The study evaluates the chronic impact of the antibiotic tetracycline on the biodegradation of organic substrate under anaerobic conditions. The experiments involved an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor fed with a synthetic substrate mixture including glucose, starch and volatile fatty acids, and operated in a sequence of different phases with gradually increasing tetracycline doses of 1.65-8....

Changes in methanogenic population levels were followed during startup of a full-scale, farm-based anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) and these changes were linked to operational and performance data. The ASBR was inoculated with anaerobic digester sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment facility. During an acclimation period of approximately 3 months, the ASBR content was diluted t...

Over the past decades, several materials utilized as biocarriers for immobilization of microorganisms have been gaining popularity showing different degrees effectiveness. However, information concerning their effects on sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBR) performance is still lacking. There currently no single widely acceptable material documented proper formation, most cannot achieve sat...

BACKGROUND Caldicellulosiruptor species have gained a reputation as being among the best microorganisms to produce hydrogen (H2) due to possession of a combination of appropriate features. However, due to their low volumetric H2 productivities (Q H2), Caldicellulosiruptor species cannot be considered for any viable biohydrogen production process yet. In this study, we evaluate biofilm forming p...

Biofouling impedes the performance of membrane bioreactors. In this study, we investigated the antifouling effects of polysulfone membranes that were modified by 1,2,3-triazole and palladium (Pd) nanoparticles. The modified membranes were evaluated for antibacterial and antifouling efficacy in a monoculture species biofilm (i.e., drip flow biofilm reactor, DFR) and mixed species biofilm experim...

Biological nitrogen removal in aerobic granular sequencing batch reactors is sensitively affected by process conditions (e.g. dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, nitrogen loading rate (NLR), influent C/N ratio, among others). The variation of one of these process conditions affects the others, because often they are tightly linked. These interrelationships are a drawback for the experimental a...