Simultaneous Biodegradation of a Two-Phase Fluid: Biofilm Discoloration Issues

Abstract

Three replicate aerobic-heterotrophic biotrickling filters were designed to promote the simultaneous biodegradation of graywater and a waste gas containing NH\d3, H\d2S and CO\d2. Upon visual observation of discolored solids, it was originally hypothesized that gas-phase CO\d2 concentrations were excessive, causing regions of anoxic zones to form within the biotrickling filters. Observed discolored (black) biofilm of this nature is typically assumed to be either lysed bacterial cells or anaerobic regions, implying alteration of operational conditions. Solid (biofilm) samples were collected in the presence and absence of gas-phase wastestream(s) to determine if the gas-phase contaminants were contributing to the solid-phase discoloration. Two sets of experiments (shaker flask and solids characterization) were conduced to determine the nature of the discolored solids. Results indicated that the discolored solids were neither anaerobic bacteria nor lysed cells. The solids were organic in nature and contain active aerobic-heterotrophic bacteria. Future work will attempt to characterize the discolored solid-phase more accurately.

Comments

Presented at International Conference On Environmental Systems, July 2006, Norfolk, VA, USA, Session: Integrated Advanced Water Recovery

Keywords

sulfide, ammonia, gas, surfactant

Date of this Version

January 2006

Identifier

ALS-NSCORT:p60

Publisher Identifier:

SAE Document Number: 2006-01-2256

Publisher

SAE International

ALS NSCORT Project Number

Project 6 - Bio-Regenerative Environmental Treatment for Health-air and water (BREATHe 1)

Project Lead

M. Katherine Banks

Language

English

ALS NSCORT Series

Published Materials

Administrative Contact

Dave Kotterman, dkotter@purdue.edu

Rights

Copyright 2005 SAE International. For additional information please visit the intellectual property section of the publisher's website: http://www.sae.org/about/intelproperty/ or the publisher's home page at: http://www.sae.org

Access

This article is not available through e-pubs. To purchase a copy of this article visit: http://www.sae.org/technical/papers/2005-01-2256. This article is available on CD-ROM at Purdue University's Engineering Library.

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