THE ROLE OF BED ARRANGEMENT IN ACIDOGENIC ANAEROBIC REACTOR IN THE REMOVAL OF ORGANIC MICROPOLLUTANTS IN SANITARY SEWAGE

• Grant number: 23/15900-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Zaiat
• Grantee: Giovanni de Oliveira Conceição
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Due to the increasing presence of emerging contaminants in different environmental compartments, as well as in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), new technologies are being investigated in search of solutions to mitigate the environmental impacts resulting from the persistence of these compounds in the environment and their harmful effects on human and environmental health. Even with the advancement and use of different technologies, WWTPs still face challenges in removing microorganic pollutants (MPO), which, despite being found in low concentrations, are still capable of causing impacts in various environmental compartments. In this context, anaerobic processes present themselves as promising alternatives for removing various contaminants, such as analgesics, antibiotics, diuretics, and caffeine, which are frequently detected in sewage. Although the literature contains limited information on the capacity for biotransformation in fermentative processes, new studies have shown their outstanding potential for removing various emerging contaminants. In this context, choosing different bed arrangements in fixed-bed reactors becomes a key factor in adapting the microbial consortia and the metabolic routes that will be established. Therefore, an alternative technology will be analyzed, the anaerobic packed bed reactor (AnPBR), which has already demonstrated greater efficiency in removing some common contaminants in treatment plants than other cell immobilization arrangements. The reactor will be evaluated according to its efficiency as an initial barrier in the dispersion of MPO in the environment, by removing emerging contaminants compared to other bed configurations.