Emerging Technologies in Environmental Bioremediation

Maulin P. Shah, Susana Rodriguez-Couto, S. Sevinc Sengor, Maulin P. Shah, Susana Rodriguez-Couto, S. Sevinc Sengor

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780128198605
• eBook ISBN: 9780128198612
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Emerging Technologies in Environmental Bioremediation introduces emerging bioremediation technologies for the treatment and management of industrial wastes and other environmental pollutants for the sake of environmental sustainability. Emerging bioremediation approaches such as nano-bioremediation technology, electro-bioremediation technology, microbial fuel cell technology, Modified Ludzack-Ettinger Process, Modified Activated Sludge Process, and phytotechnologies for the remediation of industrial wastes/pollutants are discussed in a comprehensive manner not found in other books. Furthermore, the book includes updated information as well as future directions for research in the field of bioremediation of industrial wastes.This book will be extremely useful to students, researchers, scientists and professionals in the field of microbiology and biotechnology, Bio (chemical) engineers, environmental researchers, eco-toxicology, and many more.- Includes the recovery of resources from wastewater- Describes the importance of microorganisms in environmental bioremediation technologies- Points out the reuse of treated wastewater through emerging technologies- Pays attention to the occurrence of novel micro-pollutants- Emphasizes the role of nanotechnology in pollutant bioremediation

Chapter 1

Immobilization of anaerobic ammonium oxidation bacteria for nitrogen-rich wastewater treatment

Shou-Qing Ni¹, Hafiz Adeel Ahmad¹ and Shakeel Ahmad², ¹Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Shandong, P.R. China, ²Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan

Abstract

The nutrient-rich wastewaters if discharged to the environment without treatment may cause eutrophication in receiving water bodies and deterioration of the freshwater ecosystem. The regulatory authorities enact more stringent standards to push the industries and municipalities for the rigorous treatment of wastewater to meet the effluent discharge standards. Conventionally, wastewaters are treated with nitrification–denitrification (N–DN) process to remove nitrogen compounds. However, wastewater having a lower carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio will increase the treatment cost due to the addition of external carbon sources. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process appears a suitable substitute to N–DN at a lower C/N ratio. Anammox is a chemolithoautotrophic process, belonging to phylum Planctomycetes, and they are slow-growing bacteria. Different strategies, such as, biofilm formation, granulation, and gel immobilization, have been applied to maintain a critical mass of bacterial cells in the system by avoiding washout from the bioreactor. The gel immobilization of anammox appears the best alternative to the natural process of biofilm formation and granulation. Polyvinyl alcohol–sodium alginate, polyethylene glycol, and water-born polyurethane are the most reported materials used for the entrapment of anammox bacteria. However, dissolution of the gel beads refrains its application for long-term bioprocess. Magnetic powder coat on the surface of the beads may increase the mechanical strength and durability of pellets. This chapter discusses natural techniques of anammox immobilization in brief and gel immobilization in detail. The properties of different materials used for immobilization of anammox are summarized. Application and problem of immobilization technology for the commercialization of this technology are also addressed. This chapter adds new knowledge about the application of immobilization technology in a real application from the laboratory-scale study. Finally, some new idea will also give a new direction in this regard.

Keywords

Anammox; entrapment of anammox; gel immobilization; polyethylene glycol; polyvinyl alcohol–sodium alginate; water-born polyurethane

1.1 Introduction

Worldwide, water plays a central role in the effort toward the economic development. The demand for fresh water increases globally for the ever-growing population. A total of 3% water is available as a freshwater source and the remaining is salt water (Ellis, 2004). Significantly, the agriculture sector demanded about 70% of water worldwide, and predicted that the water consumption for the production of energy and the industrial process is projecting (WWAP, 2017). The growth of population in the developing world increased the demand for water. However, the water availability is directly linked to water quality since different human activities demand different qualities of water. Overall, it is estimated that over 80% of wastewater are directly discharged without an acceptable standard (WWAP, 2017). If this scenario remains unchecked, it will further threaten human health and limit the sustainable development especially in the developing countries. Hence all the above-discussed points necessitate the proper management of wastewater. Mostly coagulation (chemical and electrical), adsorption, and biological technologies were applied for the removal of different contaminants from wastewater (Ahmad, Lafi, Abushgair, & Assbeihat, 2016).

Nitrogen is an essential component of different proteins and amino acids. Additionally, it also plays a vital role as plant nutrient and applied in the form of fertilizer to improve the food productivity. Nitrogen in the wastewater discharged directly into rivers, canals, and lakes can cause severe threats to the water bodies and human health. Eutrophication of the lake, river, and other water bodies is the primary outcome of the nitrogenous wastewater (Quan, Khanh, Hira, Fujii, & Furukawa, 2011). The concentration of ammonia as low as 0.01 mg/L can cause mortalities of the shrimp larvae and other pathological effects. The consumed nitrate is converted to nitrite within the human body, and further nitrite is reduced to cancer-causing N-nitroso compounds (IOWA Environmental Council, 2016). Hence it is necessary to remove nitrogen from wastewater to overcome the eutrophication, decrease the nitrous oxide emission, and avoid human health issues.

Customarily, nitrogenous species are biologically removed from wastewater through the ordinary process of nitrification–denitrification (N–DN) (Dongen, 2001). On the other hand, the filtering technique was also reported for the removal of nitrogen. The carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio is essential for the successful application of the conventional process. However, some wastewater loaded with high ammonium concentration and lower organic matter increases the cost of treatment due to addition of artificial carbon source for the growth of heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria (Kimura, Isaka, & Kazama, 2011a; Kimura, Isaka, Kazama, & Sumino, 2010; Quan et al., 2011). So advancement in the nitrogen removal process is desired under the conditions of the lower C/N ratio. In the late 20th century, a new mean of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) was reported (Mulder, van de Graaf, Robertson, & Kuenen, 1995). Later studies proved anammox as an active biological pathway to treat nitrogenous wastewater (Jetten et al., 2001). Autotrophic growth behavior of anammox decreased the cost of treatment compared to conventional process due to exclusion of the external carbon sources. Generally, the anammox reaction produced dinitrogen gas with little amount of nitrate using nitrite and ammonium as a substrate (Mulder et al., 1995). Autotrophic nature of anammox gr...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of contributors
• Preface
• Chapter 1. Immobilization of anaerobic ammonium oxidation bacteria for nitrogen-rich wastewater treatment
• Chapter 2. Accelerated bioremediation of petroleum refinery sludge through biostimulation and bioaugmentation of native microbiome
• Chapter 3. Degradation and detoxification of waste via bioremediation: a step toward sustainable environment
• Chapter 4. Fungal laccases: versatile green catalyst for bioremediation of organopollutants
• Chapter 5. Emerging bioremediation technologies for the treatment of wastewater containing synthetic organic compounds
• Chapter 6. Bacterial quorum sensing in environmental biotechnology: a new approach for the detection and remediation of emerging pollutants
• Chapter 7. Bioremediation: an effective technology toward a sustainable environment via the remediation of emerging environmental pollutants
• Chapter 8. Application of metagenomics in remediation of contaminated sites and environmental restoration
• Chapter 9. In situ bioremediation techniques for the removal of emerging contaminants and heavy metals using hybrid microbial electrochemical technologies
• Chapter 10. Gene-targeted metagenomics approach for the degradation of organic pollutants
• Chapter 11. Current status of toxic wastewater control strategies
• Chapter 12. Latest innovations in bacterial degradation of textile azo dyes
• Chapter 13. Development in wastewater treatment plant design
• Chapter 14. Engineering biomaterials for the bioremediation: advances in nanotechnological approaches for heavy metals removal from natural resources
• Chapter 15. Algal–bacterial symbiosis and its application in wastewater treatment
• Chapter 16. Role of plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria in mitigation of heavy metals toxicity to Oryza sativa L.
• Chapter 17. Study of transport models for arsenic removal using nanofiltration process: recent perspectives
• Chapter 18. Bioremediation and biorecovery of aqueous lead by local lead-resistant organisms
• Chapter 19. Microbial bioremediation of azo dye through microbiological approach
• Chapter 20. Novel process of ellagic acid synthesis from waste generated from mango pulp processing industries
• Index