Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2003-07-03Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:41:24Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 villar_ld_dr_araiq.pdf: 1587723 bytes, checksum: 57434b492ceade6788c279ec21c41b1f (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A geração de lodo como resultado do tratamento do esgoto sanitário, embora possa ser minimizada, é inevitável, qualquer que seja o sistema empregado nas estações de tratamento. Sua disposição final tem sido motivo de diversos estudos, os quais apontam, como alternativa mais favorável, sua utilização em áreas agrícolas ou de produção florestal. A presença de metais no lodo, entretanto, pode inviabilizar seu uso como fertilizante ou como condicionador de solos dado ao risco de contaminação ambiental e de acumulação na cadeia trófica. A solubilização de metais presentes no lodo por meio do processo de lixiviação bacteriana tem mostrado resultados promissores, encorajando seu desenvolvimento. A lixiviação bacteriana de metais pode ocorrer diretamente, pela oxidação de sulfetos metálicos ou, indiretamente, pela oxidação de compostos reduzidos de enxofre a sulfato, com a conseqüente solubilização ácida dos metais. As principais bactérias envolvidas nesse processo pertencem ao gênero Thiobacillus, recentemente reclassificado. Neste trabalho, utilizou-se lodo de esgoto, gerado pela Estação de Tratamento de Esgoto de Franca-SP (ETE-Franca), que opera um sistema de lodos ativados convencional, com tratamento dos lodos primário e secundário por digestão anaeróbia. Amostras de lodo foram caracterizadas quanto à presença dos metais cromo, cobre, chumbo, níquel e zinco. Em um ensaio preliminar, utilizando a linhagem Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans FG01, foi verificado que a utilização de lodo digerido ou lodo não-digerido proporcionou eficiências de solubilização similares para os metais investigados. Desta forma, amostras de lodo digerido anaeróbio foram utilizadas para estudo do efeito dos parâmetros temperatura, pH inicial e concentração de sólidos totais sobre a eficiência e a cinética da lixiviação bacteriana. Nesses ensaios,... / Although sewage sludge generation from sanitary wastewater treatment can be minimized, its production cannot be avoided at any system employed in the wastewater treatment facilities. Sludge final disposal has motivated several research studies, which have pointed out as the most suitable alternative the application of sludge in agricultural and forestry production. However, the presence of metals in sewage sludge may jeopardize its application as fertilizer or soil amendment due to the risk of environmental contamination or accumulation through the trophic chain. Solubilization of metals from sewage sludge by bacterial leaching has showed promising results, encouraging its process development. Bacterial leaching of metals occurs directly by metal sulphide oxidation or, indirectly by oxidation of reduced sulphur compounds to sulphate, with the consequent sludge acidification and metal solubilization. Bacteria from Thiobacillus genus, recently reclassified, are the most important species involved in bacterial leaching. In this work, sludge samples were obtained at the municipal wastewater treatment facility in the city of Franca, state of São Paulo, Brazil, which operates a conventional activated sludge system with treatment of the primary and secondary sewage sludges by anaerobic digestion. Samples were characterized for concentration of the metals chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc. A preliminary assay was conducted by using Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans FG01, which resulted in similar solubilization efficiencies for digested or not-digested sludges. Effects of temperature, initial pH and total solids concentration were investigated in leaching experiments using anaerobically digested sludge inoculated...(Complete abstract, click electronic access below)

A presente pesquisa estudou a viabilidade do emprego de sais de magnésio em estações de tratamento de esgoto sanitário visando a remoção do fósforo, bem como a produção de estruvita, mineral que pode ser utilizado diretamente no solo como fertilizante. As estações estudadas nesta pesquisa foram a Estação de Tratamento de Esgoto Sanitário de Franca-SP e a Estação de Tratamento de Esgoto Sanitário Jardim das Flores, localizada no município de Rio Claro-SP, e a Estação de Tratamento de Esgoto Sanitário Piçarrão, no município de Campinas. No caso da ETE Jardim das Flores (Rio Claro-SP), observou a possibilidade do emprego de sais de magnésio para se remover fósforo no efluente dos reatores UASB. Com ensaios de Jar-Test, atingiu-se cerca 49% de remoção de fosfato na amostra precipitada por gravidade e cerca de 90% na amostra centrifugada. No caso da ETE-Franca-SP, constatou-se, apesar do emprego de sais de magnésio não ter sido viável, verificou-se os benefícios do emprego de cloreto férrico em estações de tratamento de esgoto sanitário. / The present research studied the use of magnesium salts to remove phosphorus. With the phosphorus removal, magnesium salts, produce, as well, struvite, mineral that can be use directly on soil as fertilizer. The wastewater treatment plants objects of studies in this research was Wastewater Treatment Plant of Franca (SABESP) city Wastewater Treatment Plant of Jardim das Flores (Foz do Brasil), at Rio Claro city, and Wastewater Treatment Plant of Piçarrão (SANASA), at Campinas city. All three WWTP\'s are at São Paulo state, Brazil. In WWTP Jardim das Flores/Foz do Brasil (Rio Claro-SP), the results shown the viability of magnesium salts use at effluent of UASB reactors. In Jar-test essays, the phosphorus removal reached among 49% and in centrifuged samples, phosphorus removal was among 90%. In WWTP Franca-SP/SABESP, the results shown the benefits of iron salts in wastewater treatment.

