Biodegradation of Phenol and Ammonia from Refinery Wastewater in Hybrid MBBR System by Native Mixed Bacterial Culture
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 149, Issue 1
Abstract
A novel hybrid fed-batch moving-bed bioreactor (MBBR) system was developed for the treatment of refinery wastewater containing a wide range of phenol () and ammonia-nitrogen () using an indigenous mixed microbial culture. A hybrid system containing a native mixed microbial consortium and comprising three MBBR units connected in series and operating with a 24-day hydraulic retention time (HRT) and a recycle ratio of 1.0 was evaluated under three environmental conditions. MBBR units in the system were operated in anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic conditions in fed-batch mode. The hybrid system proficiently removed the phenol (99%), ammonia-nitrogen (95%), and reduced chemical oxygen demand (COD) (98%) from maximum feed concentrations of 1,000, 50, and , respectively. The overall removal efficiency of the system decreased by 4.7%, and COD reduction efficiency increased by 2% while varying the feed phenol concentration from 250 to . However, the removal rate for phenol (20.72 to ) and (10.57 to ) increased in the anaerobic and anoxic reactor, respectively. The ammonia removal rate for the aerobic reactor decreased from 8.14 to . Ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) were used to identify the formation of intermediates (catechol and muconic acid) during the biotransformation of phenol. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed better adhesion of the mixed microbial community in the pores of the carrier media. The best fit of the modified Stover-Kincannon model confirmed that phenol and utilization is a function of organic loading rate under steady-state conditions. The results of this investigation suggest that the newly developed hybrid system with indigenous mixed microbes can treat the heterogeneous pollutants discharged in refinery wastewater.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Science and Engineering Research Board (DST), Government of India (Project No. SB/EMEQ-107/2014) for providing the financial support for this study.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 149 • Issue 1 • January 2023
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 15, 2022
Accepted: Sep 10, 2022
Published online: Nov 8, 2022
Published in print: Jan 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Apr 8, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- [Inorganic compounds]
- Ammonia
- Biological processes
- Bioreactors
- Chemical processes
- Chemicals
- Chemistry
- Engineering fundamentals
- Environmental engineering
- Hybrid methods
- Methodology (by type)
- Microbes
- Organic compounds
- Organisms
- Oxygen demand
- Phenol
- Waste management
- Waste treatment
- Wastewater management
- Wastewater treatment
- Water treatment
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