Evaluation of the microbial community in the co-processing of vinasse with synthetic wastewater containing micropollutants.

• Grant number: 25/21268-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: February 23, 2026
• End date: May 22, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: José Alberto Domingues Rodrigues
• Grantee: Lia Paula Poloni Batista
• Supervisor: Claudia Etchebehere
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Uruguay
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/16543-2 - Removal of sweeteners cyclamate and sucralose from sewage by anaerobic digestion using AnSBBR, BP.DR

Abstract

The consumption of sweeteners has been increasing globally due to the growing demand for low-calorie foods. However, wastewater treatment plants exhibit low removal efficiency for these substances, which end up reaching water bodies and posing risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Anaerobic digestion, in turn, has been established over the past decades as a promising alternative for the treatment of organic wastewater. The co-processing of vinasse - a liquid residue from ethanol production - with synthetic wastewater containing micropollutants (cyclamate, sucralose, and caffeine) in anaerobic systems represents an innovative approach capable of integrating the treatment of different waste streams, reducing environmental impacts, and promoting energy recovery. Nevertheless, the microbial mechanisms involved in sweetener degradation remain poorly elucidated, limiting the advancement of sustainable solutions for the management of these compounds.This project aims to investigate the dynamics of the microbial community in an AnSBBR (Anaerobic Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor), assessing both the co-processing of vinasse and synthetic wastewater containing micropollutants and the exclusive biodigestion of vinasse. Microbial characterization will be integrated with system performance, enabling the identification of key microbial populations and the evaluation of micropollutant effects on the efficiency of anaerobic digestion. (AU)