This study was carried out on algal biofilms grown using rotating algal biofilm reactors (RABRs) with the aim of: i) characterizing their growth in terms of photosynthetic activity and morphology ii) evaluating their performance as a wastewater treatment option and a feedstock for biofuels production, and iii) examining the algal-bacteria interactions. A review of algal biofilm technologies currently employed in wastewater treatment processes was made to compare nutrient removal efficiencies, factors that influenced algal biofilm growth, and the different bioproducts generated from algal biomass. Consequently, research efforts were directed towards addressing pertinent issues identified in literature in order to optimize these systems for wastewater treatment and bioproducts production. Successful growth of algal biofilms in municipal wastewater and subsequent removal of nutrients from the wastewater was demonstrated. Photosynthetic and respiration rates observed with depth of the biofilm were influenced by the biofilm composition (single vs. mixed species), culturing conditions (laboratory vs. outdoor), orientation to the light, nitrogen availability (N-replete vs. N-deplete), and dissolved inorganic carbon availability (presence or absence of bicarbonate). Slight enhancement in lipid production was also observed as a result of nitrogen stress and bicarbonate addition. However, the accumulated lipids were not as much as expected or as reported in suspended cultures. Presence of bacteria positively influenced microalgae growth in the mixed cultures but the reverse was not true. In conclusion, photosynthetic activity and biofilm structure were characterized with methods developed for the algal biofilms in this study. For now, productivity of the algal biofilms needs to be maximized in order to fully utilize its potential as a biofuel feedstock and nutrient removal option. Further research on algae-bacteria interactions using species native to the wastewater grown algal biofilms is recommended.

Phosphorus (P) is a pollutant in freshwater systems because it promotes eutrophication. The dairies in the North Bosque and its water body segments import more P than they export. Dairies accumulate P-rich effluent in lagoons and use the wastewater for irrigation. As more P is applied as irrigation than is removed by crops, P accumulates in the soil. During intense rainfall events, P enters the river with stormwater runoff and can become bio-available. Reducing the P applied to the land would limit P build up in the soil and reduce the potential for P pollution. Since wastewater P is associated with suspended solids (SS), the flocculants, poly-DADMAC and PAM, were used to reduce SS. To precipitate soluble P from the effluent, NH4OH was added to raise the pH. Raw effluent was collected from a dairy in Comanche County, TX, and stored in 190-L barrels in a laboratory at Texas A&M University. Flocculant additions reduced effluent P content by as much as 66%. Addition of NH4OH to the flocculated effluent raised the pH from near 8 to near 9, inducing P precipitation, further reducing the P content. The total P reduction for the best combination of treatments was 97%, a decrease from 76 to 2 mg L-1. If this level of reduction were achieved in dairy operations, P pollution from effluent application would gradually disappear.

The ubiquitous nature of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) among environmental pathogens from a variety of wastewater effluents, suggests that the aquatic environment, and specifically alternative wastewater treatment systems, may act as reservoirs for drug resistant bacteria and ARGs, thereby contributing to the widespread dissemination of antibiotic resistance. More research is necessary to contribute to our understanding of the occurrence, fate, and mobility of antibiotic resistance and ARGs among bacterial indicators of faecal contamination as well as pathogenic bacteria within Canadian wastewater treatment systems. The primary objective of this research was to determine the prevalence, fate, and potential transfer of bacterial resistance and ARGs among selected environmental pathogens exposed to alternative wastewater treatment systems, while considering the impact of treatment strategies on the expression of antibiotic resistance. A detailed analysis was initially conducted with respect to the characterization and quantification of microbial populations (including antibiotic resistant bacteria) in a variety of treatment systems and waste effluent sources. Traditional culture-based screening techniques in combination with molecular characterization (through colony or multiplex PCR), and molecular quantification using real-time quantitative PCR were utilized in order to help establish a preliminary environmental assessment of selected pathogens (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., Salmonella spp.) and ARGs (tetA, blaSHV, & ampC) within a variety of wastewater treatment systems (lab-scale mesocosms, constructed wetland, constructed lagoon system, and pilot-scale biological nutrient removal (BNR) system). Overall, the level of multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) among culturable indicator (E. coli & Enterococcus spp.) and environmental bacteria was high (reaching 100% in several instances) within different types of wastewater treatment systems and effluent sources (poultry waste effluent, municipal wastewater, aquaculture wastewater). Common antibiotic resistance profiles among E. coli isolates included simultaneous resistance to between three and five antimicrobials, whereas common MAR profiles among Enterococcus spp. isolates showed resistance to ten or more antibiotics. Real time quantitative PCR was used to determine the concentration of three bacterial pathogens; E. coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Salmonella spp., and three ARGs; tetA, ampC, and blaSHV, within a variety of wastewater samples. Based on the results, it was concluded that high concentrations of ARGs were present in the treated effluent (10⁴- 10⁶ target gene copies/100 mL), regardless of system type (i.e. constructed lagoon, pilot-scale BNR, or constructed wetland), which may ultimately serve as a potential route for entry of ARGs and antibiotic resistant bacteria into the natural environment. Water is considered an important medium for transfer of resistance genes and resistant bacteria to the broader environment. Few studies have examined the transferability via conjugation of ARGs in E. coli and Salmonella spp. isolated from wastewater. Identification of three resistance determinants (tetA, strA, strB) conferring resistance to tetracycline and streptomycin was performed on selected multi-drug resistant Salmonella spp. and E. coli isolates. The potential for transfer of tetracycline and streptomycin resistance genes was demonstrated through broth conjugation experiments using multi-drug resistant Salmonella spp. and E. coli isolates as donors, and E. coli K12 as the recipient. Conjugation was successfully observed in 75% (9/12) of donor isolates, occurring in both Salmonella spp. and E. coli isolates. Six strains (50%) were capable of transferring their tetA, strA, and strB genes to the recipient strain, resulting in 58.5% (38/65) of total transconjugant strains acquiring all three resistance determinants. The results confirm the role of environmental bacteria (isolated from wastewater treatment utilities) as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance and ARGs, containing mobile genetic elements, which are capable of disseminating and transferring ARGs. As concerns about water quality and environmental contamination by human and agricultural effluents have increased, it has become increasingly more important to consider the prevalence and transferability of ARGs to opportunistic and human pathogens. As observed in this research, the ubiquitous nature of multi-drug resistant bacteria in water and wastewater effluents, the presence of diverse ARGs of human and veterinary health significance, as well as the transfer of resistance determinants through conjugative plasmids to recipient bacteria, suggests that environmental exposure through contact or consumption with contaminated water is probable. However, a lack of critical information still exists regarding the movement of resistance genes within and between microbial populations in the environment. In addition, the extent of human exposure to ARGs and antibiotic resistant bacteria is still not well understood, and future studies on human exposure to these resistant contaminants are necessary.

Treatment of industrial wastewaters contaminated with toxic and hazardous organics can be a costly process. In the case of acrylonitrile production, due to highly volatile and toxic nature of the contaminant organics, production wastewaters are currently disposed by deepwell injection without treatment. Under the terms granting deepwell injection of the waste, alternative treatments must be investigated, and an effective treatment identified. Cells of two Gram-positive bacteria, Rhodococcus sp. DAP 96253 and R. rhodochrous DAP 96622 were evaluated for their potential as biocatalysts for detoxification of acrylonitrile production wastewaters. Rhodococcus sp. DAP 96253 and R. rhodochrous DAP 96622 when multiply induced, are capable of utilizing the hazardous nitrile and amide components present in the wastewater as sole carbon and/or nitrogen sources, employing a 2-step enzymatic system involving nitrile hydratase (NHase) and amidase enzymes. There is a significant potential for overproduction of NHase upon multiple induction. However, high-level multiple induction required the presence of highly toxic nitriles and/or amides in the growth medium. Asparagine and glutamine were identified as potent inducers with overexpression at 40% of total soluble cellular protein as NHase. In native form (either cell free enzymes or whole cells) the desired NHase is very labile. In order to develop a practical catalyst to detoxify acrylonitrile production wastewaters, it is necessary to significantly improve and enhance the stability of NHase. Stabilization of desired NHase activity was achieved over a broad range of thermal and pH conditions using simultaneous immobilization and chemical stabilization. Previously where 100% of NHase activity was lost in 24 hours in the non-stabilized cells, retention of 20% of initial activity was retained over 260 days when maintained at 50-55 C, and for over 570 days for selected catalyst formulations maintained at proposed temperature of the biodetoxification process. In addition, NHase and amidase enzymes from Rhodococcus sp. DAP 96253 were purified. Cell free NHase was characterized for its substrate range and effect of common enzyme inhibitors and was compared to available information for NHase from other organisms. As a result of this research a practical alternative to the deepwell injection of acrylonitrile production wastewaters is closer to reality.

