Zheng-Bo Yue

Application of rumen microorganisms for anaerobic bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass.

Rumen in the mammalian animals is a natural cellulose-degrading system and the microorganisms inside have been found to be able to effectively digest lignocellulosic biomass. Furthermore, methane or volatile fatty acids, which could be further converted to other biofuels, are the two major products in such a system. This paper offers an overview of recent development in the application of rumen microorganisms for lignocellulosic biomass conversion. Application of recent molecular tools in the analysis of rumen microbial community, progress in the development of artificial rumen reactors, the latest research results about characterizing rumen-dominated anaerobic digestion process and energy products are summarized. Also, the potential application of such a rumen-dominated process is discussed.

Competitive adsorption of heavy metal by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extracted from sulfate reducing bacteria.

Competitive adsorption of heavy metals by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extracted from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans was investigated. Chemical analysis showed that different EPS compositions had different capacities for the adsorption of heavy metals which was investigated using Cu(2+) and Zn(2+). Batch adsorption tests indicated that EPS had a higher combined ability with Zn(2+) than Cu(2+). This was confirmed and explained by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy analysis. FTIR analysis showed that both polysaccharides and protein combined with Zn(2+) while only protein combined with Cu(2+). EEM spectra further revealed that tryptophan-like substances were the main compositions reacted with the heavy metals. Moreover, Zn(2+) had a higher fluorescence quenching ability than Cu(2+).

Anaerobic digestibility and fiber composition of bulrush in response to steam explosion

Steam explosion, one potential commercial pretreatment method for lignocellulosic wastes, was used to improve methane production of bulrush. Steam exploded bulrush showed a higher methane yield than the raw sample. The effects of steam pressure, moisture content and residence time on the concentration of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and methane yield were described using a second order polynomial equation. A minimum NDF content of 30.6% was achieved under pretreatment condition with moisture content of 16.55%, steam pressure of 1.52 MPa and residence time of 5.17 min. A maximum methane yield of 205.3 ml per degradable volatile solid was obtained at 11.0% moisture, 1.72 MPa steam pressure, and 8.14 min residence time. The breakage and disruption of rigid lignin structure by steam explosion was confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis.

Component analysis and heavy metal adsorption ability of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from sulfate reducing bacteria

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) play an important role in the treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). In this paper, Desulfovibrio desulfuricans was used as the test strain to explore the effect of heavy metals on the components and adsorption ability of EPS. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis results showed that heavy metals did not influence the type of functional groups of EPS. Potentiometric titration results indicated that the acidic constants (pKa) of the EPS fell into three ranges of 3.5-4.0, 5.9-6.7, and 8.9-9.8. The adsorption site concentrations of the surface functional groups also increased. Adsorption results suggested that EPS had a specific binding affinity for the dosed heavy metal, and that EPS extracted from the Zn(2+)-dosed system had a higher binding affinity for all heavy metals. Additionally, Zn(2+) decreased the inhibitory effects of Cd(2+) and Cu(2+) on the SRB.

Synthetic effect between iron oxide and sulfate mineral on the anaerobic transformation of organic substance

Synthetic effect between sulfate minerals (gypsum) and iron oxide (hematite) on the anaerobic transformation of organic substance was investigated in the current study. The results showed that gypsum was completely decomposed while hematite was partially reduced. The mineral phase analysis results showed that FeS and CaCO3 was the major mineralization product. Methane generation process was inhibited and inorganic carbon contents in the precipitates were enhanced compared to the control without hematite and gypsum. The inorganic carbon content increased with the increasing of hematite dosages. Co-addition of sulfate minerals and iron oxide would have a potential application prospect in the carbon sequestration area and reduction of the greenhouse gas release. The results would also reveal the role of inorganic mineral in the global carbon cycle.

Cultivation of aerobic granules for polyhydroxybutyrate production from wastewater.

