ABSTRACT
The viability of low temperature sulfate reduction with hydrogen as electron donor was studied with a bench-scale gas-lift bioreactor (GLB) operated at 9 degrees C. Prior to the GLB experiment, the temperature range of sulfate reduction of the inoculum was assayed. The results of the temperature gradient assay indicated that the inoculum was a psychrotolerant mesophilic enrichment culture that had an optimal temperature for sulfate reduction of 31 degrees C, and minimum and maximum temperatures of 7 degrees C and 41 degrees C, respectively. In the GLB experiment at 9 degrees C, a sulfate reduction rate of 500-600 mg L(-1) d(-1), corresponding to a specific activity of 173 mg SO(4)(2-) g VSS(-1) d(-1), was obtained. The electron flow from the consumed H(2)-gas to sulfate reduction varied between 27% and 52%, while the electron flow to acetate production decreased steadily from 15% to 5%. No methane was produced. Acetate was produced from CO(2) and H(2) by homoacetogenic bacteria. Acetate supported the growth of some heterotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria. The sulfate reduction rate in the GLB was limited by the slow biomass growth rate at 9 degrees C and low biomass retention in the reactor. Nevertheless, this study demonstrated the potential sulfate reduction rate of psychrotolerant sulfate-reducing mesophiles at sub-optimal temperature.
Subject(s)
Bioreactors/microbiology , Hydrogen/metabolism , Sulfates/metabolism , Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria/metabolism , Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods , Biomass , Hydrogen/chemistry , Oxidation-Reduction , Sulfates/chemistry , Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria/chemistry , Temperature , Waste Disposal, Fluid/instrumentationABSTRACT
The possibilities for the treatment of low-temperature mine waste waters have not been widely studied. The amenability of low-temperature sulfate reduction for mine waste water treatment at 9 degrees C was studied in a bench-scale fluidized-bed bioreactor (FBR). Formate was used as the electron and carbon source. The first influent for the FBR was acidic, synthetic waste water containing iron, nutrients, and sulfate, followed by diluted barren bioleaching solution (DBBS). The average sulfate reduction rates were 8 mmol L(-1) day(-1) and 6 mmol L(-1) day(-1) with synthetic waste water and DBBS, respectively. The corresponding specific activities were 2.4 and 1.6 mmol SO(4)(2-) g VSS(-1) day(-1), respectively. The composition of the microbial community and the active species of the FBR was analyzed by extracting the DNA and RNA, followed by PCR-DGGE with the universal bacterial 16S rRNA gene primers and dsrB-primers specific for sulfate-reducing bacteria. The FBR microbial community was simple and stable and the dominant and active species belonged to the genus Desulfomicrobium. In summary, long-term operation of a low-temperature bioreactor resulted in enrichment of formate-utilizing, psychrotolerant mesophilic sulfate reducing bacteria.
Subject(s)
Bioreactors/microbiology , Cold Temperature , Deltaproteobacteria/metabolism , Deltaproteobacteria/radiation effects , Industrial Waste , Water Purification/methods , DNA Fingerprinting , DNA Primers/genetics , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , Deltaproteobacteria/classification , Deltaproteobacteria/growth & development , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Formates/metabolism , Nucleic Acid Denaturation , Oxidation-Reduction , RNA, Bacterial/genetics , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Sulfates/metabolismABSTRACT
A low-cost substrate, Phalaris arundinacea was acid hydrolyzed (Reed Canary Grass hydrolyzate, RCGH) and used to support sulfate reduction. The experiments included batch bottle assays (35 degrees C) and a fluidized-bed bioreactor (FBR) experiment (35 degrees C) treating synthetic mine wastewater. Dry plant material was also tested as substrate in batch bottle assays. The batch assays showed sulfate reduction with the studied substrates, producing 540 and 350mgL(-1) dissolved sulfide with RCGH and dry plant material, respectively. The soluble sugars of the RCGH presumably fermented into volatile fatty acids and hydrogen, which served as electron donors for sulfate reducing bacteria. A sulfate reduction rate of 2.2-3.3gL(-1)d(-1) was obtained in the FBR experiment. The acidic influent was neutralized and the highest metal precipitation rates were 0.84g FeL(-1)d(-1) and 15mg ZnL(-1)d(-1). The sulfate reduction rate in the FBR was limited by the acetate oxidation rate of the sulfate-reducing bacteria.
Subject(s)
Carbohydrate Metabolism , Industrial Waste , Phalaris/metabolism , Sulfates/metabolism , Water Pollutants/metabolism , Anaerobiosis , Bioreactors , Fermentation , Hydrolysis , MiningABSTRACT
Sulfate-reducing fluidized-bed bioreactor (FBR) fed with ethanol-lactate mixture was operated at 35 degrees C for 540 days to assess mine wastewater treatment, biological hydrogen sulfide production capacity and acetate oxidation kinetics. During the mine wastewater treatment period with synthetic wastewater, the sulfate reduction rate was 62 mmol SO(4)(2-)L(-1)d(-1) and Fe and Zn precipitation rates were 11 mmol Fe L(-1)d(-1) and 1 mmol Zn L(-1)d(-1). After this, the hydrogen sulfide production was optimized, resulting in sulfate reduction rate of 100 mmol SO(4)(2-)L(-1)d(-1) and H(2)S production rate of 73.2 mmol H(2)SL(-1)d(-1). The limiting step in the H(2)S production was the rate of acetate oxidation, being 50 mmol acetate L(-1)d(-1). Therefore, FBR batch assays were designed to determine the acetate oxidation kinetics, and following kinetic parameters were obtained: K(m) of 63 micromol L(-1) and V(max) of 0.76 micromol acetate g VSS(-1)min(-1). The present study demonstrates high-rate hydrogen sulfide production and high-rate mine wastewater treatment with ethanol and lactate fed fluidized-bed bioreactor.