Aerobic production of activated sludge polyhydroxyalkanoates from nutrient deficient wastewaters.

It was found that aerobic strategies combined with multiple nutrient limitations produced greater quantities of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) than strategies relying on oxygen limitation (either microaerophilic or anaerobic/aerobic). This was true both for a synthetic wastewater composed of acetic and propionic acid, and also for a nutrient deficient industrial wastewater. PHA/substrate yields were shown to be comparable to axenic systems for many operating strategies analyzed, and it was found that PHA composition could be affected by process operational conditions. The molecular weight and melting point of the PHA produced were found to be in a desirable range with respect to material properties, which have not been well studied in the previous literature for mixed cultures (Salehizadeh and Van Loodsrecht, 2004). The effects of process staging, multiple treatment cycles, and inocula source were also addressed.

Assimilable organic carbon (AOC) and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC): complementary measurements.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the necessity of measuring both assimilable organic carbon (AOC) and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) as indicators of bacterial regrowth potential. AOC and BDOC have often been measured separately as indicators of bacterial regrowth, or together as indicators of bacterial regrowth and disinfection by-product formation potential, respectively. However, this study proposes that both AOC and BDOC should be used as complementary measurements of bacterial regrowth potential. In monitoring of full-scale membrane filtration, it was determined that nanofiltration (NF) removed over 90% of the BDOC while allowing the majority of the AOC through. Heterotrophic plate counts (HPC) remained low during the entire period of monitoring due to high additions of disinfectant residual. In a two-year monitoring of a water treatment plant that switched its treatment process from chlorination to chlorination and ozonation, it was observed that the plant effluent AOC increased by 127% while BDOC increased by 49% after the introduction of ozone. Even though AOC is a fraction of BDOC, measuring only one of these parameters can potentially under- or overestimate the bacterial regrowth potential of the water.

A biochemical hypothesis explaining the response of enhanced biological phosphorus removal biomass to organic substrates.

Anaerobic/aerobic batch experiments were conducted with a variety of volatile fatty (VFAs) and amino acids on two sequencing batch reactor populations displaying enhanced biological phosphorus removal. The batch experiments were consistent between the two systems and with the past literature: acetic and isovaleric acid were the most efficient substrates, and propionic acid was the least efficient of the 2-5 carbon VFAs (lack of acclimation was ruled out). A survey of the engineering and biochemical literature revealed that both acetic and isovaleric acid resulted in a negative reaction redox balance (i.e. it requires reducing equivalents such as NADH2) during their biotransformation to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). In addition, the survey indicated that acetic and isovaleric acid resulted in 3HB rather than 3HV or 3H2MV formation. Two possible hypotheses were put forward for evaluation: (1) it was hypothesized that a negative intracellular redox balance might result in higher PHA content since PHA biosynthesis could be sustained under anaerobic conditions (no NADH2 build up), and/or (2) it was hypothesized that 3HB resulted in greater P-uptake than other PHA forms such as 3HV.

Degradation of halogenated aliphatic compounds utilizing sequential anaerobic/aerobic treatments.

The objective of this research was to determine if either methanogenic or sulfidogenic reductive dechlorination could survive an alternating anaerobic/aerobic sequence to biologically transform halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons (HACs), specifically tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), cis-1,2 dichloroethylene (cDCE), trans-1,2 dichloroethylene (tDCE), 1,1 dichloroethylene (1, 1DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC). This ability was considered to be a necessary prerequisite for complete anaerobic/aerobic mineralization of halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons by a single microbial consortia. Chlorinated solvents, which are among the most common groundwater contaminants, have been partially dechlorinated using single-stage anaerobic environmental treatment strategies. Various types of bacteria typically reductively dechlorinate PCE and TCE to cDCE and VC in an anaerobic environment, including methanogens, sulfidogens, and homoacetogens. The problem lies in the fact that reductive dechlorination typically leads to an accumulation of daughter compounds (cDCE, VC) which are more toxic than their parent compounds (PCE, TCE). Furthermore, PCE and (to a lesser extent) TCE, are resistant to dechlorination in aerobic environments. In contrast, VC and cDCE are readily oxidized co-metabolically in an aerobic environment by methanotrophic bacteria, and others using oxygenases (e.g. toluene oxidizers). Results from this research showed that both methanogenic and sulfidogenic reductive dechlorination could resume after transient exposures to both oxygen and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In fact, for cycles as frequent as 10 days between aerobic treatment cycles, reductive dechlorination was observed to resume at rates at least as rapid as microcosms not exposed to aerobic treatments.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate form and polyphosphate regulation: keys to biological phosphorus and glycogen transformations?

