Immobilized-cell-augmented activated sludge process for treating wastewater containing hazardous compounds

Water Environ Res. 2007 May;79(5):461-71. doi: 10.2175/106143006x115363.

Abstract

A novel bioaugmentation scheme called immobilized-cell-augmented activated sludge (ICAAS) was developed. Offline enricher reactors were used to maintain immobilized acclimated cells applied to augment completely mixed activated sludge (CMAS) treating a pentachlorophenol (PCP) pulse loading. Cellulose triacetate (CA) and powder activated carbon (PAC) combined with CA (PAC + CA) were the two media types used for entrapping the PCP-degrading culture. With ICAAS at 5% by volume augmentation, PCP removal of 73.1 and 75.1% via biodegradation, volatilization, and adsorption onto suspended cells, entrapped cells, and media was achieved for the systems with CA and PAC + CA media, respectively, while PCP removal in a control CMAS, which had a comparable level of combined PCP adsorption onto suspended cells and volatilization as the ICAAS, was 48.7%. Results further showed that the immobilized cells retained their PCP-degrading ability when they were fed with the inducer (PCP) once every 20 days.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Acclimatization
  • Adsorption
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Bioreactors
  • Cells, Immobilized / metabolism
  • Cells, Immobilized / physiology
  • Hazardous Substances / isolation & purification*
  • Models, Biological
  • Pentachlorophenol / isolation & purification
  • Sewage* / microbiology
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
  • Waste Management / methods*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Hazardous Substances
  • Sewage
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Pentachlorophenol