Cometabolic removal of organic micropollutants by enriched nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidizing cultures

Miguel Martínez-Quintela; Adrián Arias; Teresa Alvarino; Sonia Suarez; Juan Manuel Garrido; Francisco Omil

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123450

Cometabolic removal of organic micropollutants by enriched nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidizing cultures

J Hazard Mater. 2021 Jan 15:402:123450. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123450. Epub 2020 Jul 12.

Authors

Miguel Martínez-Quintela¹, Adrián Arias², Teresa Alvarino³, Sonia Suarez², Juan Manuel Garrido², Francisco Omil²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: m.martinez.quintela@usc.es.
² Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
³ Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Galician Water Research Center Foundation (Cetaqua Galicia). Emprendia Building, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

PMID: 32731114
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123450

Abstract

The innovative and recently discovered n-damo process, based on anaerobic methane oxidation with nitrite, was developed in a membrane-based bioreactor and evaluated in terms of organic micropollutants (OMPs) removal. The main singularity of this study consisted in the evaluation of organic micropollutants (OMPs) removal in the biological reactor. A strategy consisting on progressively increasing the nitrogen loading rate in order to increase the specific denitrification activity was followed to check if the selected OMPs were co-metabolically biotransformed. Significant nitrite removal rate (24.1 mg N L^-1 d^-1) was achieved after only 30 days of operation. A maximum specific removal of 186.3 mg N gVSS^-1 d^-1 was obtained at the end of the operation, which is one of the highest previously reported. A successfully n-damo bacteria enrichment was achieved, being Candidatus Methylomirabilis the predominant bacteria during the whole operation attaining a maximum relative abundance of about 40 %. The natural hormones (E1 and E2) were completely removed in the bioreactor. The specific removal rates of erythromycin (ERY), fluoxetine (FLX), roxithromycin (ROX) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) were successfully correlated with the specific nitrite removal rates, suggesting a co-metabolic biotransformation.

Keywords: Cometabolism; Enrichment; MBR; Organic micropollutants; n-damo process.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anaerobiosis
Bioreactors
Denitrification
Methane*
Nitrites*
Oxidation-Reduction

Substances

Nitrites
Methane