Simultaneous removal of nitrate and pesticides from contaminated groundwater using aerobic granular biomass technology

Aerobic Granular Biomass (AGB) technology is widely used for urban and industrial wastewater treatment, however, its application in groundwater remediation, practically unknown. A mixture of carbendazim, simazine, diuron were amended to the nitrate-polluted synthetic at increasing concentrations validate ability remove both kind pollutants, pesticides nitrate which are commonly found water resources. The removal was a success with values below 0.010 g·L-1. increased concentration influent did not distort pattern observed pesticide removal. Carbendazim almost completely eliminated, followed by simazine elimination, while showed adsorption-desorption patterns during experimentation. addition had drastic effect on basal community conducted proliferation Hyphomicrobium Dokdonella. compounds negative number copies fungal population, archaeal population unharmed, according qPCR results. Denitrifying bacteria need 70 days as acclimatization period achieving activity initial inoculum. results obtained have shown first time capacity AGB system treat polluted using low carbon load. Therefore, suggested potential purification nitrates pesticides.