Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / Esta pesquisa avaliou o sistema microaerÃbio como estratÃgia simples de remoÃÃo de sulfeto de hidrogÃnio da fraÃÃo gasosa com vistas ao controle de odor e qualidade do biogÃs em estaÃÃes de tratamento de esgotos (ETE). Adicionalmente, foi avaliado o impacto da microaeraÃÃo na estabilidade operacional do sistema anaerÃbio, alÃm de um estudo comparativo entre a tecnologia microaerÃbia e absorÃÃo quÃmica (NaOH) na remoÃÃo de H2S presente no biogÃs. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em fluxo contÃnuo em dois reatores mesofÃlicos (28ÂC) construÃdos em acrÃlico e alimentados com Ãgua residuÃria sintÃtica. O experimento foi dividido em quatro fases de operaÃÃo, para ambos os reatores, de modo que as duas primeiras fases foram para a estabilizaÃÃo dos reatores. Na fase III foi introduzido sulfato de sÃdio, em uma relaÃÃo DQO/SO42- de aproximadamente 7. Por fim, na fase IV foram adicionados aos reatores os sistemas de remoÃÃo de H2S, ou seja, o reator 1 (R1) foi operado em condiÃÃes estritamente anaerÃbias com lavagem cÃustica do biogÃs, enquanto que o reator 2 (R2) foi modificado para operar em condiÃÃes microaerÃbias a partir da injeÃÃo de 0,2 mL.min-1 de ar atmosfÃrico em seu headspace. Foram realizadas anÃlises fÃsico-quÃmicas no afluente e efluente dos reatores, como DQO, pH, alcalinidade, sulfato, sulfeto dissolvido e feita a caracterizaÃÃo do biogÃs em termos de N2, O2, CH4, CO2, H2S, NH3. Foi observado nas fases III e IV que ambos os reatores apresentaram boa estabilidade em termos de remoÃÃo de DQO (>80%) e remoÃÃo de sulfato (>90%). Durante o processo microaerÃbio o oxigÃnio adicionado nÃo modificou a remoÃÃo da matÃria orgÃnica. Em relaÃÃo à qualidade do biogÃs, observou-se que o conteÃdo de metano no sistema provido de microaeraÃÃo foi reduzido de 76% (Fase III) para 52% (Fase IV), devido à diluiÃÃo com o nitrogÃnio presente no ar atmosfÃrico. Entretanto, ao retirar a interferÃncia do N2 foram obtidas concentraÃÃes prÃximas ao da fase totalmente anaerÃbia (Fase III), indicando, portanto, que as arquÃias produtoras de metano nÃo foram afetadas significativamente pelo oxigÃnio introduzido. Em relaÃÃo à remoÃÃo de sulfeto, o processo microaerÃbio foi efetivo na reduÃÃo tanto na fase lÃquida como na gasosa, com remoÃÃo mÃdia de 42% e 94%, respectivamente. O processo de lavagem do biogÃs aplicado no R1 promoveu remoÃÃo de 100% do H2S do biogÃs bem como 100% de CO2 e NH3. Dessa forma, tanto o processo microaerÃbio como a lavagem foram eficientes na remoÃÃo do H2S e podem ser empregados no controle de odor em ETE. O estudo econÃmico preliminar das duas tecnologias (microaerÃbio e lavagem cÃustica) mostra que apesar do investimento inicial necessÃrio para a instalaÃÃo do processo microaerÃbio e os custos de eletricidade para aeraÃÃo contÃnua dos reatores, os custos operacionais com a aquisiÃÃo do reagente quÃmico no processo de lavagem superam os custos totais ao longo do tempo. Por fim, espera-se que o sistema microaerÃbio seja mais vantajoso do que a lavagem quÃmica tanto sob o ponto de vista econÃmico em uma anÃlise mais detalhada quanto na anÃlise de ciclo de vida, mas que novos estudos devam ser conduzidos para comprovar tais hipÃteses. / This research work evaluated the feasibility of the micro-aerobic process to remove sulfide from biogas in order to control biogas quality and odors in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Moreover, the impact of micro-aeration over the anaerobic system stability was evaluated, and a comparison of the micro-aerobic biotechnology with a chemical absorption process (NaOH) for sulfide removal from biogas was performed. The experiments were performed in a continuous mode in two acrylic-constructed mesophilic (28 C) bioreactors fed with synthetic wastewater. The experiment consisted into four operation phases for both reactors, being the two first phases used for the stabilization of the systems. During the operation phase III, sodium sulfate was introduced into the reactors at a COD/SO42- ratio of ~7. At the operation phase IV, the hydrogen sulfide removal systems were applied into the reactors, i.e. the reactor 1 (R1) was operated under strictly anaerobic conditions with a biogas caustic scrubbing, and the reactor 2 (R2) was operated at micro-aerobic conditions by using a 0,2 mL.min-1 atmospheric air injection into the headspace of the system. Physical-chemical analyses, such as COD, pH, alkalinity, sulfate, dissolved sulfide was performed, and biogas was characterized in terms of N2, O2, CH4, CO2, H2S, NH3. During the operation phases III and IV, both rectors showed a good stability in terms of COD removal (>80%) and sulfate removal (>90%). During the micro-aerobic process, the introduced oxygen did not affect organic matter removal. Regarding biogas quality, content of methane in the micro-aerobic system decreased to a value of 76% (phase III) and 52% (phase IV), due to the dilution with the nitrogen present in air. Meanwhile, when nitrogen interference was removed, similar concentrations to the anaerobic phase (phase III) were obtained, suggesting that methanogenic archaea was not significantly affected by the introduced oxygen. Regarding to sulfide removal, the micro-aerobic process was effective, both removing sulfide from the liquid and the gaseous phases, showing an average removal of 42% e 94%, respectively. The biogas cleaning process applied to R1 showed a 100% sulfide removal from biogas and 100% removal of CO2 and NH3. In this way, both, the micro-aerobic and the scrubbing processes were efficient for sulfide removal and can be used for odor control in WWTP. The preliminary economical study considering two technologies (micro-aerobic and the scrubbing) showed that even taking into account the initial investment for the aeration and the electricity costs for the continuous aeration, the operational costs with the chemical acquisition for the scrubbing process are much higher. Likely, the micro-aerobic process will be more advantageous than the scrubbing process after a detailed economic analysis or a life cycle assessment, however, it is necessary to perform more research in order to confirm these hypotheses.

Campylobacter are probably the most important bacterial pathogen related to food-borne illnesses; specifically, gastroenteritis and diarrheal diseases. These bacteria can be isolated from various environments, but always originate from the intestine of warm blooded animals. Particularly, Campylobacter are found in the intestinal tract of poultry, and due to contamination of poultry meat and also further contamination of other food they can cause human infections. Sometimes this results in larger outbreaks, such as during 2016-2017 in Sweden where thousands of persons got infected by a single strain of Campylobacter jejuni sequence type 918 (ST-918). The same strain was also identified amongst a large number of poultry farms and suspicions were directed towards dirty transport cages for poultry as a main route for transmitting the strain between different farms. Similar scenarios with large outbreaks related to one or two single strains (ST-50 and ST-257) had also been observed in previous years and this raised questions about certain strains being especially adapted to survive outside the intestine. The aim here was to examine whether outbreak strains and other strains of C. jejuni have different potential to resist different stress conditions that may be encountered between the poultry farm and the human intestine.