria in algae-bacteria consortia had a wider range of adaptability compared to activated sludge, indicating that typical activated sludge parameters may be inadequate for modeling algae-bacteria systems.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yen-Hui Lin
Summary: In this study, the degradation of 4-CP using acclimated sludge was evaluated through batch experiments. The Haldane kinetics showed a better fit to the experimental results than the Monod kinetics. The kinetic parameters obtained from the batch experiments were used as input parameters for the kinetic model system of the packed bed reactor (PBR), which was validated through continuous flow PBR experiments. The approaches presented in this study can be applied to design a PBR for 4-CP treatment in wastewater from various industries.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
L. I. Doumic, A. M. Ferro Orozco, M. A. Ayude
Summary: This study aimed to develop a treatment strategy using homogeneous Fenton oxidation to minimize the negative impact of BAC-containing wastewater on activated sludge systems. The treated solution, under the best operating conditions, showed high conversion and biodegradability without increasing antibiotic resistance.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. M. Ferro Orozco, E. M. Contreras, N. E. Zaritzky
Summary: Hexavalent chromium is a top environmental concern internationally due to its wide usage in industrial activities. There are two stable oxidation states of chromium in the environment, Cr(III) having lower toxicity compared to Cr(VI). Most technologies focus on reducing Cr(VI) to Cr(III), with microorganisms playing a key role in this process. The study found that the activated sludge community could acclimate to the presence of Cr(VI), with CrAAS showing higher tolerance and metabolic activity than NAS.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Iremsu Kayan, Nilgun Ayman Oz, Cetin Kantar
Summary: The aerobic biodegradation combined with pyrite-Fenton process was found effective in treating wastewater containing various chlorophenols by reducing toxicity and improving COD removal efficiency. The type of chlorophenol treated greatly influenced the biodegradation process, with highly chlorinated CPs such as 2,4,6-TCP showing the highest toxicity. Sludge acclimation and pyrite-Fenton pre-treatment enhanced the biomass tolerance to CP toxicity and improved sCOD removal efficiencies, showcasing the potential of this combined system for effective treatment of chlorophenol-containing wastewater.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chenyuan Zhang, Ning Yan, Ge Zhu, Fu Chen, Xiyin Yu, Zhaowei Huang, Yongming Zhang, Bruce E. Rittmann
Summary: The study showed that acclimated nitrifying biomass has superior ability to biodegrade PNP and select nitrifying bacteria more resistant to PNP, thus better sustaining nitrification process. In addition, acclimated biomass has a faster recovery of ammonium removal activity compared to normal biomass.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Chee Xiang Chen, Azmi Aris, Ee Ling Yong, Zainura Zainon Noor
Summary: Advanced technologies have shown promising results in removing antibiotics from domestic wastewater, but improving the efficiency of activated sludge treatment would be more desirable. Understanding the mechanisms, kinetics, and factors affecting antibiotic removal in the activated sludge process is crucial for enhancing treatment performance. This review paper categorizes, discusses, and analyzes the removal of antibiotics in sewage through the activated sludge process, highlighting the different classes of antibiotics and factors affecting system performance.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Matia Mainardis, Marco Buttazzoni, Mattia Cottes, Alessandro Moretti, Daniele Goi
Summary: Respirometry tests are widely used in the field of wastewater treatment to characterize wastewater streams, assess toxic/inhibitory effects on biomass, and calibrate mathematical models. This method allows for the fractionation of chemical oxygen demand (COD), provides information on biomass kinetics and stoichiometry, and is useful for promptly assessing toxic effects in wastewater treatment plants. Respirometry has also been applied to innovative areas such as moving-bed bio-reactors, fungi, and microalgae, showing potential for natural remediation methods.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ali Assadi, Roya Alimoradzadeh, Hossein Movahedyan, Mohammad Mehdi Amin
Summary: This study investigated the microbial and biodegradation kinetics of acclimated-mixed sludge to 4-chlorophenol in an aerobic sequencing batch reactor. The biodegradation kinetics were predicted accurately using the Haldane formulae. However, pure strains isolated from mixed sludge did not show higher 4-CP-removal efficiency due to the presence of an intermediate meta-cleavage product.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarah AlDhafiri, Yin-Ru Chiang, Ashraf M. El Nayal, Raeid M. M. Abed, Nasser Abotalib, Wael Ismail
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the estrone degradation pathway and identify key degrading bacteria in the activated sludge of a major wastewater treatment plant in Bahrain. It was found that estrone degradation proceeds via the 4,5-seco pathway and is most likely mediated by alphaproteobacterial taxa.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Rui Chen, Lin Hu, Han Zhang, Dachao Lin, Jinlong Wang, Daliang Xu, Weijia Gong, Heng Liang
Summary: The occurrence of emerging contaminants is a potential threat to aquatic organisms and public health. This study investigated the removal and transformation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) using gravity-driven membrane filtration. Pre-adding acclimated activated sludge was found to improve the removal of micropollutants and enhance the removal of conventional pollutants.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Suat Peng Sam, Hua Tiang Tan, Kumar Sudesh, Rohana Adnan, Adeline Su Yien Ting, Si Ling Ng
Summary: This study evaluated the influence of operational factors and microbial communities of activated sludge on the aerobic biodegradation of phenol and PNP, finding that the degradation kinetics were affected by operational factors and PNP exhibited higher toxicity and inhibitory effects compared to phenol. The study also identified critical PNP concentration and attenuation of inhibitory effects on PNP-acclimated activated sludge. Additionally, potential degrading strains were isolated and phenol degradation mechanism was identified.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Theresa Adesanya, Francis Zvomuya, Tamanna Sultana, Chris Metcalfe, Annemieke Farenhorst
Summary: This study characterized the dissipation of two antibiotics in biosolids under different storage conditions, showing that the microbial degradation rate varies under saturated and unsaturated conditions, and the reducing conditions in lagoons or storage tanks may enhance the degradation of antibiotics while also effectively removing them.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Fuzhi Lu, Luodong Huang, Feng Qian, Qiong Jiang, Sohail Khan, Peihong Shen
Summary: This study investigated the resistance of anaerobic activated sludge acclimated by different feeding patterns to four stress shocks. The results showed that semi-continuous feeding resulted in the best resistance to high OLR shock. The microbial community structure and abundance of specific functional microorganisms varied among the activated sludge acclimated by different feeding patterns, which contributed to the differences in resistance. These findings provide reference for improving the stability and effectiveness of activated sludge under adverse conditions.
