Immobilized Microbe Bioreactors for Waste Water Treatment

Abstract

The application of adapted microbial populations immobilized on a porous diatomaceous earth carrier to pre-treat and reduce toxic concentration of volatile organics, pesticides, petroleum aliphatics and aromatics has been demonstrated for several industrial sites. In the pre-treatment of industrial effluents and contaminated ground-waters, these bioreactors have been used to optimize and reduce the cost of conventional treatment systems, i.e. steam stripping, carbon adsorption and traditional biotreatment. Additionally, these systems have been employed as seeding devices for larger biotreatment systems. The cost effective utilization of an immobilized microbe reactor system for water supply regeneration in a microgravity environment is presented. The feasibility of using immobilized biomass reactors as an effluent treatment technology for the biotransformation and biodegradation of phenols, chlorinated halocarbons, residual oils and lubricants was evaluated. Primary biotransformation tests of two benchmark toxicants, phenol and ethylene dichloride at concentrations expected in life support effluents were conducted. Biocatalyst supports were evaluated for colonization potential, surface and structural integrity, and performance in continuous flow bioreactors. The implementation of such approaches in space will be outlined and specific areas for interfacing with other non-biological treatment approaches will be considered for advanced life support, tertiary waste water biotreatment.

Keywords

immobilized biomass zero gravity waste water biotreatment phenols ethylene dichloride biotransformation biodegradation.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Clesceri, L. S. , Greenberg, A. E. & Trussel, R. R. (eds.) (1989), Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 17th edit. pp. 5-44. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association.

Koppe, P. , Imhoff, K.R. , Herkelmann, H. & Sebesta, G. (1979), Some practical aspects of the "biocarbon process ", Water Research 13, 865-879.

Latoszek, A. & Benedek, A. (1979), Some aspects of the microbiology of activated carbon treating domestic wastewater, Environmental Science & Technology, 13, 1285-1287.

Mathiasson, B. (1983), Immobilization methods. In Immobilized Cells and Organelles ( B. Mattiasson , ed.) pp. 4-25. Boca Raton: CRC Press, Inc.

Messing, R.A. , Opperman, R.A. & Kolot, F.B. (1979), Pore dimensions for accumulating biomass. In Immobilized Microbial Cells, ACS' Symposium vol. 106. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society.

Miller, G.P. , Portier, R.J. , Hoover, D.G. , Friday, D.D. & Sicard, J.L. (1990), Biodegradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons in an immobilized bed reactor, Environmental Progress, 9.

Niu, W. , Burchfield, D. , Snyder, G. & Conklin, K. (1990), Development of a water quality monitor for Space Station Freedom Life Support System. Paper presented at the 20th Intersociety Conference on Environmental Systems, Williamsburg, Virginia, July 9-12.

Portier, R.J. (1982), Correlative field and laboratory microcosm approaches in ascertaining xenobiotic fate and effect in diverse aquatic environments, Ph.D. Dissertation, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.

Portier, R.J. (1986), Chitin immobilization systems for hazardous waste detoxification and biodegradation. In Immobilization of Ions by Naturally Occurring Materials ( H. Eccles , ed.) pp. 230-243. London: Ellis Horwood Publishers.

10.

Portier, R.J. & Fujisaki, K. (1986), Biodegradation and continuous detoxification of chlorinated phenols using immobilized bacteria. Toxicology Assessment, vol. 1. New York : John Wiley & Sons, pp. 501-513.

11.

Portier, R.J. , Bianchini, M.A. , Fujisaki, K. , Henry, C.B. & McMillin, D.J. (1987), A Demonstration Study on Biotreatment of Contaminated Soils at an Abandoned Petrochemical Refinery. Presented before the Division of Environmental Chemistry, American Chemical Society, August 30-Sept 4, 24 pp.

12.

Portier, R.J. (1988), Enhanced biotransformation and biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls in the presence of aminopolysaccharides, Aquatic Toxicology, 10, 503-516.

13.

Portier, R.J. , Zoeller, A.L. & Fujisaki, K. (1990), Remediation of pesticide-contaminated ground water using immobilized microbe biotreatment systems, Remediation , 1, 41-60.

14.

Weber, W.J. , Pirbazari, M. & Melson, G.L. (1978), Biological growth on activated carbon: an investigation by scanning electron microscopy. Environmental Science & Technology, 12, 817-819.