Acrylonitrile (AN) is a major volatile waste generated in the production of acrylamide and often associated with aromatic contaminants (toluene and styrene) in plant effluents. We examined Rhodococcus rhodochrous DAP 96622 to determine if it could be adapted to efficient biodegradation of acrylonitrile (AN) in a bioreactor. A model bioreactor with granular activated carbon (GAC) as a substratum for Rhodococcus with AN as sole carbon or in combination with toluene was established. The kinetics of AN biodegradation by immobilized and planktonic cells were evaluated and compared. Inlet load and empty retention time were varied to test the removal efficiency in fed-batch and single-pass mode reactor. In addition, the three dimensional structure and characteristics of the biofilm were followed using confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) and relative software. Immobilized cells in the bioreactor, at starting concentrations of AN up to 1150 mg l-1 in the presence of Tol, had at least 13 fold higher AN degradation rates than that seen of planktonic cells. A near steady state of AN degradation was maintained at 75-85% for AN and 80%-90% for Tol within the parameter of EBRT=8 min and AN and Tol inlet loads between 50-200 mg l-1 h-1 and 200-500 mg l-1h-1, respectively. However, when the inlet load of AN was increased to more than 200mg l-1 h-1 and 500 mg l-1 h-1 for Tol, a reduction in efficiency of AN degradation was observed. Biofilms with discrete microcolonies interspersed with voids and channels were observed. Precise measurement of biofilm characteristics agreed with the assumption that the biomass and thickness of the biofilm increased along the carbon column depth. With a porous attachment material like GAC, substrate diffusion is most likely not a limiting factor for AN degradation. Rhodococcus rhodochrous DAP 96622 in a non-sterile activated charcoal column showed efficient degradation of AN in the presence of Tol. The Rhodococcus bioreactor may provide a potential practical waste gas and water treatment system.

Els Processos Avançats d'Oxidació (PAOs) són tècniques de degradació química basades en la producció in situ del potent reactiu radical hidroxil. L'acoblament entre PAOs i sistemes biològics pel tractament d'aigua contaminada amb compostos biorecalcitrants és una alternativa útil als mètodes de gestió convencionals. El principal benefici d'aquests tractaments acoblats és la minimització del pretractament químic fins a generar intermedis més biodegradables. Subseqüentment, un tractament convencional d'aigües residuals, basat en la activitat de microorganismes, es pot utilitzar per eliminar completament la matèria orgànica del medi.Aquest tesi desenvolupa una estratègia d'acoblament entre sistemes químics i biològics per tractar herbicides específics com exemple de contaminants tòxics i no biodegradables produïts per l'home. / Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) are chemical degradation techniques based on the in situ production of the powerful reactive hydroxyl radical. The coupling between AOPs and biological systems for the treatment of water polluted with biorecalcitrant compounds is a useful alternative to conventional management methods. The main benefit of these coupled treatments is the minimization of the chemical pretreatment to generate more biodegradable by-products. Subsequently, a conventional wastewater treatment, based on the activity of microorganisms, can be used to completely remove organic matter from solution. This thesis deals with the development of a chemical and biological coupling strategy to treat some specific herbicides as examples of toxic and non biodegradable anthropogenic pollutants.

