Interactions of Methanogens and Denitrifiers in Degradation of Phenols
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 125, Issue 1
Abstract
Experiments were conducted at 37°C in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor treating wastewater containing phenol (200 mg/L), m-cresol (100 mg/L), and nitrate at various concentrations. Results show that anaerobic sludge was able to conduct denitrification without much acclimation. Denitrifiers outcompeted methanogens for substrates for carbon and electron supplies. They were able to use phenol and m-cresol as substrate without a carbohydrate cosubstrate. Denitrifying 1 g of required 3.34 g of chemical oxygen demand. Methanogenesis occurred only at chemical oxygen ratios greater than 3.34. At the ratio of 5.23, over 98% of phenol but only 60% of m-cresol were degraded jointly by denitrifiers and methanogens with 1 day of hydraulic retention. At ratios less than 3.34, methanogenesis ceased to take place and denitrification became incomplete because of insufficient supply of substrate. Batch tests further confirmed that degradation of m-cresol was enhanced not only by the presence of nitrate, but also by the presence of either sucrose or phenol as cosubstrate.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
American Public Health Association (APHA). ( 1985). Standard methods—for the examination of water and wastewater, 17th Ed., American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C.
2.
Bisaillon, J., Lepine, G., Beaudet, F., and Sylvestre, M. ( 1991). “Carboxylation of o-cresol by an anaerobic consortium under methanogenic conditions.” Appl. Envir. Microbiology, 57(8), 2131–2134.
3.
Christensson, M., Lie, E., and Welander, T. ( 1994). “A comparison between ethanol and methanol as carbon sources for denitrification.” Water Sci. and Technol., 30(6), 83–90.
4.
Chen, K. C., and Lin, Y. F. ( 1993). “The relationship between denitrifying bacteria and methanogenic bacteria in a mixed culture system of acclimated sludges.” Water Res., 27(12), 1749–1759.
5.
Delanghe B., Nakamura, F., Myoga, H., Magara, Y., and Guibal, E. ( 1994). “Drinking water denitrification in a membrane bioreactor.” Water Sci. and Technol., 30(6), 157–160.
6.
Fang, H. H. P., Li, Y. Y., and Chui, H. K. ( 1995a). “Performance and sludge characteristics of UASB process treating propionate-rich wastewater.” Water Res., 29(3), 895–898.
7.
Fang, H. H. P., Li, Y. Y., and Chui, H. K. ( 1995b). “Anaerobic degradation of butyrate in a UASB reactor.” Bioresource Technol., 51, 75– 81.
8.
Fang, H. H. P., Chen, T., Li, Y. Y., and Chui, H. K. ( 1996). “Degradation of phenol in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor.” Water Res., 30(6), 1353–1360.
9.
Flyvbjerg, J., Jorgensen, C., Arvin, E., Jensen, B. K., and Olsen, S. ( 1993). “Biodegradation of orthocresol by a mixed culture of nitrate-reducing bacteria growing on toluene.” Appl. Envir. Microbiology, 59(7), 2286–2292.
10.
Ganczarczyk, J., and Elion, D. ( 1979). “Extended aeration of coke-plant effluents.” Proc., 33rd Industrial Waste Conf., Ann Arbor Science Publishers, Ann Arbor, Mich.
11.
Gujer, W., and Zehnder, A. J. B. ( 1983). “Conversion process in anaerobic digestion.” Water Sci. and Technol., 15, 127–167.
12.
Hanaki, K., and Polprasert C. ( 1989). “Contribution of methanogenesis to denitrification with an upflow filter.” J. Water Pollution Control Fed., 61(9), 1604–1611.
13.
Kobayashi, T., Hashinaga, T., Mikami, E., and Suzuki, T. ( 1989). “Methanogenic degradation of phenol and benzoate in acclimated sludges.” Water Sci. and Technol., 21, 55–65.
14.
Lettinga, G., van Velsen, A. F. M., Hoboma, S. M., de Zeeuw, W., and Klapwijk, A. ( 1980). “Use of the upflow sludge blanket (USB) reactor concept for biological wastewater treatment.” Biotech. Bioengrg., 22, 669–734.
15.
Li, Y. Y., Fang, H. H. P., Chen, T., and Chui, H. K. (1995). “UASB treatment of wastewater containing concentrated benzoate.”J. Envir. Engrg., ASCE, 121(10), 748–751.
16.
Liessens, J., Germonpre, R., Beernaert, S. and Verstraete, W. ( 1993). “Removing nitrate with methyltrophic fluidized bed: Technology and operating performance.” J. AWWA, 85, 144–154.
17.
McCarty P. L., Beck, L., and Arnant, P. S. ( 1969). “Biological denitrification of wastewater by addition of organic materials.” Proc., 24th Industrial Waste Conf., Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., 1271–1285.
18.
Nakhla, G. F., Suidan, M. T., and Pfeffer, J. T. ( 1990). “Control of anaerobic GAC reactors treating inhibitory wastewaters.” J. Water Pollution Control Fed., 62(1), 65–72.
19.
Narkis, N., Rebhum, M., and Sheindorf, C. H. ( 1979). “Denitrification at various carbon to nitrogen ratios.” Water Res., 13, 93–98.
20.
Patterson, J. W. ( 1975). Wastewater treatment technology . Ann Arbor Science Publishers, Ann Arbor, Mich.
21.
Ramanand, K., and Suflita, J. M. ( 1991). “Anaerobic degradation of m-cresol in anoxic aquifer slurries: carboxylation reactions in a sulphate-reducing bacterial enrichment.” Appl. Envir. Microbiology, 57(6), 1689–1695.
22.
Roberts, D. J., Fedorak, P. M., and Hrudey, S. E. ( 1988). “Culture methods for obtaining m-cresol-degrading methanogenic consortia.” Current Microbiology, 17, 83–87.
23.
Sack, W. A. and Bokey, W. R. ( 1979). “Biological treatment of coal gasification wastewater.” Proc., 33rd Industrial Waste Conf., Purdue University, Ann Arbor Science Publishers, Ann Arbor, Mich.
24.
Suflita, J. M., Liang, L. N., and Saxena, A. ( 1989). “The anaerobic biodegradation of o-, m- and p-cresol by sulfate-reducing bacteria enrichment cultures obtained from a shallow anoxic aquifer.” J. Ind. Microbiol., Hampshire, U.K., 4, 255–266.
25.
Thauer, R. K., Jungermann, K., and Decker, K. ( 1977). “Energy conservation in chemotrophic anaerobic bacteria.” Bacteriol. Rev., 41(1), 100–180.
26.
Tschech, A. T., and Fuchs, G. ( 1987). “Anaerobic degradation of phenol by pure cultures of newly isolated denitrifying pseudomonas.” Arch. Microbiol., 148, 213–217.
27.
Wang, Y. T. ( 1992). “Effect of chemical oxidation on anaerobic biodegradation of model phenolic compounds.” Water Envir. Res., 64(3), 268–273.
28.
Wang, Y. T., Suidan, M. T., and Rittman, B. E. ( 1986). “Anaerobic treatment of phenol by an expanded-bed reactor.” J. Water Pollution Control Fed., 58(3), 227–233.
29.
Yang, P. Y., Nitisoravut, S., and Wu, J. Y. S. ( 1995). “Nitrate removal using a mixed-culture entrapped microbial cell immobilization process under high salt conditions.” Water Res., 29(6), 1525–1532.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
History
Received: Feb 6, 1997
Published online: Jan 1, 1999
Published in print: Jan 1999
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.