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-rich aerobic granule was cultivated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) under nitrogen deficient conditions by adapting a two-step strategy. In the first step the PHB-storage ability of activated sludge was enhanced by keeping both oxygen and ammonia at a low level. In the second step granular sludge was cultivated through adjusting sludge settling time. The matured PHB-rich granular sludge with a PHB content of 40 ± 4.6% and a high settling ability was successfully obtained. The analysis on sludge surface properties showed that the surface charge, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) content and the sludge hydrophobicity all increased significantly, while the surface energy of sludge decreased to a relatively steady state accompanied with the growth of granular sludge. This study demonstrates that the metabolism of intracellular storages induced microbial production of EPS, which favored the formation of aerobic granules.

Biosorption of Copper (II) from Aqueous Solutions with Rape Straw

Adsorption of Cu2+ by rape straw under acidic conditions was investigated in this paper. Influences of pH (2.2–6.2), rape straw concentration (5.0–15.0 g total solid (TS)/L), and initial Cu2+ concentration (40.0–200.0 mg/L) on the adsorption of Cu2+ by rape straw were evaluated. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cu2+ could reach 7.3 mg/g with a removal efficiency of 90% under the optimal conditions of 64.0 mg/L Cu2+, 7.5 g TS/L of rape straw and pH 5.0. Results indicated that both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were able to adequately describe the biosorption equilibrium of Cu2+ onto rape straw. Kinetics analysis results showed that the process followed the pseudo–second-order adsorption kinetics.

Simultaneous chemical oxygen demand removal, methane production and heavy metal precipitation in the biological treatment of landfill leachate using acid mine drainage as sulfate resource

Biological treatment played an important role in the treatment of landfill leachate. In the current study, acid mine drainage (AMD) was used as a source of sulfate to strengthen the anaerobic treatment of landfill leachate. Effects of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and SO42- mass concentration ratio on the decomposition of organic matter, methane production and sulfate reduction were investigated and the microbial community was analyzed using the high throughout methods. Results showed that high removal efficiency of COD, methane production and heavy metal removal was achieved when the initial COD/SO42- ratio (based on mass) was set at 3.0. The relative abundance of anaerobic hydrogen-producing bacteria (Candidatus Cloacamonas) in the experimental group with the addition of AMD was significantly increased compared to the control. Abundance of hydrogenotrophic methanogens of Methanosarcina and Methanomassiliicoccus was increased. Results confirmed that AMD could be used as sulfate resource to strengthen the biological treatment of landfill leachate.

Effects of heavy metals on the performance of anaerobic sulfidogenic reactor using rape straw as carbon source

Effects of Zn2+, Cu2+ and Cd2+ in the synthetic acid mine drainage on the performance of the anaerobic sulfidogenic reactor using rape straw as carbon source were explored. Two different cases were respectively observed for the different metal dosages: stimulatory at lower concentrations and toxic/inhibitory at higher concentrations. Cellulose and hemicellulose were the major components hydrolyzed in the rape straw. Analysis of the heavy metals distribution in the anaerobic digested solid residue showed that adsorption and precipitation were the major mechanisms for the removal of heavy metals. This was also confirmed by the results of scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectrometry analysis.

Isolation and Characterization of Pseudomonas stutzeri Capable of Reducing Fe(III) and Nitrate from Skarn-type Copper Mine Tailings

Nitrate and Fe(III) are two terminal electron acceptors in anaerobic respiration by microorganisms growing in the anoxic soil or sediment environment. In the current paper a facultative anaerobic dissimilatory Fe(III)- and nitrate-reducing bacterium was isolated from the Linchong tailings, a skarn-type copper mine tailings, located in Anhui. Skarn often formed at the contact zone between intrusions of granitic magma bodies into contact with carbonate sedimentary rocks. This made the tailings possessed strong acid neutralizing capacity and pH of the pore water was 6.8–8.6. The isolate, which was designated strain CW (CCTCC AB 2013114), was a gram-negative rod bacterium and belonged to the gamma subgroup p of the proteobacteria, closely (99.0%) related to Pseudomonas stutzeri. In defined medium, strain CW was shown to grow anaerobically with the acetate using the ferric iron or nitrate as the electron acceptors. Results also showed that strain CW could not grow in the presence of ferrous iron and nitrite.