Bruna Silva

Treatment of chromium(VI) solutions in a pilot-scale bioreactor through a biofilm of Arthrobacter viscosus supported on GAC

The aim of this work is to evaluate the applicability of a biofilm to the removal of chromium in solution, at a pilot scale. The effect of the initial concentration of metal on the biosorption behavior of an Arthrobacter viscosus biofilm supported on granular activated carbon, in batch and column essays was also analyzed. Six isotherm equations have been tested in the present study. The best fit was obtained with the Freundlich model. It was observed that as the initial chromium concentration increases, the uptake increases too, but the removal percentage decreases, with values between 95.20% (C(0)=5mg/l) and 38.28% (C(0)=1000 mg/l). The batch adsorption studies were used to develop a pilot bioreactor able to remove chromium from aqueous solutions. Data obtained in a pilot-scale reactor showed an average removal percentage of 99.9%, during the first 30 days, for the initial concentration of 10mg/l and an average removal percentage of 72%, for the same period and for the initial concentration of 100mg/l. Uptake values of 11.35 mg/g and 14.55 mg/g were obtained, respectively, for the initial concentration of 10 and 100mg/l. The results obtained are very promising and encourage the utilization of this biofilm in environmental applications.

Reutilization of Cr-Y zeolite obtained by biosorption in the catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds

This work aims at the reutilization of a Cr-loaded NaY zeolite obtained by biorecovery of chromium from water as catalyst in the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOC). Cr-NaY catalysts were obtained after biosorption of Cr(VI) using a bacterium, Arthrobacter viscosus, supported on the zeolite. The biosorption experiments were conducted at different pH values in the range 1-4. The catalysts were characterized by several techniques, namely ICP-AES, SEM-EDS, XRD, XPS, Raman, H(2)-TPR and N(2) adsorption. The zeolite obtained at pH 4 has the highest content of chromium, 0.9%, and was selected as the best catalyst for the oxidation of different VOC, namely ethyl acetate, ethanol and toluene. For all VOC tested, the catalyst with chromium showed higher activity and selectivity to CO(2), in comparison with the starting zeolite NaY. The presence of chromium shifted also the reaction pathways. In terms of selectivity to CO(2), the following sequence was observed: ethyl acetate>toluene>ethanol.

Optimization of production of extracellular polymeric substances by Arthrobacter viscosus and their interaction with a 13X zeolite for the biosorption of Cr(VI)

In this work we aimed to optimize the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) by an Arthrobacter viscosus biofilm supported on 13X zeolite to be used in the biosorption of Cr(VI). The optimization parameters were agitation rate, work volume, pH and glucose concentration. Following the optimization of EPS production, the biofilm was used in the biosorption of hexavalent Cr from liquid solutions. Differences between the use of dead or active biomass and between the performance of zeolite in powder or in pellet form were also studied. The optimized EPS production allowed values of metal uptake between 2.72 mg/gbiosorbent and 7.88 mg/gbiosorbent for initial Cr(VI) concentrations of 20–60 mg/L. For an initial concentration of 20 mg/L, the optimal conditions of EPS production allowed an increase of 10% on the removal percentage of total Cr, and the use of zeolite as a powder rather than the pelleted form produced an increase of 46.5% in the removal percentage. For the initial concentration of 60 mg/L, the use of active biomass compared to dried biomass allowed a reduction of the time required for the total removal of Cr(VI) from 20 to 13 days.

Iron and Chromium Removal from Binary Solutions of Fe(III)/Cr(III) and Fe(III)/Cr(VI) by Biosorbents Supported on Zeolites

The removal of metallic ions from binary aqueous solutions of Fe(III)/Cr(III) and Fe(III)/Cr(VI) by an Arthrobacter viscosus biofilm supported on NaY zeolite was investigated. Experiments were repeated with suspended biomass for comparison purposes. Batch assays were performed using different concentrations (10, 25 and 40 mg/L), for both metals in solution. Results indicated that Arthrobacter viscosus is able to retain the metallic ions, although not totally. The removal efficiencies were improved when the biofilm was supported on the zeolite, for all the initial concentrations of Cr(III), for the intermediate and higher concentration of Cr(VI) and for all range of initial concentrations of Fe(III), in the presence of Cr(III). The bacteria reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III) and, only then, this cation may be entrapped in the framework zeolite by ion exchange. Suspended bacteria had higher affinity for Fe(III), than for Cr(VI) or Cr(III), while the conjugated system was selective to Fe(III) when in the presence of Cr(VI). For solutions of Fe(III)/Cr(III), very high removals were achieved by the supported system, ranging from 94 to 100 % for Cr(III) and from 98 to 100 % for Fe(III). The conjugated system also reached the highest removal ratio of Cr(VI), 36 %, for the initial concentration of 40 mg/L. The materials in study were characterized by techniques such as FTIR, SEM and chemical analyses.