La escasez de agua se presenta como uno de los mayores retos para asegurar el desarrollo sostenible. Entre otras actuaciones, se deben investigar e implementar sistemas eficientes de tratamiento de aguas biorecalcitrantes, que necesitan ser condicionadas antes de su depuración biológica. Uno de los posibles pre-tratamientos es el proceso Fenton de oxidación avanzada, que presenta dos principales inconvenientes: la utilización de sales de hierro como catalizador homogéneo, que abandonan continuamente la etapa de oxidación, y el elevado consumo de oxidante, en parte desaprovechado. La presente tesis se centra en el estudio de la mejora del proceso Fenton de aguas fenólicas mediante su acoplamiento con tecnologías de membrana como la nanofiltración, la emulsificación con membranas o los reactores de membrana. El acoplamiento de dichas tecnologías con el proceso Fenton permite el confinamiento del catalizador y el aumento de la eficiencia de oxidación, mejorando así el tratamiento en términos ambientales y económicos. / Water scarcity is one of the major challenges for assuring a sustainable development. Among other measures, research into efficient wastewater treatment systems to deal with biorefractory wastewaters, which need to be amended before their biological degradation, is required. The Fenton process is an advanced oxidation process that can be used as potential pre-treatment for this purpose. However, the pre-treatment presents two main limitations: the use of iron salts as homogeneous catalyst, which are continuously thrown away in the reactor effluent, and the high consumption of oxidant, which is partially wasted. The present thesis aims at studying the improvement of the Fenton process applied on phenolic wastewater through its coupling with membrane technologies such as nanofiltration, membrane emulsification or membrane reactors. The coupling allows confining the catalyst and increasing the oxidation efficiency, thus enhancing the treatment efficiency in environmental and economic terms.

The continuous process of urbanization results in demands on research and development for ecological and sustainable city development. Because of this, the current systems for wastewater treatment may have to be improved. In order to evaluate new technologies for municipal wastewater treatment, a development project has been initiated for the new district Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm. The project is lead by the company Stockholm Water. High environmental standards have been put up for the district, as it must be twice as good as an ordinary new district. To achieve this goal, a new water treatment plant is planned to be build. In the testing facility Sjöstadsverket, several new water treatment processes for municipal wastewater are being evaluated. This thesis is concerned with the evaluation of one of these processes. The process in question is anaerobic and consists of the following steps: pre-treatment, UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket), aerobic polishing for nitrogen reduction, a drum filter and reverse osmosis. The evaluation is performed by analysis of water sample taken from the whole process. It is difficult to make any conclusions about the process as a whole, since not all of the individual parts have been in use at the same time. The production of gas in the UASB system has been quite low. The cause of this is probably that gas is dissolved in the effluent water. The aerobic polishing is sensitive and it will need adjustments of the pH-value in order to treat the water as planned. The use of chemical precipitation of phosphorus over the drum filter does not reduce the amount of phosphorus below the desired level. Furthermore, the demands on the treated water cannot be reached with the use of reverse osmosis, at least not in its current implementation. / Den allt större inflyttningen till städer och tätorter har gjort att behoven av forskning och utveckling kring ekologiskt hållbar stadsutveckling har ökat. Detta innebär i sin tur att det befintliga systemet för avloppsvattenrening kan behöva förändras. För att utvärdera ny och delvis obeprövad teknik inom behandling av avloppsvatten har ett utvecklingsprojekt startat för Stockholms nya stadsdel Hammarby Sjöstad. Stockholm Vatten har fått i uppgift att leda projektet. För stadsdelen har ett antal ambitiösa miljömål formulerats vilka i korthet innebär att stadsdelen skall vara dubbelt så bra som övrig nybyggnation. För att klara dessa miljömål görs förberedelser för ett eget reningsverk i stadsdelen. I Stockholm Vattens pilotanläggning Sjöstadsverket utvärderas en rad olika behandlingslinjer för rening av avloppsvatten från hushåll och syftet med detta examensarbete är att utvärdera en av dessa försökslinjer. Försökslinjen är anaerob och består av försedimentering, UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket), ett biologiskt poleringssteg för kvävereduktion, trumfilter samt omvänd osmos (RO). Utvärderingen har gjorts genom analyser av vattenprover längs försökslinjen. Det är svårt att dra några slutsatser om linjen som helhet eftersom inte alla ingående komponenter varit igång samtidigt så som planerat. Gasproduktionen över UASB-systemet har varit relativt låg och det beror troligen på att en del av gasen löser sig i det utgående vattnet. Den biologiska poleringen för kvävereduktion är en känslig process som kommer att behöva pH-justeras för att klara att behandla vattnet från Sjöstaden. Med nuvarande utformning av anläggningen kan man inte med kemisk fällning av fosfor över trumfiltret komma ner under utsläppsgränserna. Kraven på utgående vatten kan inte heller nås med den RO som finns på Sjöstadsverket idag.