Experimental studies with both synthetic and real domestic wastewater showed that poly-3-hydroxy-butyrate (3HB) and poly-3-hydroxy-valerate (3HV) formed in direct proportion to the acetate/propionate (Ace/Pro) ratio of the influent wastewater during Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR). Acetic acid resulted in higher anaerobic phosphorus (P) release, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) yield, 3HB content, and glycogen (CH) degradation. Linear regression showed that anaerobic P release (Prel) and CH degradation (CHdeg) were both a function of Ace-->3HB, but not of Pro-->3HV. Aerobic P uptake (Pup) correlated best with preceding Prel, rather than PHA (but note Prel correlated with Ace-->3HB). Aerobic CH formation (CHform) correlated best with CHdeg and 3HB. The results imply the acetate/propionate content of influent has a major influence on PHA, CH, and P transformations. Short-term increases in acetic or propionic acid increased Prel, but were always offset by corresponding changes in Pup to yield the same net P removal as the control reactor. Thus net P removal, and EBPR process performance, was probably a function of the population selected (i.e. XPAO fraction) during long-term cultivation.

Evaluation of influent prefermentation as a unit process upon biological nutrient removal.

The objective of this NSF sponsored research was to provide a controlled comparison of identical continuous flow biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes both with and without prefermentation in order to provide a stronger, more quantitative, technical basis for design engineers to determine the potential benefits of prefermentation to EBPR in treating domestic wastewater. Specifically, this paper focused upon the potential impacts of primary influent prefermentation upon BNR processes treating septic domestic wastewater. This study can be divided into two distinct phases--an initial bench-scale phase which treated septic P-limited (TCOD:TP>40) wastewater and a subsequent pilot-scale phase which treated septic COD-limited (TCOD:TP<40) wastewater. The following conclusions can be drawn from the results obtained to date. Prefermentation increased both RBCOD, SBCOD and VFA content of septic domestic wastewater. Prefermentation resulted in increased biological P removal for a highly septic, non-P limited (TCOD:TP<40:1) wastewater. However, in septic, P-limited (TCOD:TP>40:1) wastewater, changes in net P removal due to prefermentation were suppressed by limited P availability, even though P release and PHA content were affected. Prefermentation increased specific anoxic denitrification rates for both COD and P-limited wastewaters, and in the pilot (COD-limited) study also coincided with greater system N removal.

Bacterial growth in distribution systems: effect of assimilable organic carbon and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon.

Two distribution systems, one treating water by ozonation and another treating water by nanofiltration in parallel with lime softening, were monitored for bacterial growth. Both systems kept disinfectant residuals such as chlorine and chloramine in their respective distribution systems. Bacterial growth was assessed by heterotrophic plate counts (HPC) on R2A agar. In the distribution systems fed by ozonated water, HPCs were correlated (R2 = 0.96) using an exponential model with the assimilable organic carbon (AOC) at each sampling site. Also, it was observed that ozonation caused a significant increase in the AOC concentration of the distribution system (over 100% increase) as well as a significant increase in the bacterial counts of the distribution system (average increase over 100%). The HPCs from the distribution systems fed by nanofiltration in parallel with lime-softening water also displayed an exponential correlation (R2 = 0.73) with an exponential model based on AOC. No significant correlation was found between bacteria growth on R2A agar and BDOC concentrations. Therefore, in agreement with previous work, bacterial growth in the distribution systems was found to correlate with AOC concentrations.