Sulfur Cycle by In Situ Analysis in the Sediment Biofilm of a Sewer System
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 9
Abstract
The corrosion and odor caused by hydrogen sulfide formation are serious problems in sewer operations, and the cost to prevent these problems is high. Understanding the sulfur cycle mechanism and controlling the sulfur cycle in sediment biofilm are essential to solve these problems. In this review, the reaction mechanisms of the sulfur cycle in sediment biofilm in sewer systems revealed by using in situ microelectrode measurements and molecular biological technologies are summarized. The results indicated that the profile of the reaction process of the sulfur cycle in sediment biofilm was primarily affected by the substrate concentration change in the liquid phase and the various substrate penetrations in sediment biofilm. The biological community’s distribution and shifting of sulfate reduction bacteria and sulfide oxidation bacteria across the sediment biofilm were in response to the substrate change of the microenvironment in sediment biofilm. The influence of flow fluctuation on the profile of the sulfur cycle in the sediment biofilm of field sewers, the advantageous biological techniques of pyrosequencing and metagenome analyses combined with novel in situ microelectrode measurements, and the new concept model–related control technology of the sulfur cycle in sediment biofilm should be promoted in future studies.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50908131), the Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment of China (No. 2011ZX07301-002), and the Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program (No.20121087922).
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 9 • September 2016
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© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 13, 2014
Accepted: May 19, 2015
Published online: Aug 5, 2015
Discussion open until: Jan 5, 2016
Published in print: Sep 1, 2016
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