Removal of caffeine using horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass reactor

• Grant number: 16/20478-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2017
• End date: August 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Clairmont Feitosa de Lima Gomes
• Grantee: Giovana Silva Martins
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Occurrence of several emerging micropollutants in environmental matrices, such as pharmaceuticals, has been frequently reported over the last years. Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed drug in the world, present in pharmaceuticals and even in beverages and foods. The presence of caffeine is intensely described in the environment which permits to use caffeine as an anthropogenic marker. The lack of knowledge about adverse effects that this contamination can cause to the environment motivates this study. Environmental contamination can occur via various routes, highlighting contamination of surface and ground water by domestic sewage. Moreover, emerging micropollutants are persistent even after pass by conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In Brazil, where a very small portion of the domestic sewage produced is collected and treated, enhance the need of studies in this area. Therefore, this research aims to assess the caffeine removal using a horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass (HAIB) reactor and a new support matrix for biomass immobilization. Caffeine will be added at different concentrations on a lab-made sewage, which mimics domestic sewage composition and the reactor will operate at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12 hours. Biocharcoal pellets of banana pseudo-stem will be used for biomass immobilization, a material support never used on previous studies of caffeine removal. (AU)