Psychiatric Pharmaceuticals as Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater

This book describes how psychiatric pharmaceuticals, namely antidepressants, anxiolytics, sedatives and hypnotics are among the most prescribed active substances due to the higher occurrence of psychiatric disorders throughout the world. It goes on to demonstrate how patients excretion of the active compounds along with several metabolites is considered to be the main pathway for the occurrence of these emerging pollutants in wastewater treatment plant effluents, surface and drinking water, soils and sediments. Further chapters are devoted to an exploration of these pharmaceuticals high persistence, toxicity and intrinsic biological activity, which can affect the nervous and endocrine systems of terrestrial and aquatic non-target organisms, the dissemination of these compounds in environment matrices and the growing number of associated problems and concerns. The remainder of the book describes how conventional wastewater treatment processes are generally inefficient when it comes to the removal of this type of pollutants, giving rise to the demand for implementing alternative or complementary treatment technologies. Extensive research studies on the efficiency of the degradation and/or removal of these pollutants are summarized, and adsorption, membrane and advanced oxidation processes (AOP) are proposed. Given its content and structure, the book offers a concise summary of the most significant findings on psychiatric pharmaceutical removal in wastewater

A sustained approach to environmental catalysis: Reutilization of chromium from wastewater

ABSTRACT Wastewater pollution with heavy metals is an issue of great environmental concern. The future development of clean technologies for the treatment of wastewater loaded with heavy metals entails environment friendly and sustainable processes that may allow simultaneously the recovery of the metals and their reutilization as value-added catalysts to be used in environmental applications. This is the first review regarding the biorecovery of metals and their further reutilization as heterogeneous catalysts. In this regard, metallic residues that generally would be considered as a waste at the end of the treatment process can be reutilized and transformed into value-added catalysts to be used in environmental applications. This review is focused in two broad areas: the biorecovery of chromium by a combined biosorption system consisting of bacteria supported on zeolites and the catalytic reutilization of the metal-loaded zeolites in the oxidation of organic compounds, in both gaseous and liquid phase. After an overview describing the main subjects in the field of heavy metals recovery, biosorption, zeolites, and catalytic oxidation, in the following sections special emphasis will be given to the main results and findings regarding these clean technologies of biorecovery and reuse of metals in catalytic reactions of environmental concern.

Pharmaceuticals in the Environment: Case Study of Psychiatric Drugs

The ecotoxicological assessment of pharmaceuticals is discussed in this chapter, under the light of a growing local and international legal framework that is meant to control the environmental impact of an intensive consumption of such molecules, mainly those used in psychiatric conditions. The specific pathways for pharmaceuticals metabolism are evaluated and the resulting accumulation of those medicines in different matrices is presented. Non-target organisms may suffer different effects when exposed to those pharmaceuticals or to their metabolites and the first attempts to quantify this contamination are reviewed.

Wicherhamomyces anomalus biofilm supported on wood husk for chromium wastewater treatment

A Wickeramomyces anomalus biofilm supported on wood husk was used to remediate water bodies contaminated with chromium (Cr), in batch and open systems. The favorable adhesion ability of the chromium-resistant yeast strain on the wood husk was predicted by XDLVO theory and confirmed by environmental scanning electronic microscopy. The chromium decontamination was then optimized in a batch mode using a central composite design (CCD). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a high coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.93-0.91 for Cr(VI) and total Cr removal, respectively, ensuring a satisfactory fitting of the second-order regression model to the experimental data. In batch system, the concentration of biomass exhibited the minimal effect on the process. An acidic pH of 3.72 and 5.48, an initial chromium concentration of 10 and 16.91 mg/L and a support dose of 6.95 and 8.20 g/L were optimal for Cr(VI) and total Cr removal, respectively. The breakthrough curves were determined in open system for different initial chromium concentrations. The study of glucose concentration effect on the yeast extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production showed that a medium exempt of glucose allowed maximal EPS production and minimal chromium removal efficiency, while 20 g/L glucose concentration of presented the optimal condition for chromium removal.

Comparison of Rhodotorula sp. and Bacillus megaterium in the removal of cadmium ions from liquid effluents

Abstract This study compares the capacity of Rhodotorula sp. and Bacillus megaterium for Cd(II) removal considering the influence of operating parameters (pH, biosorbent dosage, contact time, temperature, initial metal concentration in solution). The highest Cd(II) uptake of 14.2 mg/g by Rhodotorula sp. was exhibited at 30°C, when working at pH 6 and with 5 g/l biosorbent dosage, after 48 h of contact time. In these conditions, a removal efficiency of 85% was obtained. Similar outcomes were obtained for B. megaterium (15.1 mg/g, 90%) at 35°C, pH 4 and 3 g/l biosorbent dosage, considered as the optimum set of parameters, equilibrium being achieved for a contact time of 20 min. The possible interaction mechanisms between the biosorbents and Cd(II) were evaluated through point of zero charge (pHpzc), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDX). Data were modeled using pseudo-first and pseudo-second order kinetic models and Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms models. Further studies considered a modeling approach based on linear regression with Durbin-Watson statistics, while the accuracy and precision of experiments were evaluated by ANOVA.

6 – Biofilm Bioprocesses

This text reviews current knowledge on biofilm formation, properties, and specific characteristics and relates them to bioprocesses with industrial interest in the environmental, fine-chemistry, and alternative energy fields. From the basics to the most recent evaluations of biofilm bioprocesses, going through the technological aspects of engineered systems, a thorough presentation is made of microorganisms, metabolic processes, and determinant biologic and processual parameters. These issues are also related to different bioreactors according to a generic approach, so the whole thematic is placed in a perspective for researchers, biologists, and engineers working on the subject. Applications of such processes are also highlighted.