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Alpaslan Ekdal, Didem Okutman Tas, Gulsum Emel Zengin, Irmak Bati Onay, Tugba Olmez Hanci, Derin Orhon, Emine Cokgor
Summary: This study evaluated the co-metabolism characteristics of nonylphenol polyethoxylate (NPEO) in an activated sludge system. It was found that the biodegradation of NPEO was influenced by the major by-product nonylphenol diethoxylate (NP2EO). However, NPEO did not have an inhibitory effect on the microbial culture in terms of heterotrophic and autotrophic activities.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
A. M. Ferro Orozco, E. M. Contreras, N. E. Zaritzky
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
A. M. Ferro Orozco, E. M. Contreras, N. E. Zaritzky
Article
Engineering, Chemical
C. C. Lobo, N. C. Bertola, E. M. Contreras
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2016)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
A. M. Ferro Orozco, E. M. Contreras, N. E. Zaritzky
INTERNATIONAL BIODETERIORATION & BIODEGRADATION
(2016)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Cintia C. Lobo, Nora C. Bertola, Edgardo M. Contreras
PROCESS SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
(2016)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diego Alberto Morales Urrea, Patricia Monica Haure, Fernando Sebastian Garcia Einschlag, Edgardo Martin Contreras
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2018)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
A. M. Ferro Orozco, E. M. Contreras, N. E. Zaritzky
Article
Engineering, Chemical
D. A. Morales Urrea, P. M. Haure, E. M. Contreras
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2018)
Article
Fisheries
Ivana S. Friedman, Leonel A. Behrens, Nair de los Angeles Pereira, Edgardo M. Contreras, Analia Fernandez-Gimenez
Summary: Fish processing waste can be transformed into high-value bioproducts with potential applications. This study characterized and compared the specific activities of digestive proteinases from different fish species under various pH values and temperature conditions. The enzyme stability under specific pH and temperature conditions makes them potentially useful for industrial processes.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
C. Rodriguez, P. M. Haure, E. M. Contreras
Summary: This work focuses on reducing the operating costs of Fenton-like oxidation of the azo dye Orange II (OH) by using volcanic ash leachate as a catalyst. The effect of volcanic ash concentration and temperature on the total iron concentration of the leachate was investigated. The study found that Fe(II) accounted for 83 +/- 6% of the total iron in the leachate. By using the obtained leachate as a catalyst, different temperatures and oxidant feed strategies were studied, with varying TOC conversions and H2O2 efficiencies observed.
WASTE AND BIOMASS VALORIZATION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Tatiana S. Arturi, Noemi E. Zaritzky, Edgardo M. Contreras
Summary: In this study, the aerobic depolymerization of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) in activated sludge reactors was investigated. It was found that only phenol-acclimated sludge had the ability to degrade NPEOs. HPLC analysis indicated that biodegradation occurred through the non-oxidative depolymerization of NPEOs, and the released ethoxylate units served as the actual substrate for biomass growth and oxygen consumption. A lumped kinetic model was developed to predict the depolymerization process of NPEOs and the growth of biomass in aerobic activated sludge reactors.
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Gabriela Montiel-Jarillo, Diego A. Morales-Urrea, Edgardo M. Contreras, Alex Lopez-Cordoba, Edwin Yesid Gomez-Pachon, Julian Carrera, Maria Eugenia Suarez-Ojeda
Summary: The use of mixed microbial cultures and organic wastes and wastewaters as feed sources can reduce the production costs of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), but poses challenges to downstream processing. This study evaluated the effect of sodium hypochlorite pre-treatment combined with dimethyl carbonate or chloroform extraction solvents on PHAs recovery efficiency from mixed microbial cultures. The results showed that the combination of NaClO pre-treatment and DMC extraction solvent achieved higher recovery efficiency.
Article
Environmental Sciences
T. S. Arturi, N. E. Zaritzky, E. M. Contreras
Summary: This study evaluated the use of raw lignite coal as a low-cost adsorbent for removing nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPEOs) from wastewater and compared it with commercial activated carbon. The results showed that activated carbon had a higher surface area and a more irregular surface compared to lignite coal, which had abundant surface functional groups. By developing a mathematical model, the researchers were able to predict the distribution of oligomers during the adsorption process, which is crucial for evaluating the endocrine-disrupting potential of the treated wastewater.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
A. M. Ferro Orozco, D. A. Morales Urrea, E. M. Contreras, N. E. Zaritzky
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2020)
