Antibiofilm effect of mono-rhamnolipids and di-rhamnolipids on carbon steel submitted to oil produced water.

The objective of this study was to compare the potential of mono-rhamnolipids (mono-RML) and di-rhamnolipids (di-RML) against biofilm formation on carbon steel coupons submitted to oil produced water for 14 days. The antibiofilm effect of the RML on the coupons was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by epifluorescence microscopy, and the contact angle was measured using a goniometer. SEM analysis results showed that all RML congeners had effective antibiofilm action, as well as preliminary anticorrosion evaluation confirmed that all RML congeners prevented the metal deterioration. In more detail, epifluorescence microscopy showed that mono-RML were the most efficient congeners in preventing microorganism's adherence on the carbon steel metal. Image analyses indicate the presence of 15.9%, 3.4%, and <0.1% of viable particles in di-RML, mono/di-RML and mono-RML pretreatments, respectively, in comparison to control samples. Contact angle results showed that the crude carbon steel coupon presented hydrophobic character favoring hydrophobic molecules adhesion. We calculated the theoretical polarity of the RML congeners and verified that mono-RML (log P = 3.63) presented the most hydrophobic character. This had perfect correspondence to contact angle results, since mono-RML conditioning (58.2°) more significantly changed the contact angle compared with the conditioning with one of the most common surfactants used on oil industry (29.4°). Based on the results, it was concluded that rhamnolipids are efficient molecules to be used to avoid biofilm on carbon steel metal when submitted to oil produced water and that a higher proportion of mono-rhamnolipids is more indicated for this application.

Pré-tratamento físico-químico e enzimático para efluente de abatedouro / Physico-chemical and enzymatic pre-treatment for wastewater from slaughterhouse

RESUMO O efluente gerado em um abatedouro de aves, contendo gordura (quantificada pela análise de Óleos e Graxas - O&G) na concentração de 1.100 mg.L-1, foi submetido a dois pré-tratamentos para redução da concentração de material orgânico particulado: um tratamento físico-químico convencional (coagulação/floculação com cloreto férrico) ou um tratamento enzimático alternativo (hidrólise enzimática), aplicados isoladamente antes do processo biológico para remoção de material orgânico dissolvido. A hidrólise foi realizada com 0,5% (m/v) de um preparado enzimático sólido (PES - contendo oito unidades de atividade lipásica por grama) produzido pelo fungo Penicillium sp. por 8 h a 30ºC. Diferentes condições foram avaliadas na coagulação/floculação, sendo selecionada a que apresentou melhor remoção de demanda química de oxigênio (DQO) total para alimentação de biorreatores aeróbios e anaeróbios de bancada: pH = 5,0 e 400 mg de FeCl3.6H2O.L-1. Melhores resultados foram alcançados ao se utilizar o pré-tratamento físico-químico, com remoções médias de DQO de 91% nos tratamentos aeróbio e anaeróbio.

ABSTRACT The effluent generated in a poultry slaughterhouse, containing fat (quantified by oil and grease - O&G analysis) at a concentration of 1,100 mg.L-1, was subjected to two pre-treatments to reduce the particulate organic matter concentration: a conventional physicochemical treatment (coagulation/flocculation with ferric chloride) or an alternative enzymatic treatment (enzymatic hydrolysis), applied alone prior to the biological process for removing dissolved organic material. Hydrolysis was performed with 0.5% (m/v) of a solid enzymatic preparation (SEP - containing 8 lipase activity units per gram) produced by the fungus Penicillium sp. for 8 h at 30ºC. Different conditions were evaluated in the coagulation/flocculation, and the one with the best total COD removal for feeding bench top aerobic and anaerobic bioreactors was selected: pH = 5.0 and 400 mg FeCl3.6H2O.L-1. Better results were achieved when using the physicochemical pre-treatment with average COD removals of 91% in aerobic and anaerobic treatments.