Kinetic study of sulfide and thiosulfate oxidation by microorganisms from anaerobic sludge and strains of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans

• Grant number: 12/16843-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2012
• End date: September 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Denise Bevilaqua
• Grantee: Maiara Stefanini Borges Caires
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Many industrial wastewater treatment plants use anaerobic digesters for the treatment of organic waste. This treatment produces biogas, a gas mixture composed by methane, carbon dioxide and trace amounts of other gases such as H2S. Hydrogen sulfide is the most common odorous gas associated with wastewater treatment system. Besides its toxicity, this gas is corrosive, and has a characteristic rotten egg odor. Currently, the H2S control is carried out by physico-chemical technologies, such as adsorption, absorption and incineration. However, these methods have high operating costs. A viable alternative is the use of biological technologies that not require catalysts, oxidizing agents and have low energy consumption. The aim of this work is a kinetic study of sulfide and thiosulfate oxidation by sulfur oxidizing microorganisms (Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and anaerobic sludge), in liquid medium, in order to apply in the biodesulphurisation process to different industrial gases. (AU)