Anaerobic hydrolysis of recalcitrant tetramethylammonium from semiconductor wastewater: Performance and mechanisms

Zhouyan Li; Lehui Ren; Xueye Wang; Mei Chen; Tianlin Wang; Ruobin Dai; Zhiwei Wang

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132239

Anaerobic hydrolysis of recalcitrant tetramethylammonium from semiconductor wastewater: Performance and mechanisms

J Hazard Mater. 2023 Oct 5:459:132239. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132239. Epub 2023 Aug 8.

Authors

Zhouyan Li¹, Lehui Ren¹, Xueye Wang¹, Mei Chen², Tianlin Wang¹, Ruobin Dai¹, Zhiwei Wang³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji Advanced Membrane Technology Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
² MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control/College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, No. 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji Advanced Membrane Technology Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China. Electronic address: zwwang@tongji.edu.cn.

PMID: 37567140
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132239

Abstract

The treatment of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH)-bearing wastewater, generated in the electronic and semiconductor industries, raises significant concerns due to the neurotoxic, recalcitrant, and bio-inhibiting effects of TMAH. In this study, we proposed the use of an anaerobic hydrolysis bioreactor (AHBR) for TMAH removal, achieving a high removal efficiency of approximately 85%, which greatly surpassed the performance of widely-used advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Density functional theory calculations indicated that the unexpectedly poor efficiency (5.8-8.0%) of selected AOPs can be attributed to the electrostatic repulsion between oxidants and the tightly bound electrons of TMAH. Metagenomic analyses of the AHBR revealed that Proteobacteria and Euryarchaeota played a dominant role in the transformation of TMAH through processes such as methyl transfer, methanogenesis, and acetyl-coenzyme A synthesis, utilizing methyl-tetrahydromethanopterin as a substrate. Moreover, several potential functional genes (e.g., mprF, basS, bcrB, sugE) related to TMAH resistance have been identified. Molecular docking studies between five selected proteins and tetramethylammonium further provided evidence supporting the roles of these potential functional genes. This study demonstrates the superiority of AHBR as a pretreatment technology compared to several widely-researched AOPs, paving the way for the proper design of treatment processes to abate TMAH in semiconductor wastewater.

Keywords: Advanced oxidation; Anaerobic hydrolysis; Industrial wastewater; Metagenomics; Tetramethylammonium hydroxide.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Anaerobiosis
Hydrolysis
Molecular Docking Simulation
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds* / metabolism
Wastewater*

Substances

Wastewater
tetramethylammonium
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds